Long-Term Consequences Of A DUI Conviction
A conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) can affect you both in the short-term and long-term. Below are some of the long-term consequences you should be concerned about.
Insurance Rate Hike
Driving under the influence is dangerous because intoxication impairs judgment, vision, and reaction time, among other effects. Auto insurance companies know this and deem you a dangerous driver if a court convicts you of a DUI. Dangerous drivers pay higher auto insurance rates than other drivers.
The rate increase varies by auto insurance companies and states. On average, the increase is more than a thousand dollars per year. The effect can last for several years — even as much as seven years.
Scholarship Difficulties
A DUI conviction can ruin your current or future educational ambitions. For one, a DUI conviction can bar you from some scholarship programs. These scholarship funds are limited, and their benefactors use different factors to weed out some applicants. Students with criminal convictions are likely to be excluded from some funds.
Secondly, a DUI conviction can also get you kicked out of campus housing. This is even more likely if you were arrested on college grounds. In extreme cases, say cases of a felony DUI or multiple DUI convictions, a school can even deny you admission or kick you out.
Career Disruption
A DUI conviction can disrupt your career in three main ways. First, a disruption to your scholarship funds can disrupt your education, and problems with your education can lead to career problems. Secondly, your employer might suspend, demote, or fire you after the conviction. Lastly, you might also have a hard time finding work with a DUI conviction in your history. The risk is especially high if your jobs or the jobs that interest you involve driving.
Social Disruption
Lastly, a DUI conviction can also affect your social standing or your relationship with others. The damage will even be greater if people consider you an upstanding member of the community. Friends, colleagues, business partners, and even clients can all be wary of your driving after a DUI conviction.
For example, if you used to drive your kids to school in a carpool, concerned parents might kick you out of the group after a DUI conviction. That would mean driving the kids to school every day and missing out on your socialization with the other parents.
As you can see, a DUI conviction can have numerous effects on your life. Do your best to get a decent DUI lawyer if you are facing DUI charges.
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