No matter how often people are told not to drink and drive, they continue to do so. If you get caught, you will be charged with a DUI (driving under influence). This is likely to mean your license will be revoked for some time and getting it back will be difficult. Even if it is not revoked, you will probably have to meet a number of very stringent criteria. One of those is that you will have to file for SR22 insurance.
What Is SR22 Insurance?
SR22 is not actually a form of insurance. Rather, it is a form that proves you have insurance. Most states will require you to file this, as it proves that you are properly covered and you will not be able to have your driving privileges restored without it. The form itself is passed to the DMV by your insurance company and shows what level of coverage you have and that you have paid for it. Once the DMV receives your SR22 form, your driving suspension will be removed.
You usually have to carry SR22 for a number of years. If your policy lapses or if you don’t make payments, your insurance company will immediately tell the DMV about this. At that point, your license will once again be revoked.
How to Get SR22
SR22 in itself is very affordable. A payment of around $50 will be added to your total premiums and you will simply pay for it automatically. However, insuring yourself after a DUI is incredibly expensive. In fact, your premiums will easily be twice as high as they were before and will be more on par, if not higher than, insurance for young drivers. This is why you should spend some time finding insurance underwriters that specialize in high risk insurance cases in order to find a reasonably affordable deal.
There are a number of things that you can do to bring your policy premiums down, however. The first is to install an ignition steering lock. This means that you must breathalyze yourself every time you want to drive. Insurance companies like this, because it means that you cannot drive if you have had something to drink. This means that your risk is immediately reduced. However, if you have been convicted not just of a DUI but also of other motoring offenses, such as speeding and reckless driving, it may not be enough. In those cases, you may have to do thing similar to young drivers in order to bring your premiums down. This includes driving a newer, less powerful car and having a lock installed that means you can drive no faster than 50 miles per hour.
Unfortunately, recovering from a DUI is about more than sobering up. This is a conviction that will have lengthy implications for a very long time. You will be seen as a dangerous driver for at least six years after your license has been reinstated, and you will have to pay the price for that.
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