Montana Auto Insurance and DUIs
Drinking and driving is not a good combination. There are TV and radio ads about this. There are films at schools, literature at the library and other public places, and yet people continue to do this. The question keeps coming up as to how many lives need to be lost before people get the message.
Even with the risk of hurting or killing yourself or others, people continue to drink and drive in Montana. However, even if loss of life or serious injuries don't stop individuals from doing this, there is a different angle to this situation.
There is a way that there is hitting people in their wallets and a couple of other places. For one, a conviction could land you in jail and cost you a lot of money. In addition, one thing that many people don't realize about drinking and driving is that on top of all of the above, your insurance rates can hit the roof.
A DUI on your records categorizes you as a high-risk driver. As a result, several things can happen. Your insurance can be canceled or not renewed, your premiums can be increased and/or you might have to get insurance from a company who only deal with high-risk drivers, which limit your options and leave you with higher premiums.
Depending on how long a DUI remains on a driver's record, the higher rates can continue for up to seven years. Plus, any accidents or tickets from the past or that you get in the present or future, these tickets or accidents can cost you much more than they would if you did not have a DUI on your records.
What do you do if you can't afford the combination of all this and have to stop driving even temporarily? If rapid transit is not available, how do you get to work? And the list goes on. You could take the chance and drive without insurance or against any restrictions resulting from the DUI, but if you get stopped by the police or you get into an accident, you could end up in jail for a longer time, end up not being able to get insurance or just plain lose your license, or for that matter, you could end up with all of the above.
If you are in a situation where you have a DUI, do not give up regarding insurance. There are companies out there that will work with you. Don't pick the first policy you find - do some comparing. More importantly, don't drink and drive.
Before you decide to have a drink or two - or more - and drive, think about the consequences. Aside from the toll in human life, the other consequences to you could be overwhelming and you may be unable to turn the situation around.