Cost of DWI: The other price to pay

This story originally ran on News 8 Austin

Cost of DWI: The other price to pay
11/15/2005 4:00 PM
By: Crestina Chavez

After spending a night in jail for DWI, the pain you'll feel is far worse than any bad hangover.

As soon as you get out, get ready to run some errands.

It's not pretty thinking about how much more money you'll have to spend not to drive.

You're facing a license suspension for anywhere from three months to a year. And once you get it back, you'll have to pay to keep it.

Lawmakers passed the Driver's Responsibility Program in 2003.

"They were very concerned and thought, well, maybe if we make it even more expensive for people, they'll think about that before they drink and drive," Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange said.

The fee is $1,000 every year for the next three years. In that time... you'll have to pay for your car insurance, which is going to go up, too.

"You see road signs all over Texas, 'DWI You can't afford it,' " Southwest Insurance Information Service spokesman Jerry Johns said. "Your rates are going to become almost unbearable."

The insurance will be four to five times higher than what you're paying now. Or insurance companies could just drop you.

Depending on your judge, or your drinking habits, the court might order you to prove you're not drunk before you drive with an ignition interlock device. It's basically a breathalyzer connected to your car. It is required for second- and third-time offenders.

"While they're driving, it'll ask for a rolling re-test every 15-20 minutes," interlock installer Hedley Hitchins said.

The interlock scores are collected and passed on to your probation officer.

You can also expect to pay $65 a month for your probation, that's $780 a year -- for the length of your probation.

And then you have to worry about whether your employer will let you keep your job.

"They were all wonderful and supportive, but I had to leave," convicted drunk driver Linda Sherwood-Varela said.

Sherwood-Varela had to pay a lot for her crime.

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars there, having to start over as a maid working my way up," she said.

Tallying up the bill: to keep your license, your insurance, your car running it will cost $6,300. Imagine that: it's a trip around the world, a brand new entertainment system or a really nice used car.

But your worries aren't over, there are others who may have to pay for your crime, too.

Bar owners and bartenders have to pay up, if you injure someone in a crash. And it's something to think about when you're hosting your next party.

A Saturday night at Jorge Reyes' condo in East Austin means 30 to 40 friends visit throughout the night, all with something cold in their hand.

"I've always wanted to have a place where I can have friends come over and enjoy themselves," Reyes said.

But what if something happens to one of his friends who perhaps shouldn't be driving?

Well, first, Reyes won't let them leave.

"It's much more comfortable to stay on my hard floor, than it is to stay on a jail's hard floor," he said.

Second, he really has nothing to worry about.

"If the person is 18 years old or older, there is generally no social-host liability," personal injury lawyer Jim Rodman said.

Texas courts have continuously upheld rulings that won't make a social host liable for their friends, if they get involved in a drunk driving crash."

But, for businesses, that's a different story.

"They have liability if they serve alcohol to whom it is apparent that he is intoxicated to an extent that he is a danger to himself or others," Rodman said.

That's an unsettling feeling for bar owners who feel like they're playing by the rules.

"Many of us work really hard at staying out of trouble. And, it seems awful crazy that one day our life could change if by putting one wrong beer in front of somebody," John Meute of the Gingerman Pub said.

A life changed for one bar owner.

A TABC investigation led to the Northwest Austin bar Sam's Boat losing its liquor license.

It happened after two patrons were driving home after a night at Sam's Boat.

Umar Abdurr-Rahim sideswiped his roommate Amanda White's car. She then crashed into a tree.

The commission's report showed Abdurr-Rahim and White were drunk. Yet, the bar continued to serve them.

"DWIs have tragic and multi-faceted consequences that are too often over-looked," former Sam's Boat owner Marv Wang said in a written statement.

As for those late-night parties, and whether the host will ever face financial consequences for your drunk driving, Rodman doubts it.

"The legislature is in the mode of not liking liability and not liking lawsuits. You're not going to see it immediately," Rodman said.

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