Study done on insurance costs following Washington State DUI

An interesting study was recently done by a company called NerdWallet.  Basically it looked at all the major cities in Washington State and what an average insurance premium would look like following a DUI conviction.  The article was a little unclear whether the study also included the SR22 insurance increase.  Im sure it did but still the premium increase was quite surprising and is definitely something most people are not aware of.

Here is what the article had to say, “If you get a DUI, your car insurance company will often increase your car insurance rates and they might even drop your coverage outright. If they don’t drop you, however, it’s a good time to go shopping for a new carrier. Different insurance give different weighting to infractions like DUIs, and your current carrier may no longer be the cheapest.”

Surprisingly the cities with the highest insurance rates following a DUI conviction is down South in Pierce County.  Here is what Nerdwallet found

“Tacoma residents have some of the highest average car insurance rates—$ 1,057.35 each year—in Washington. They also see the largest per-year dollar increase of any city for drivers who receive a DUI. Since car insurance rate increases last for five years, Tacoma residents can expect to pay $3,158.30 more in that time.

Tacoma area drivers are well-represented in the top 10. Five of the other communities with the most expensive insurance increases for DUIs are within a relatively short drive of Tacoma—though they do experience a fairly wide range of increases.”

“The average University Place driver pays about $150 more for car insurance each year than the Washington state average. University Place’s high car insurance rates mean that when the city’s drivers receive DUIs, they end up paying more for car insurance than other Washingtonians receiving DUIs.

University Place is located in Pierce County, which has a DUI and Traffic Safety Task Force that aims to reduce deaths and injuries caused by impaired driving. The task force utilizes displays at the Puyallup Fair and also hosts a holiday campaign to educate residents.”

Seattle was a little down on the list compared to these other cities in Pierce County.  Drivers with a DUI conviction on their record were likely to pay around $1500.00 a year

If you’re interested in the article here you go.  But basically the gist of it is if you get a DUI on your record.  No only will you have to deal with the Court fines, the Ignition Interlock Requirement, the Drivers license reinstatement fees, and the SR22 insurance.  But you will also have to deal with an increased insurance premium by your insurance company if you’re fortunate enough to not get booted off.

_
About the author:  Matthew Leyba is a DUI lawyer in Seattle.  He has been recognized as a Rising Star in the area of DUI Defense by the Seattle Met Magazine, an honor less than 2.5% of all lawyers receive in their practice area.  Additionally he is rated a perfect 10 out of 10 by Avvo.com, a lawyer rating service.