Reader’s Question:

My 19 year old son received a DUI and he is under our policy. What will happen to our insurance rates? We live in IL.

Will

Thank you for asking Will.

Driving under the influence (DUI) is a serious offense that is considered as a violent crime in the state of IL. The offense will permanently remain on your driving record if you get convicted of the DUI.

Any type of conviction for driving under the influence or DUI is usually taken very seriously by an insurance providers since it makes the driver more of a risk to the company. An individual with a bad driving history is more of a risk for an insurance carrier then an individual with a clean driving record and thats why their premiums are normally higher. The whole insurance policy can be affected by one driver’s DUI or serious driving conviction.

Since your son now has a DUI offense on his driving history, when your insurance provider finds this out then his premium, and thus yours since he is on your insurance policy, will likely be increased. Insurance providers have different rating systems so you may check from your insurance agent to know how much your son’s DUI may affect all of your rates and for how long.

The IL Secretary of State states that, a DUI can subject you to high-risk auto insurance rates for three years. According to the IL SOS DUI Fact Book the high risk insurance for an individual convicted of a DUI averages an additional (over their normal car insurance costs) $1500 per year.

If the your car insurance rates go up because of your son’s DUI, then you may want to compare and shop around for auto insurance online to check if you can find a better rate.

Goodluck!

MariCAR