Individuals who regularly consume alcohol may choose to drive home from bars or social gatherings. They believe they cannot leave their vehicles unattended overnight or trust that their tolerance to alcohol may allow them to drive safely despite their inebriated state.
Frequently, individuals arrested once for drunk driving are at risk of subsequent charges. Especially when those with prior impaired driving convictions do not seek support to address their use of alcohol, they can end up prosecuted multiple times for impaired driving offenses. Those with prior drunk driving convictions on their records are at risk of numerous significant consequences, including the following, that are not always a concern with a first drunk driving charge.
1. Immigration consequences
Immigrants living in the United States with visas or green cards must follow domestic laws to protect their immigration status. Serious criminal offenses and credible allegations of substance abuse can potentially impact an immigrant’s ability to retain or renew a visa or green card. Immigrants convicted of two or more drunk driving offenses are at risk of removal from the country.
2. Insurance complications
Any significant traffic violation is likely to increase what people pay for insurance. A single drunk driving conviction can drastically increase insurance expenses. Repeat violations could force a motorist to change their insurance company and the amount of coverage they carry. Multiple drunk driving convictions can leave a motorist ineligible for a policy. They may need to secure a high-risk insurance policy that costs far more than their prior coverage.
3. Career consequences
Individuals with a single conviction can often retain their jobs and possibly even their professional licensing with the right assistance. Employers and licensing authorities may extend the benefit of the doubt to otherwise competent professionals who plead guilty or get convicted of a single criminal offense. In cases where licensed professionals have faced repeated charges for the same criminal issue, their risk of career consequences is higher. Between the liability that the employer must accept and the possible consequences the worker faces, their conviction could affect their employment. State licensing authorities may also decide to impose penalties when professionals have violated the same law repeatedly.
Anyone facing a second or subsequent impaired driving charge may need support fighting the allegations they face. Reviewing the records of a prior conviction and the report from a recent arrest with a skilled legal team can help those accused of repeat drunk driving offenses avoid some of the worst penalties possible.