2 days ago I was charge with DWI and Im wondering what the penalty for that in Arizona. Will I lose my license? How much is the increase with my car insurance?

Franz

Chandler, Arizona AZ

Any driver in Arizona that has a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% while driving or is in actual control of a vehicle can be convicted of a DWI or Driving While Intoxicated if caught. This level of BAC has shown to significantly impair a driver’s ability to effectively drive, making it more likely for a drunk driving accident to occur. Anyone convicted of a DWI can expect costly fines and jail time. One would also need to carry a DWI insurance coverage one he/she is allowed to drive again.

The state of Arizona has the following punishments for a DWI offender: $450 fine + $500 DWI Assessment, up to 10 days in prison, and 30 – 360 day license suspension for the 1st offense. $900 fine + $1,250 DWI Assessment, 90 days incarceration, and one year license suspension plus the need to install (at the offender’s expense) of an Interlock Ignition Device after the 2nd offense.

3rd time offenders are fined $1,350 + $250 DWI assessment and an additional $1500 Aggravated DWI assessment, 4 months incarceration, and three years license suspension. All vehicles owned by the driver must have the Interlock Ignition Device.

Getting the right kind of DWI insurance policy is important not only because it is a state requirement, but also because it can save you hundreds of dollars a year on your auto insurance coverage. The Web is a great resource for anyone looking to get the most affordable DWI insurance coverage today.

With the many dedicated online DWI specialists and auto insurance portals, these days it only takes a few minutes to access and compare the latest DWI insurance rates, coming from a variety of specialized auto insurance companies and providers, for the most affordable insurance policy in the market. These portals save you time and effort, while helping you get your life back on the road as quickly as possible.

My car has undergone extensive customization, paid a great deal of money for it, and I’m wondering how this will affect the car insurance I have it under here in Arizona.

Dante

Phoenix, AZ

Whether or not extensively customized vehicles will still have the same level of auto insurance coverage or if the insurance premiums will stay the same is highly dependent on who you got your car insurance from. Generally speaking, most car insurance providers will raise their rates to compensate for the additional risks perceived coming from a customized vehicle. Here’s some of the reasons why you may find yourself having to pay more for your customized vehicle there in Arizona:

Increased Likelihood of Theft

Customized vehicles are seen as being a more attractive target from car thieves and vandalism. In the insurance company’s perspective this increases your likelihood of filing an insurance claim in the future hence, costing them more to maintain the coverage and therefore, increasing your insurance premiums.

Increased Value of your Vehicle

It is possible that your rates could also be re-evaluated to reflect the added actual value of your vehicle due to expensive upgrades and installations that you would naturally also want to insure (seeing as you paid good money for them). The higher the vehicle’s worth becomes, the more a car insurance company will have to pay you in the event of a loss. Again, the higher risk of insuring you which is reflected on higher auto insurance rates.

A different scenario could occur where if your customizations are to increase the safety and security of your vehicle, then you can actually expect to get discounts from your auto insurance company.

My teenager is just so excited to drive the family car since she just got her driver’s license here in Arizona. Would this mean that our auto insurance rates will go high as well?

Howard

Phoenix, AZ

You know how it is a joy to see kids growing up. It seemed like not so long ago they could barely even walk, now they could barely even wait to get behind the wheel. Along with this comes the reality that as good you were at maintaining a good driving history, adding teenage drivers to your auto insurance policy would inevitably cause your insurance premiums to go high. However, It will be to you or your daughter, or who ever pays the bills, advantage to add your daughter under your existing automobile insurance since you will almost always get additional discount from your insurance provider. Getting your daughter her own insurance policy would likely be very expensive since she has not yet established any driving history of her own.

There are ways on how you can minimize your insurance costs until your daughter is old enough to get her own car and her own policy. You and your daughter can enroll in state accredited defensive driving classes there in Arizona. This will qualify you for some additional discount towards your insurance rates for becoming safer drivers. If your daughter is doing well in school, academically, you may also want to ask your provider if they provide good student discounts. But the best thing you can do is to teach your daughter to become a safe and responsible driver.

I know that having a teenage driver could have additional expenses on car insurance. How can we be able to find cheap car insurance for my teenage son?

Norris

Flagstaff, AZ

Most auto insurance companies view teenage drivers as “risky,” so this would mean insuring them can be quite pricey than regular car insurance. Young males between the age of 16 and 21 years old are considered the worst drivers when it comes to having accidents. Still, there could be ways to get around these undesirable facts about insuring a teenage driver. There are simple ways in which you could be able to lessen the insurance rates of your teenage son.

First of all, in purchasing a car for your teenager, it doesn’t have to be expensive because auto insurance company thinks that they will pay more for the car if it gets involved in an accident. If the car is costly, it would be possible that the insurance rates will be higher for your teen. You may also look for high deductible auto insurance policy in Arizona for your teenage son. This means that if your son gets into an accident, you would have to pay higher dollar amount but it would cost you less on your annual or monthly dues. Lastly, needless to say, you would have to shop around for a teen auto insurance policy. It would be very essential to get more than one quote and compare auto insurance policies.

How can I obtain auto insurance after being convicted for drunk driving or DUI ?

Ralph

Catalina Foothills, AZ

Most major auto insurance providers would not give coverage to those who have been convicted for drunk driving or DUI. Even if you have an existing auto insurance coverage in Arizona at the time you were convicted, your auto insurance provider could very well drop your policy or increase your premiums considerably.

A good place to begin with suggestions for credible auto insurance companies who give coverage to people convicted of DUI is you DUI lawyer or legal counsel. Most likely, this would not be the first time they have been down this road and they could have some resources to help you in your search to find the best drunk driving insurance for you. Another option is to find out a DUI specialist who could help you track down the best auto insurance provider for your specific driving record. An auto insurance provider offer rates based on a lot of factors like driving record, claim history, age and gender to name a few. You could almost expect that they would also be checking your credit report and confirming employment.