After facing the legal penalties of a DUI, Canadian drivers must still face the task of finding affordable car insurance. Car insurance for DUI offenders is typically a lot more expensive than traditional insurance, making it fiscally imperative for one to shop around to find the best possible rate.
Getting a DUI in Canada
The legal blood alcohol limit in Canada is 0.08. If one is suspected of driving under the influence and pulled over, they will be asked to take a breathalyzer test which measures blood alcohol content. Anything over this limit is considered an impairment and is illegal. If one is driving dangerously or recklessly, they may still be charged with a DUI, even if their blood alcohol content is under the legal limit of 0.08.
Officers who suspect impaired driving are allowed to require a breathalyzer test on anyone driving within 3 hours of the alleged infraction.
If convicted of a DUI in Canada, one will face severe penalties by way of fees as well as the suspension of one’s driver’s license. The length of the suspension of the driver’s license varies. The provinces have different suspension times for DUI offenders. First time offenders face the shortest periods of suspension and many provinces will suspend one’s driver’s license indefinitely after a third DUI. For all provinces, there is a 1 year license suspension for the first DUI offense, after that, the time period varies from province to province.
DUI Insurance – Car Insurance After a DUI
Car insurance for DUI offenders is readily available, but one is likely to experience a bit of sticker shock when used to paying premiums on traditional car insurance. DUI car insurance cost varies, but tends to be quite a bit more expensive than traditional car insurance, as the company sees DUI offenders as high risk customers. The added costs are the means by which the company attempts to offset this additional risk of providing coverage.
DUIs generally stay on one’s public driving record, meaning, this offense has a bearing on car insurance prices, for 10 years. For a 10 year period following the DUI conviction, the offense will appear in any checks by car insurance or other companies. After this 10 year period, drivers can then qualify for traditional car insurance rates and related discounts.
The Canadian Highway Traffic Act was put into law as a means to help ensure the safety of drivers on Canada’s roads. Getting a DUI is a severe offense and has a number of negative ramifications that can result. One of the biggest problems facing people who have gotten DUIs is getting affordable car insurance after the offense. While car insurance for people with DUIs will be more expensive, it is not impossible to find. With a bit of research, it is easy to find the most affordable coverage possible, even after a DUI.
