The government has unveiled their latest campaign highlighting the consequences of a drink-drive conviction: a £50,000 pint of beer!
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (“IAM”) has calculated the personal financial cost of drink-driving for the first time, pricing it between £20,000 and £50,000. The calculation reflects the fines, legal costs, rise in insurance premiums and possible job losses faced by those who are convicted.
On top of the up-front financial costs, the long-term impact on earnings can be serious if you factor in the stigma of a criminal record. In 2011, more than 51,000 people were convicted of drink or drug driving.
The IAM has calculated the cost of a drinking and driving conviction as follows:
- £5,000, the maximum fine;
- £4,800 in legal fees (average charged by solicitors for a not guilty plea at trial);
- £8,000, the increase in insurance fees (average premium for a man aged between 20 and 24 calculated over an 11-year period – the amount of time a drink driving conviction remains on your driving licence);
- £33,000 in lost earnings (based on 15-months which is the mean driving disqualification after conviction, for someone earning the average full-time salary of £26,500).
For advice if you have been prosecuted for drink driving, or for any other transport advice, contact Jared Dunbar at Dyne Solicitors on 01829 773 100