Found Guilty of a DUI? How Can It Affect You Going Forward

If you have been found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may be wondering how this offense will affect you going forward. Continue reading to learn about the damage that a DUI can do, and to learn why it simply isn’t worth driving under the influence.

You Will Need to Get SR-22 Insurance

When you are convicted of a DUI, your auto insurance plan will probably be canceled, or your rate will go up dramatically, making it very difficult for you to afford your car insurance plan. You will be considered a high-risk driver, and this status will adversely affect your insurance rates.

Also, SR-22 insurance is typically required of drivers that have been convicted of a DUI, as well as those who have been pulled over while driving without proper auto insurance in place. It can also affect those who have had their driver’s license suspended or revoked, and those who have had too many traffic tickets and offenses against them in too short of a time period. If you meet the conditions for an SR-22 insurance policy, you will need to use this until your status has been cleared.

You Will Have a Criminal Record

A DUI is particularly damaging because it will give you a criminal record. Once you are convicted or you plead guilty to a DUI, you will have a permanent criminal record, and this will appear when anyone performs a background check on you. This could affect your ability to get hired, and it will more than likely prevent you from becoming a teacher, government employee, firefighter, police officer, truck driver, nurse, and more.

You Will Have Trouble Traveling to Other Countries

Individuals who are arrested, charged, and convicted of driving under the influence will also find that they are restricted when it comes to their ability to travel internationally. Because a DUI record is a part of your criminal history and can create a criminal record for you even if you have no other offenses, you may find that there are certain countries that will not let you enter because of that criminal record. So if you are the type of person who loves to travel without having to worry about being restricted with regards to where you can go, you definitely do not want to get charged with a DUI.

Repeat Offenders Have It Even Worse

Even though your life will change in many ways after your first DUI offense, if you do it again and become a repeat offender, you could face jail time, a suspension of your driver’s license, and even higher fees, along with additional DUI classes.

As you can see, there are many ways in which a DUI will affect your life going forward. The best way to prevent all of this is to always make it a point to drive sober and have a designated driver whenever you do plan on going out and drinking. Once you’re convicted of a DUI, your life will change, and it will not change for the better.