When law enforcement stops you in Indiana and an officer suspects you have recently drunk alcohol, he or she will probably ask that you take a breath test to reveal whether you have, in fact, consumed more alcohol than the law allows. If so, you can expect that authorities will file charges against you, and if those charges ultimately lead to a conviction, you can anticipate facing some particularly harsh penalties.
Even if it is your first time facing such a conviction, you can still anticipate spending time in jail, paying hefty fines, losing your license and installing an ignition interlock device on your vehicle, and there are various fines and fees associated with many of these repercussions. In addition to paying as much as $5,000 in fines alone, depending on your degree of intoxication, and having to install the ignition interlock device in your car at your own expense, Insure.com reports that you can also plan on watching your auto insurance rates skyrocket following a DUI conviction.
Indiana insurance rate hikes for drivers with DUIs
Virtually all American drivers can expect to see a sharp insurance rate increase once they have DUIs on their records, but just how much of a rate hike you can expect depends to some extent on the state you live in. Furthermore, you may find that your current insurer decides not to extend you coverage entirely once you have a conviction for drunk driving, in which case you may need to confer with several different insurance companies in order to find one willing to do so.
So, just how much might your car insurance go up after a DUI conviction in Indiana? These days, an Indiana motorist with a first-time DUI on his or her record can expect car insurance rates to rise about 37 percent. Without a DUI, the average Indiana driver pays about $1,057 each year for insurance coverage. With a DUI, however, this number rises to $1,450, which amounts to an annual difference of $393.
Some drivers think that they may be able to avoid insurance rate hikes by not telling their insurers about their DUIs, but most of the time, the information does eventually make its way to insurance companies.
