Imagine you went to close out your bar tab before heading home on a Saturday night and the bartender said, “That’ll be $10,000.” You stare at the bartender, stunned. As he starts to correct his statement, you let out a sigh of relief, assured that there is no way that’s your tab. The bartender continues: “I meant $1 million.”
Research shows that the initial cost of driving under the influence (DUI) can average $10,000 – and that’s just within six months of the incident. That money may be spent on initial fees which include bail, car towing, DUI classes, court-imposed fines, attorney fees, ignition interlock devices and more. But the financial stress doesn’t stop there.
When the fictitious bartender corrects himself to say $1 million, he’s referring to the bigger picture. After receiving a DUI, depending on the state, annual auto insurance rates increase significantly. In California, for example, the average Good Driver insurance discount is $1,307. After receiving a DUI, the same driver might pay up to $4,001 more. That is an annual increase of $2,694, which would likely total tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Say you’re planning to retire from the Navy as an E-7 at age 39. Your military retirement pension of one-half of your base pay will amount to $996,000 over 40 years. Your commissary and exchange privileges will save you an estimated $52,000 and medical insurance savings will equate to about $61,000 over that time period. That totals a real loss of $1 million over your lifetime if you are separated from the Navy for a DUI.
Knowing the financial burdens – in addition to the health, career and safety risks – would you still drink and drive? Or would you remember how hard you’ve worked to earn your living and your rank? Plan for a safe ride home before you go out for the night—and stick to it. The Keep What You’ve Earned campaign’s Pier Pressure mobile application has the tools you need to drink responsibly, including a blood alcohol content estimator, calorie calculator (which tells you how many pushups it will take to burn off those beers) and one-click access to Uber and Lyft ride-sharing apps. Pier Pressure is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Drink responsibly and keep what you’ve earned. Don’t let a $20 tab turn into a $10,000 (or $1,000,000) budget-buster. Even driving minimally buzzed can increase your risk for a car accident by 46 percent. Know your limit before you get there, don’t try to “keep up” with others and plan in advance for a safe ride home. You’ve earned it, don’t waste it.
April is both Alcohol Awareness Month and Stress Awareness Month. For more tips on responsible drinking brought to you by Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention’s Keep What You’ve Earned campaign, click here. If you think you may be struggling with alcohol, contact your local Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor (DAPA).
References:
Cost of a DUI. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/stopteendui/parents/cost/how-much-does-a-dui-cost.cfm
Devine, R. & Garske, M. (2014, January 16). Study: “Minimally Buzzed” Drivers Often Cause Fatal Crashes. Retrieved from http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/UCSD-Study-Minimally-Buzzed-Drivers-and-Car-Crashes-240673261.html
Marquand, B. (2016, February 3). How Much Does a DUI Cost. Retrieved from https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/cost-of-a-dui/
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