DUI can cost money, time and lives

It matters not if you are a social drinker, an occasional drinker or a drunk, it can be very costly for you in money, time and health.

If you think the ride home from that New Year's Eve party is inconvenient, consider the possible repercussions of driving home under the influence.

According to records in other newspaper, a first-offense DUI, without a crash that could damage property or hurt someone, will cost thousands of dollars in the long run.

A recent FBI statistical report shows, nearly a million-anda half people were booked on DUI charges in 2007. Nearly 17,000 people died from alcohol-related automobile incidents. Numbers like those could be the reason DUI penalties are no longer the slap on the wrist they once were, especially when a Georgia Trooper makes the stop.

After being arrested for DUI, the allegedly impaired driver will be headed straight for jail, where freedom isn't free. After being booked and drying out, he or she is going to have to come up with bail money. One Georgia DUI defense attorney said bond will likely be set at $1,200. If you don't have that kind of cash lying around, you can hire a bail bondsman who will spring you for a small, nonrefundable fee, typically somewhere between 10 and 13 percent of the total bond amount.

After being convicted of DUI, or pleading guilty to, a first or second DUI, Georgia law calls for a fine ranging from $300 to $1,000.

The fine will more likely be somewhere between $600 and $1,000, depending on which jurisdiction the charges are made in.

A third DUI could cost you up to $5,000 in fines alone.

Under Georgia law, additional surcharges and fees - which could add up to as much as 25 percent of the fine may apply.

For a first offense, your license will be suspended for a year. More DUI offenses carry longer suspensions and even revocation. Driving privileges are reinstated after a driver completes a Risk Reduction Program, known as "DUI school. This school runs about $280, then fork over a $200 reinstatement fee to the Georgia Department of Driver Services to get your licenses back.

If your insurance company hasn't found out about your DUI charge, and it likely will. When it does, stand by for a significant premium increase, if not a cancellation.

David Colmans, Georgia Insurance Information Service executive director stated, "Insurance rates are based on risk. A lot of companies have tiered levels, so you may not be in with the company's lowest rates anymore, you may be in with the more at-risk drivers."

Assuming the company decides to renew your policy at all, or they may leave you to seek coverage from companies specializing in high-risk drivers. Regardless of the company providing coverage, premiums will likely double for a period of years, which can vary from one company to the next. After you pay those higher premiums for the required amount of time, it will likely still take more violation-free years to regain all the discounts you had initially, assuming you were considered a safe driver before the conviction.

Most of these costs will apply only after a conviction or guilty plea.

The DUI accused may choose to hire an attorney and fight the charges. This will be expensive, though it could potentially be the cheapest route.

"You're paying for your chance to not get a DUI conviction," an DUI attorney said. "If you can avoid it, you'll be a lot better off ... especially if you ever get arrested for DUI again."

Many attorneys charges a flat fee for handling each step of the process up to trial. For $750, he will do all the leg work and negotiate a plea. To conduct an investigation and take care of pre-trial matters, most DUI attorneys charge more. If a client chooses to fight the case in the courtroom, he can expect to incur about $7,500 in legal fees.

Consider some or all of these possible costs:

•Time is money. It's likely that at least some work will be missed due to not being able to drive or time spent in jail, visiting a probation officer or performing community service. Not to mention that a DUI may jeopardize your job and possibly sabotage future employment prospects.

• For second-offense DUI in Georgia, an ignition interlock is mandatory. The driver is responsible for installation and maintenance fees, which average about $60 per month.

•A clinical evaluation and perhaps subsequent counseling may be mandated. Evaluations are often given on a sliding scale, one DUI attorney said, and cost an average of $125. If it is determined that counseling is needed (and it very likely will be on subsequent offenses, he said), the 16 week course could cost a DUI accused up to $1,600.

•Probation is not free. The supervision fee is $39 a month.

According to one court official, beside being illegal and dangerous, driving under the influence can be financially overwhelming. It doesn't help ones reputation at work or socially. The good thing is, there is an easy way to avoid shelling out the time, worry, health and money.

The bottom line is don't drive and drink, but if you must drink, have somebody else do the driving.