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McCook Gazette
Editorial

Drinking, driving get much more expensive

Friday, January 2, 2009

If you were one of the three subjects arrested on charges of driving under the influence on New Year's eve in McCook, you might want to hire a good lawyer.

Yes, lawyers are expensive, but have you checked out the new fines for the alcohol-related offense?

As of Jan. 1, convicted drunk drivers will have to pay for the installation of an ignition interlock device on their vehicles.

The instrument, which tests your breath before allowing you to start your car, costs about $50, and the monthly service charge is $60 to $70.

Even if you don't hurt anyone, a driving under the influence conviction can easily reach five digits anywhere in the country, as AAA Nebraska points out.

Other expenses associated with a first-time DUI offense includes fines of at least $400, court costs, bail and impound and towing fees estimated at $500, legal fees of $500 to $20,000 depending on the complexity of the case, and an increase in insurance costs of $1,500 per year for three years.

Plus, you may lose income due to time in jail or community service requirements, and the next time you fill out a job application, you must check the "yes" box for a criminal record, since a DUI is a criminal offense.

If Thursday's hangover wasn't enough to convince you that over-indulgence is a bad idea, the ongoing expenses associated with a DUI charge should do the trick.

Next time you're tempted to drive after drinking, think about your bank account and call a cab or use a designated driver.

Drinking or not, you'll pay a little more for driving now that the Nebraska gas tax has gone up by .4 cents per gallon. The .4 cent brings to 26.4 cents per gallon the variable portion of the state's gas tax, which is adjusted twice a year to bring in exactly enough money to cover the State Department of Road's budget.

With combined federal and state taxes, we're paying almost 46 cents per gallon in taxes, compared to a national average of 48.4 percent as of Oct. 1.

But you probably won't notice the extra costs, thanks to the overall decline in gasoline prices. Retail pump prices for unleaded fuel across Nebraska averaged $3.10 per gallon at the start of the year and hit a record $4.10 by mid-summer before dropping to an average of $1.65 a gallon by Dec. 31.

Despite the Israeli-Hamas conflict and lower output by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, gas prices are expected to stay low as a result of lower demand because of the slowing world economy.

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  • The price is high for DUI. It sure didn't have any effect, I mean none at all, for Mr. Huff. It didn't stop him from running over an innocent person. Even though it was his fourth offence. And who pays for this?? This public does and it sure isn't fair at all.

    Does this expense really matter in cases like this? It is just another tool to get tax dollars. The tax dollars should be used to prevent, not to maybe catch them if they are still drinking too much. The offenders do pay for this, but it really comes out of everyone's pocket.

    -- Posted by edbru on Fri, Jan 2, 2009, at 12:21 PM

  • I'm glad they are raising the bar on drinking and driving. Too many people are getting away with it. If they can't pay, they go to jail where they belong. As far as Mr. Huff, this was inacted AFTER his doings....hopefully it'll curtail future offenses for others. now, if they can just do something about the smoking...

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Fri, Jan 2, 2009, at 1:40 PM

  • It is always "after the fact" on certain things.

    There was a type of detector used in the early 80's to find out if a driver was DUI. It really didn't take effect back then. Our law system needs to be reviewed. The DUI offenders need to be made an example of. And law enforcement needs to do more than just chase cars. Insurance rates are going up all the time. Where does it end???

    -- Posted by edbru on Fri, Jan 2, 2009, at 5:50 PM

  • I agree completely with making the punishment for alcohol related offenses harsher. I dont believe that increasing the monetary impact of the offense will do the trick. Lets face it, an overwhelming majority of the offenders that are caught drinking and driving are in the lower income bracket, and a lot of those are also splashing around in the shallow end of the gene pool. People that are capable of exhibiting restraint and making responsible decisions generally have good jobs and dont get caught drinking and driving. That being said, if you raise the fine- they will just sit the fine out in jail. The attorney will most likely be court appointed. Its not difficult to replace a bad job if thier circumstances require it. And most of these people only pay insurance 1 time per year, just long enough to get tags on thier car, so increased insurance rates wont be a problem either. Impound and towing fees are often time absorbed by the family of this individual and never paid back. I think a better solution would be more jail time, longer license suspension, and forced probation even after the jail sentence. If they do it again, how about a lifetime ban from owning a motor vehicle.

    -- Posted by seentoomuch on Mon, Jan 5, 2009, at 2:26 PM

  • The gas tax goes up, simply because the government knows we will pay it. Have you ever gone to a car dealer or a realtor and been asked, how much do you have to spent or how much do you want to spend? Most salespersons will sort through inventory and show you the car or house that fits your needs, and is closest to the maximum amount you have to spend. They may have better cars or better houses that are much less expensive, but unless you ask, you will never see them. Last summer the price of gas reached nearly $4 gallon before the demand for fuel began to decline. Alot of american will cut into the grocery budget, wear cheaper clothes, budget less money for recreation, anything except driving less or investing in a fuel efficient car. Some didnt have the choice, some made enough they didnt have to care. The American consumer drew the line at $4. The government and oil companies will drive the price as close to that as possible because they can. Unfortunately the lower middle class like myself and much of southwest Nebraska will be the ones hurting the most.

    -- Posted by seentoomuch on Mon, Jan 5, 2009, at 2:48 PM

  • Does anybody ever think about all the drunks that get home without getting in an accident or killing anyone?

    -- Posted by greb on Tue, Jan 6, 2009, at 9:08 PM
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