Someone in Texas suffers a drunk driving-related injury or fatality every 20 minutes, so it makes sense that the state takes driving while intoxicated quite seriously and penalizes its drunk drivers accordingly. A Texas DWI often proves to be quite expensive, and even a first-time offender may pay thousands in fines related to their actions while also shelling out another $1,000 to $2,000 annually for three years to retain their driver’s license.
While it may prove difficult to come up with the money to cover these fines and expenses, they, unfortunately, do not stop there. According to Insure.com, another expense you should count on in the wake of a DWI conviction is a steep increase in the amount you pay for automotive insurance coverage.
Just how much might your insurance rates rise once you have a Texas DWI conviction? Even first-time drunk drivers should anticipate paying significantly more to insure themselves than they did prior to receiving their convictions. If, before your DWI, you had a pretty standard driving record, chances are, you paid roughly $1,644 every year to cover yourself.
Once you have that DWI, though, you should expect this figure to rise by almost 60%. The typical Texas driver who has one DWI, but an otherwise pretty typical driving record, should expect to pay about $2,619 a year for insurance, which is a 59% increase that should have you paying an additional $975 annually for coverage.
This copy about how insurance rates rise after a Texas DWI is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for legal advice.