DUI/DWI: The Real Costs and Consequences

Getting busted for drunk driving sucks. I know, I’ve been there. The fines, the jail time, the embarrassment – it’s no fun at all. But I’m here to tell you the real truth about DUIs and DWIs so you can avoid making the same mistakes I did.

Let me start by getting real about the money side of it. The average DUI costs around $10,000 in fines and legal fees. But it can get up to $20,000 or more depending on where you live and how bad you messed up. Just for some beers or drinks after work! And that doesn’t even count if you hurt someone or smash your car. Cha-ching!

Now let’s talk jail time. The average first offense DUI leads to around 10 days in jail. Ten days! Do you know how boring jail is? And smelly? You’re locked up with all kinds of characters, sleeping on a hard cot, eating gross food, and not allowed to leave. I’d rather get a root canal than go back to jail.

After jail comes probation. They make you check in with a probation officer, take random drug tests, and limit when you can drive. It’s like being treated like a child for months or even years. Lame!

Okay, now onto the embarrassing stuff. Everyone finds out you got busted for DUI. The cops might publish your mugshot online or in the newspaper for everyone to see. Your family and friends will give you disappointed looks. Your boss might fire you if they find out. Talk about shame!

And if you think it’s no big deal to drive buzzed, think again. Your risk of a crash goes way up after just one or two drinks. And with each additional drink, it gets exponentially worse. Your reaction time slows down, your coordination decreases, and your judgement gets impaired. It’s just not worth it.

Imagine getting into a crash and hurting or killing someone all because you made the selfish choice to drive drunk. That guilt would haunt you forever. I have a buddy who has to live with that regret for the rest of his life, and he’d give anything to go back and make a different choice.

Even if you don’t crash, you can get slapped with a DUI just for getting pulled over while buzzed. The legal limit is a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%, but you can get a DUI even below that if the cop thinks you’re impaired.

So how do you avoid a DUI? Simple – don’t drive if you’ve had anything to drink, period. Not even one beer or a single glass of wine. It’s just not worth the huge costs and consequences. Have a designated driver, call a taxi or rideshare, or crash on a friend’s couch. Just don’t get behind the wheel.

State-by-State DUI Laws

DUI laws vary a lot between states. Here’s a quick rundown of some key differences:

• Legal limit: Most states say 0.08% BAC is drunk, but some say 0.05% or 0.10%
• Jail time: Ranges from no mandatory minimum up to 10 days for first offense
• Fines: First offense fines go from $300 to $2,000 typically
• License suspension: Between 30 days to 1 year for first offense
• “Wet reckless” charge: Available in some states as a plea bargain
• Interlock device: Mandatory for repeat offenders in some states

As you can see, the penalties get harsher if you’re a repeat offender. That’s why it’s so important to learn your lesson the first time and never drive impaired again. Look up the specific laws where you live so you know just how bad the punishment can be.

Should DUI Laws Be Stricter?

With all the dangers of drunk driving, it’s no wonder some people want tougher DUI laws. Some advocate lowering the legal limit to 0.05% BAC or even zero tolerance. Others want mandatory jail time, bigger fines, and longer license suspensions for first-time offenders.

But there are downsides to super strict DUI laws. Jail time and big fines can ruin lives and make it hard for people to recover and be productive citizens. And with plea bargains, first offenders often get off lightly anyway.

A better approach may be more enforcement of existing laws combined with education and addiction treatment programs. Cops could do more checkpoints and saturation patrols to catch impaired drivers. Schools and media campaigns could teach about DUI dangers. And mandatory alcohol education or rehab could help prevent repeat offenses.

In the end, we all have to take responsibility for our own actions. You can’t legislate morality or common sense. Don’t want a DUI? Don’t drive drunk or high. It really is that simple.

Fighting a DUI Charge

Okay, I’ve tried to scare you straight when it comes to drunk driving. But what if you get pulled over after a few drinks and get slapped with a DUI anyway? Don’t panic. There are things you can do to fight the charges and minimize the penalties.

First and most important – remain polite with the officer. No matter how unfair it seems, arguing or acting rude will only hurt your case down the line. Cooperate and be respectful.

When asked to take a breathalyzer test, take it. Refusing the test can actually lead to worse penalties than failing it in most states. If the results seem bogus, your lawyer can challenge them later.

As soon as possible after your arrest, write down all the details you can remember while they’re fresh. The circumstances leading up to the traffic stop, how the officer treated you, exact quotes, everything. It will help your DUI defense.

And of course, get a good DUI lawyer, preferably one with plenty of experience fighting drunk driving charges in your area. A skilled attorney knows all the weaknesses in the prosecution’s case to get charges reduced or dismissed.

With a good lawyer, first-time offenders often plead down to reckless driving or a “wet reckless,” which has less serious fines and penalties. It’s still not fun, but beats a full DUI conviction.

We all make mistakes, especially when we’re young. I got my first and only DUI when I was 21 – dumb move. My friends and I were bar-hopping and I thought I was fine to drive home. Nope. Those few beers hit me harder than I realized and I got pulled over. The officer could tell I was buzzed and gave me a field sobriety test, which of course I failed. At the station I blew a 0.09 on the breathalyzer, just over the 0.08 legal limit. Got slapped with a DUI charge.
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Luckily I hired a good DUI attorney who was able to plead it down to a wet reckless charge, which is essentially reckless driving involving alcohol. No DUI on my record but I still had to pay fines, do community service, and attend DUI classes.[2][3]

That experience scared me straight when it comes to driving after drinking. I’m just glad I didn’t hurt anyone and got a second chance. Now I’m always the designated driver and if I do have drinks, I take a Lyft home no questions asked. A DUI just isn’t worth it.

For anyone reading this who’s made the same mistake, learn from it and move forward. Don’t beat yourself up, but take responsibility and make better choices going forward. Help others avoid a DUI by sharing your experience and what you learned. We all mess up sometimes, but it’s what we do afterwards that really counts.