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Reader’s Question:

I was stupid enough to get caught drinking a bottle (but just a bottle) of beer while driving, how would this affect my auto insurance rates here in Florida?

James V.

Boca Raton, FL

Sad to say it would affect your auto insurance rates significantly. Driving under the influence (DUI or also known as DWI) cases and arrests and convictions are serious traffic violations that definitely places you in a higher risk segment as a driver. And since insurance is a business of risk, the higher your risk of getting involved in future car accidents, violations and anything else that may cause you to file for a claim or require your auto insurance provider there in Florida to pay hefty sums of money to anyone you might have injured, the more they will compensate for this added risk by increasing the amount of money they charge you.

You might even lose your existing auto insurance coverage completely if your drivers license was suspended because of this incident. Which means that as soon as you get one, the said incident will be reflected on your record and would add a few hundred dollars on an agents calculator when you get a new policy.

If anything, think of this as just a setback, you won’t have to pay a high rate forever. You would need to make a great effort not to get involved in any other forms of accidents or even minor traffic violations for the next three years, until you’re record is cleaned up by which time you may already be eligible to receive lower rates on your auto insurance.

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