{"id":3651,"date":"2022-01-11T11:47:14","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T19:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usagencies.com\/blog\/?p=3651"},"modified":"2022-01-11T11:47:16","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T19:47:16","slug":"cheap-car-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usagencies.com\/blog\/auto-insurance\/cheap-car-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Can I Get Car Insurance after a DUI in Alabama?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The short answer is yes, you can. There are many things to take into consideration, however. There\u2019s not much that\u2019s more troublesome than seeing the red and blue flashing lights of a police car in your rearview mirror. That\u2019s especially true when you\u2019ve had too much to drink and made a decision to get behind the wheel. The legal definition of too much<\/em> might very well not be as much consumption as you\u2019d expect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why it might be so shocking to learn that you\u2019ve broken the law in Alabama. You\u2019ve been charged and convicted for a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offense. The ramifications will probably cause a lot of worry. The good news is that there\u2019s a clear \u2013 although difficult – path out of your predicament. Finding your way through getting car insurance<\/a> is one of the things you\u2019ll have to tackle as a result of a DUI.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll most likely need to file an SR-22 certificate<\/a> to get back behind the wheel legally as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, How Do We Define a DUI in Alabama?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first step to knowing how to get out of trouble from a DUI is to know how you stepped into that bear trap in the first place. In Alabama, a driver blowing a 0.08 blood alcohol content (BAC)<\/a> reading on a breathalyzer can get a timeout in a jail cell and end up with a costly conviction for a DUI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what does that mean? How much alcohol consumption will get you to the point where the state\u2019s legal system says that you pose a risk behind the wheel and must at least temporarily lose your license? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well\u2026 that\u2019s hard to say. A 0.08 reading might only take a couple of drinks if you pound them down fast enough and then immediately take to the open road. Or four or five if you\u2019re a larger-bodied male who spaces those drinks out with dinner. A smaller female may reach the legal amount with a couple of glasses of wine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll get your problematic buzz faster if you know a bartender who has a generous pour. And what constitutes a \u201cdrink\u201d anyway? Experts have conflicting advice but to be on the safe side, you can equate one shot of liquor with one bottle of beer or one glass of wine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Body size, gender, rate of consumption, whether you\u2019re drinking on a full or empty stomach, and the type and size of drink you consume\u2026all of these factors and more can influence your BAC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think that makes your barhopping risky, it gets even more challenging if you\u2019re driving a commercial vehicle. A BAC of just 0.04 \u2014 half as much as off-the-job drivers \u2014 will get you in legal trouble. So obviously, your dinner breaks had better not include even a single beer if you\u2019re on the clock, so to speak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To try to hold off a 0.08 BAC result, one rule of thumb is not to consume more than one drink an hour. Slow down and drink water in between rounds. And take an honest appraisal of how you feel. If you\u2019re \u201cfeeling\u201d your drink, you might not be safe behind the wheel, no matter how few you had or how slowly you poured those drinks into you. And if you\u2019re literally a lightweight, or an inexperienced drinker, even the one-an-hour rule might be too much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, remember that it will take your system about five hours to fully rid your body of all of the alcohol that makes up your 0.08 BAC. So don\u2019t assume that the time you spend consuming a cup or two of coffee after your partying will leave you safe to drive home. (Incidentally, it\u2019s a myth that caffeine has some magical sobering ability. Several cups will just make you a wide-awake drunk.)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Am I Up Against if I Get an Alabama DUI?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You should be forewarned, a DUI in Alabama comes with some pretty stiff penalties. Consider what a first offender<\/a> is up against: <\/p>\n\n\n\n