What Happens To My Car Insurance After DUI?
Reader’s Question:
What happen to my auto insurance if I get convicted of DUI? What should I do? Please help.
Lee
Oklahoma City, OK
The state of Oklahoma is very serious about the risk posed by DUI or Driving Under the Influence offenders. If you are proven to be driving with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08% or greater then you can be arrested for a DUI. Penalties include fines reaching anywhere from a thousand dollars and up and the immediate suspension of your driver’s license. A DUI can also make your car insurance premiums higher, and can even make you uninsurable with some car insurance companies.
It would be very important to find a car insurance company that will file an SR22 Form for you, and would provide the necessary DUI Insurance coverage in Oklahoma, immediately. This kind of car insurance can actually be very expensive, unless you know how to find and choose the right kind of DUI insurance provider effectively.
There are a good number of reasons why the Internet is your best tool and resource to find the most affordable DUI insurance in Oklahoma. The many dedicated DUI car insurance portals on the Web, offering anyone access to free car insurance quotes, is definitely one good reason to shop for a DUI insurance online. You also get to compare more car insurance providers that specializes on DUI cases, this maximizes your ability to spot the most affordable DUI car insurance provider available.
A DUI arrest and conviction will mean that you are under the high-risk drivers category, and the best way to recover from this is and hopefully get your DUI insurance rates lowered, is to work on a spotless driving record. Getting into another driving offense, DUI related or not, will only make your car insurance premiums higher.
It only takes a few minutes to get the best DUI insurance rates and offers on the Web, so invest at least that much time in choosing your DUI insurance in Oklahoma. Getting it right the first time can save you hundreds of dollars a year on your DUI insurance coverage.
How To Avoid DUI Arrest In Oklahoma
Reader’s Question:
I usually go out during weekends and I think I really can’t avoid driving after having some drinks. How do you think I can avoid a DUI charge here in Lawton, Oklahoma?
Charles
Lawton, OK
There are certain things that you can do to prevent having a DUI charge in Lawton, Oklahoma if you really can’t avoid driving after consuming some alcohol. There are some practical pointers that you must follow to avoid a DUI arrest. First on the list is that before having any drinks, you can decide who would be the “designated driver” for the night. You can also use a cab service or public transportation. The cost of a taxi ride home will be substantially less expensive than the cost of a DUI.
You can certainly call a family member or a friend to pick you up and you could pick up your car in the morning. If you are worried about your car being towed or a parking ticket, the cost of both combined are, in all likelihood, less than the lifetime cost of a DUI arrest and conviction. You may also choose to sleep it off at a nearby hotel or friend’s house. If you are worried about being late for work in the morning, keep in mind that spending the night in jail will only make it harder for you to get to work on time.
How Reliable Is The DUI Breath Test?
Reader’s Question:
My brother failed the DUI breath test on his DUI arrest in North Oklahoma. How reliable is the breath test in determining the driver’s blood alcohol level?
Hugo
North Cleveland, OK
The answer to your question, Hugo is extremely long and the subject of great debate. Breath tests are used by law enforcement officers for its ease and convenience, and not on its accuracy. Reliability would depend upon the ability of the breath test machine to accurately measure the presence of breath alcohol. The breath alcohol is supposed to reflect the level of alcohol in a person’s blood. Alcohol in the blood, of course, would produce a depressive effect upon the central nervous system that would lead to intoxication. But even a perfectly functioning breath test machine has problems in producing reliable results as to intoxication.
A simple fact that illustrates a deficiency in the breath test machine is that this machine strictly assumes that the breath temperature is 34 degrees Celsius, which is about 93 degrees Fahrenheit. During your brother’s DUI arrest in North Cleveland, Oklahoma, if his breath temperature is higher than 34 degrees Celsius, his breath test result will be higher than the true level. Because of that, he has to consult a qualified DUI lawyer to help him and further assist him about breath testing and other matters on his DUI case.
Oklahoma DUI First Offense
Reader’s Question:
I just moved here in Norman, Oklahoma and I heard that my neighbor was charged with DUI for a first-time DUI offense. How can he be charged with an aggravated DUI if it was the first time that he was charged with it?
Gladys
Norman, OK
During the DUI arrest of your neighbor in Norman, Oklahoma, if he had a breath or blood alcohol test of .15% or higher, the charge would be an aggravated DUI even if it is the first time that he is charged for DUI. If he will be convicted for the DUI charge of an aggravated offense, he could face all the same penalties for a first-time offense, but he would also be required to complete a mandatory in-patient treatment program with one year aftercare, 480 hours of community service and install an ignition interlock device on all the vehicles that he would be driving.
Almost all District Attorney’s office in the state of Oklahoma is filing the charge of aggravated DUI with a BAC test of .15% or higher. In the district courts where these charges are being filed, the common practice is to amend the charge back down to a regular DUI charge if the person has had an alcohol assessment that does not reflect the need for the person to complete an in-patient program.
Non driving DUI Arrest In Oklahoma?
Reader’s Question:
How come my cousin was arrested for DUI in Oklahoma even when he was not driving? Are the penalties the same as if he was actually driving the car?
Mary
Midwest City, OK
Your cousin must have fallen asleep in the car or simply waiting to be “sober enough” to carry himself and drive again when he was arrested for DUI in Midwest City, Oklahoma. The actual charge that he would get is APC or “Actual Physical Control” which is a charge against a person who is in a vehicle and under the influence, like in DUI. Also, just like in DUI, breath and/or blood test are requested of the person who is arrested for this charge.
In APC, your cousin was not driving, but maybe parked or sitting still on a street or parking lot and could have driven if he wanted to do so. The crime of APC is effectively, the same thing as committing the crime of DUI. APC carries all of the same driver’s license problems/case and punishments as DUI. Anyone who had had some alcohol to drink should know what else to do other than parking and waiting to be “sober enough” to drive again. In other words, simply pulling over would not be enough.
Can I Get Permit To Drive To Work After DUI Charge In Oklahoma?
Reader’s Question:
Can I get a work permit to still drive after my DUI arrest in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma? I badly need even a restricted driver’s license because it is required in my line of work.
Ervin
Broken Arrow, OK
I understand that you really want a work permit after your driver’s license has been suspended because of your DUI arrest in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Let me just tell you first that a work permit is really expensive and quite a hassle. Also, work permits would only be granted to first time DUI offenders, or those who have their driver’s licenses revoked for a period of six months. Those who have license revocation for one year (second DUI offense in a five-year period) or three years (third DUI offense in five years) could not, by law, have a work permit at all.
To qualify for the work permit, you should pay a fee of $150 and install an ignition interlock device on any car you drive wherein you would blow into and “pass” before the ignition would work. The ignition interlock device costs about $500 for a period of six months. If you own a CDL or Commercial Driver’s License (Class A, B, or C), work permits cold no longer be obtained for anything but Class D licenses. Also, the driver’s license revocation would still be on your record forever.
License Suspension After DUI Oklahoma
Reader’s Question:
Is it true that after my friend’s DUI arrest in Lawton, Oklahoma, he would also face a case that has something to do with his driver’s license? How is this driver’s license case different from the actual DUI case trial?
Erica
Lawton, OK
Yes, it’s true; your friend also has to face a case that has something to do with his driver’s license after he has been arrested for DUI in Lawton, Oklahoma. In almost every DUI case, this driver’s license case is set into motion before the first court date. An arrest for “Actual Physical Control” (APC) or DUI would cause anyone to lose the driver’s license.
Depending on the prior DUI record, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) would take his license from him for a period of six months to three years for failing the chemical test with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .08% or higher, or .02% or more BAC if he is under 21 years old. He would also lose his license for a refusal to take the test, just like he had failed it. If he has a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and refuse the test, he would be disqualified for one year, no matter what vehicle he is driving during the DUI arrest. Any driving he does during the time his license is revoked could result in additional criminal charges and additional periods of license suspension or revocation.
How To Avoid License Suspension After DUI In Oklahoma
Reader’s Question:
My sister was charged with DUI here in Oklahoma and I was told that she still has time to save her license. How can we stop this license suspension or revocation after her DUI charge?
Edward
Oklahoma City, OK
After your sister’s DUI arrest in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a hearing should be requested from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) within 15 days of her arrest. She must win this hearing so that she can avoid the loss of her driver’s license. If she does not request, or have her DUI lawyer request the hearing, the suspension of her driver’s license would go into effect 30 days after her arrest. If her case if not addressed in this manner, and within the 15-day period, there is nothing that could be done to avoid the loss of her driver’s license.
If her driver’s license is suspended or revoked because of this DUI arrest, her driving record would show it, no matter what happens in her DUI court trial. This means that even if her DUI criminal case is later dismissed or if she is found not guilty, her driver’s license is suspended or revoked and it is still in her record. This would have the same effect on her insurance rates and, possibly upon employment, as if she had been convicted of DUI in court. Since she’s gonna be needing SR22 insurance because of her DUI arrest, you can recommend to her that she get an online rate quote from this website from a great insurance company in Oklahoma.
DUI Breath Test Result Explained
Reader’s Question:
My cousin was arrested for DUI in Oklahoma and the breath test result when she was arrested was different when she was tested at the police station. Does this really happen in breath testing, how can this be explained?
Carmi
Midwest City, OK
Yes, this has already happened in countless DUI cases. Any driver who is suspected to be driving under the influence could have a breath test result of 0.15% blood alcohol content (BAC) at the police station, but had a 0.07 BAC when the driver got pulled over. This is because alcohol could take an average of 50 minutes, but could take as long as three hours, to be fully absorbed into the bloodstream and create the peak blood alcohol level. This is very critical in your cousin’s DUI case in Midwest City, Oklahoma if the DUI arrest happened relatively soon after she finished drinking.
Probably, her BAC was still rising when she took the breath test which means that even if her BAC was above 0.08% when she was tested at the police station, it could be well have been below 0.08% when she was actually driving. There’s no law against having BAC that is above 0.08% at the police station; it would only be the BAC while actually driving that counts in DUI cases.
DUI Field Sobriety Tests Oklahoma
Reader’s Question:
I know that there is certification required for blood alcohol testing in a DUI arrest. Are police officers in Oklahoma also being trained in conducting field sobriety tests or there’s really no need for certification for this?
Brylee
Lawton, OK
The Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Program recommends law enforcement to develop refresher or in service training, as needed, to ensure that SFST trained personnel maintain their proficiency in the administration of their total DUI or DUI enforcement program; this includes police officers in Lawton, Oklahoma who administer field sobriety tests during a DUI investigation.
The said program would require an officer to obtain 20 practice tests prior to being considered certified in the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN). There would be no time limit on when these tests can be obtained. It is also required to have 35 practice tests within a six month period. A refusal could not be considered a practice test as the evaluation of the DUI suspect must be supported by a blood alcohol reading. An officer is being trained to administer the HGN test last during his practice test period and not to formulate an opinion based on the results or use it for probable cause to arrest. Officers are told not to document the test because of this.