Alaska Auto Insurance After DUI
Reader’s Question:
Will my current auto insurance here in Alaska increase immediately after I get convicted for DUI? How long would I have to pay those higher auto insurance rates?
Galen
Anchorage, AK
Unless your auto insurance policy in Alaska is already up for renewal, your premiums will not increase immediately after a DUI conviction. In general, an auto insurance company runs a check on your motor vehicle record (MVR) if they are renewing your auto insurance policy or if you are a new customer. Once your auto insurance provider notices your DUI, it’s the time that your premiums will increase. Depending on the state laws and the rating systems of the auto insurance companies, your premiums will be affected for a period of three, five or seven years, or as long as the conviction is on your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) record if the insurance laws in Alaska allow it.
Because of a DUI conviction, auto insurance premiums are likely to increase substantially and you will be considered as a high risk driver by auto insurance companies. On average and depending on the guidelines of your auto insurance provider, the increase on your premiums is 30%.
Your DUI would have a negative effect on your auto insurance as you will be placed in a higher risk group and your rates could stay higher on a number of years after your conviction. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it because you can still shop and compare auto insurance quotes to find the most manageable rates.
Cheap Drunk Driving Insurance in Alaska
Reader’s Question:
A friend of mine was pulled over for drunk driving while driving my vehicle in Anchorage, Alaska. Will this affect my car insurance rate after he was charged with DUI?
Peggy
Anchorage, AK
In general, the tickets that your friend got when he was driving your vehicle in Anchorage, Alaska would not affect your car insurance rates. Any tickets for traffic violations such as DUI, speeding, driving without a license, drunk driving, etc. should all have been issued to your friend, the driver, and not the vehicle. This would typically show up on his driving record and affect him.
Let’s say, for example, your friend had crashed your vehicle while driving it. In situations such as this, it would have affected your car insurance. That is because most likely, it would be your car insurance that would have to pay out claims resulting from an accident. Be careful the next time you lend your vehicle to other people. It’s good that you trust the person but be sure that he would be responsible in case an unexpected thing happen. So if you are in need of a car insurance policy, you can always get a free insurance quote from this website.
Alaska DUI Breathalyzer Test – BAC Testing
Reader’s Question:
I actually have never been charged with DUI here in Alaska but I have been drinking and driving once in a while. I have heard a lot about the tests that are being administered to suspected DUI drivers. What is this breath test and how does the body really reacts to alcohol?
Gerald
Anchorage, AK
You are most likely be asked to submit to a breath analysis test when you are pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI). Understanding the test is very important if you are going to decide whether or not to take it. Refusing to take the test can be used against you in court in the state of Alaska, so make sure you understand how it is used.
First, here’s how the body reacts to alcohol. Alcohol enters the blood stream quickly through the walls of the stomach, rather travelling through the entire digestive system. Bodily fluids dilute the level of the alcohol in the blood, and some alcohol is eliminated through the liver. Whatever alcohol is left in the blood is excreted through urine, sweat and the breath of the drunken individual. The breath analysis test is done in an attempt to measure the blood alcohol content (BAC) of the individual through the breath test.
The breath analysis is done using a machine known as a Breathalyzer which is simple to use. An individual just have to simply breathe into the Breathalyzer, and it will show the police officer the BAC. These results are not perfect, but they are actually an indication of whether or not you are driving with a BAC that is above the legal limit in Alaska. You will be brought in for further testing, including a possible blood or urine BAC test, if you fail the breath test.