Seeing those blue lights flip on in your rear-view mirror can be an anxiety-inducing experience, but if the North Carolina law enforcement officer who stops you ultimately charges you with drunk driving, things may soon get a whole lot worse. A conviction for driving while intoxicated typically brings with it hefty consequences, and while some of those repercussions are criminal in nature, others will take a direct hit on your wallet.
For example, according to Insure.com, you can all but count on your automotive insurance rates spiking substantially once you regain your driving privileges following a drunk driving conviction. Just how much more might you have to come up with to cover yourself on the road?
Unfortunately, North Carolina drivers who have DWIs on their driving records face the nation’s highest insurance rate hikes following their convictions. What might that rate increase look like? Typically, a North Carolina motorist who has an average driving record, but no drunk driving convictions, will pay about $1,170 a year for insurance coverage.
Once a driver has that drunk driving conviction, though, he or she will have to pay an average of $5,508 for insurance coverage annually, which amounts to a yearly difference of $4,338. While it can be tough to come up with that much more money to cover yourself behind the wheel, you may find it especially difficult to do so if you have already had to pay steep fines and other expenditures relating to your crime.
This information about insurance rate hikes after a North Carolina DWI is educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice.
