TUCSON, Ariz. — Every day, about 34 people in the United States die in car crashes caused by drunk driving. During the holiday season, law enforcement agencies ramp up reminders to stay sober on the road, but the financial consequences alone should be enough to make anyone think twice.
A DUI is an expensive offense, and the ticket is just the beginning of your financial troubles.
The immediate costs add up quickly
For your first DUI, you're looking at around a $1,500 fine in the city of Tucson, though that number goes up depending on the severity or number of DUI's on your record.
In Arizona, a DUI means mandatory jail time, which you have to pay for. That's a nearly $500 charge each day, plus a $200 investigation fee in Tucson.
After your day or days in jail, you're still on the hook for court-ordered counseling costs, an ignition interlock device and traffic survival school. Each of those penalties could set you back a couple hundred dollars, all before even factoring in the cost of a lawyer.
Vehicle damage costs can skyrocket
Jerrod Johnson and Casey Chapman of Double Gun Garage say it's hard to nail down exact costs of post-crash repairs, but even the most basic repairs on any car could be expensive.
A front or back bumper replacement could come with a $1,000 to $2,000 price tag. Front-end impact damage is especially costly since many cars made in 2015 or later have advanced safety features like cameras or emergency brake technology stored in the front of the car. Resetting that technology costs anywhere from $400 to several thousand dollars.
The ultimate price: human life
In the worst-case scenario, if you kill yourself or someone else, the costs become immeasurable. In 2023, over 12,000 people died in drunk driving crashes in the United States.
While your life is priceless, a funeral can be expensive. Evergreen Funeral Home says there's a wide range depending on each family's preferences.
A casket costs anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, while cremation runs about $1,500 to $1,800, not including funeral, wake and viewing services. The average funeral price ranges from $4,000 to $9,000.
The bottom line
When you tally all of these costs up, you're looking at a multi-thousand dollar sum for a couple minutes behind the wheel.
Contrast that with the around $20 cost of a ten-mile Uber ride.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
