Vermont DUI Laws
For people, whom police officers find driving drunk in Vermont, there are some extremely severe penalties that they must face for breaking Virginia DUI laws. With Vermont’s strict new laws, there has been about a 55% decrease in alcohol-related traffic accidents since the year 1998. This is the highest improvement of any of the states in the U.S. Following is an explanation of the DUI laws in Vermont. Cheap car insurance will be harder to find with a DUI conviction. Make sure some time is scheduled for comparing car insurance laws and finding the best rate with our ZIP code search!
DUI Laws Regarding Blood Alcohol Concentration
Currently, drivers in Vermont must have a blood alcohol concentration level, or BAC, of .08 or higher for police officers to charge them with DUIs. However, the State legislature wants to lower the BAC level to .05. What this would mean for people who choose to drive in Vermont, is that anyone who has had as little as two drinks and chooses to drive afterwards could be charged with a DUI. With this law change, Virginia car insurance could start to rise! Don’t become one of the statistics. Enter your ZIP code in the above search and compare online car insurance for FREE!
What is the ignition device law?
There are only three states in the United States that do not have the ignition interlock device, or IID, law; and Vermont is one of those three states. However, officials are working to pass bill 363, which states that the court can demand that an IID is installed into people’s vehicles upon the following conditions.
- Repeat DUI offenders
- Drivers who had a BAC of .15 or more than .15
If this law is passed, people in Vermont who must install IIDs in their vehicles will have to blow into the device before they can start their cars. If the device detects their BAC to be over a set level, the vehicle will not start. Like state laws, state car insurance can range differently among states!
What are the penalties of first offense DUIs?
Although DUIs in Vermont are known as DWIs, or driving while intoxicated; they are the same charges. Drivers do not necessarily have to be drinking for officers to charge them with DWIs. They can be under the influence of drugs, as well. There are many penalties people can face when charged with a DWI for the first time, and following are DUI law penalties.
- Drivers may have to serve up to 2 years in the state’s jail.
- They may also have to pay fines totaling anywhere from $160 to as much as $750
- They may lose their driver’s licenses for up to 3 months.
- They may have to complete an alcohol program, as well as, assessments and therapy counseling.
What are the penalties for repeat offenders?
There are extreme penalties for drivers convicted of repeat DWIs in Vermont. Following are the penalties that these drivers may have to face. Driver should also expect to pay extra on DWI insurance!
- Second-time offenders may have to serve up to 2 years in the state jail, while third-time offenders may have to serve up to 5 years.
- Second-time offenders may have to pay fines totaling anywhere from $160 to $1,500, and third-time offenders may have to pay fines totaling anywhere from $160 to $2,500.
- Second-time offenders may lose their driver’s licenses for up to a year and a half, while third-time offenders may lose their licenses permanently. However, if drivers can prove they have stayed away from alcohol and/or drugs for 3 years, they may be able to get their driving privileges back along with paying a $500 fee.
- Second-time offenders may need to complete an alcohol program.
- Second-time offenders may need to complete up to 200 hours of community service or 60 hours in prison, while third-time offenders may have to complete up to 400 hours of community service or 1,000 hours in prison.
- Third-time offenders may have to give up their vehicle.
How do DUI charges affect car insurance?
For those people in Vermont, charged with DUIs, they may find that their car insurance rates will raise dramatically. The insurance rates, for persons with DUI charges, are higher than any other group of drivers. This is because auto insurance companies consider drivers with DUI charges as extremely high-risk drivers.
In many cases, insurance providers will not notice the DUI charges, as they only review their client’s driving records about once every two or three years. However, if they do discover the charges, they may raise the client’s rates, and they may even cancel the policy altogether. If either one of these things happen, people may opt to shop around for another insurance provider.
It is possible to find an insurance company that will offer low car insurance rates for persons with DUI charges. Since insurance companies are in competition for the business of consumers, there are some that will offer lower rates than their competitors. People simply need to conduct a few comparisons to find the best rates that they can handle. When one compares, they have a better chance at finding affordable auto insurance!
There are many extreme and costly penalties that people may need to face when they have been charged with DUIs in Vermont. One of these such penalties is high car insurance costs. However, it is possible to find an insurance provider that will offer consumers with DUIs lower insurance rates than other companies. You just have to find the right company that will offer high risk insurance. People can find an insurance provider that offers rates they can handle by conducting a few comparisons before purchasing a policy. Use our ZIP code search TODAY and save on car insurance!
