Cities around the country are hosting St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivities this weekend, which will inspire many Americans to tip back a pint of Guinness while toasting “sláinte.”
The partygoers should beware of stepping behind the wheel, though, as insurance premiums can jump dramatically after a single DUI offense.
In fact, not only do most states require SR-22 documentation as proof of automobile insurance following a drunk driving conviction, but insurance rates remain high until the conviction is removed from consumers’ record, typically January 1 of the fourth year after the incident.
On average, insurancequotes.com found that a DUI conviction will cause premiums to rise by 92% in the United States, although actual cost increases vary widely by state. Analysts note that drivers in North Carolina can expect to see a 337% increase in their car insurance costs, for example, while their counterparts in Maryland will only face a 15% surge.
The cities with the highest increases, outlined by NerdWallet, include:
- New York
- San Francisco
- Washington, D.C.
- Syracuse, N.Y.
- Atlanta
- Chicago
- Denver
- Boston
- Savannah, Ga.
- Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
Insurancequotes.com also found that DUIs are the violations that cause the highest jumps in insurance premiums, followed by reckless driving and speeding more than 31 MPH over the limit.
