North Carolina’s drunk driving laws are among the nation’s strictest. Driving while impaired within state lines has the potential to lead to serious, potentially life-changing penalties, with even first-time DWI offenders facing hundreds of dollars in fines and up to 60 days behind bars, among other penalties. While the criminal penalties associated with drinking and driving are substantial, so, too, are the financial repercussions that come with a drunk driving arrest and conviction.
According to Insure.com, a drunk driving conviction is going to raise your insurance rates by a large amount, and you should expect to pay this heightened rate for years after getting your driver’s license back.
How much your auto insurance rates may rise
In North Carolina, the average motorist watches his or her auto insurance rates skyrocket 371% after a drunk driving conviction. Without a DWI on the record, a typical North Carolina driver pays somewhere around $1,170 per year for insurance coverage. Yet, after a first-time DWI conviction, the typical North Carolina driver shells out closer to $5,508 for coverage each year, which is an annual increase of $4,338.
Why you may need to get multiple quotes from insurance companies
Certain insurers may decide to drop you or not offer you coverage if you have drunk driving offenses on your record. Others may charge you varying amounts because providers use different formulas to determine how much your policy is going to be. Thus, it may benefit you financially to get several different quotes for insurance following a DWI conviction.
Not every DWI arrest winds up leading to a conviction. Sometimes, certain factors may lead to the dismissal of a drunk driving charge.
