Auto Insurance Penalties for Driving Under the Influence Proposed in Texas

Austin, TX - Texans already face relatively strict penalties for driving under the influence that include losing driving privileges, spending at least three days in jail, seeing what can be expected to be dramatic increases in the price of car insurance and having to pay thousands of dollars in fines and legal fees. Legislation introduced this session to the state legislature would add one more penalty to that list.

HB 1020, introduced by state Rep. Sid Miller, would increase by $25,000 the minimum required amounts of Texas liability coverage for drivers convicted of driving under the influence. So motorists convicted of a DUI would not only have to pay more for their existing coverage, but they would also have to increase the minimum amounts of coverage that they carry.

This practice is already in place in some states. Florida auto insurance law, for instance, dramatically increases the minimum amount of liability coverage that motorists must carry if they are convicted of driving under the influence. If a Florida driver has a clean record, he or she is required to carry only $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability. But if that same driver is convicted of a DUI, he or she will also need to buy bodily injury liability coverage that covers at least up to $100,000 for injury or death to one person and $300,000 per accident.

The basic logic behind these measures is that those who have driven drunk have identified themselves through their actions as high-risk car insurance liabilities. And since the steps governments can take to prevent them from driving drunk again are limited, they are trying to make sure that at least any damages that may be caused in the future will be paid for.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, more than 96,000 people were arrested for driving under the influence in the state in 2009.

Source: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/public_information/2009CIT.pdf

 

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