Auto Insurance Secrets

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Nowadays practically everybody knows someone who has already been arrested at least once for a DUI offense. Although it is so common, it is surprising that this phrase is often misunderstood and people can’t really say for sure just what DUI is.

DUI is actually an abbreviation for driving under the influence and many falsely assume that is when someone is caught driving drunk. However, that is not just right since a DUI isn’t restricted to just the consumption of alcohol. It can also include legal and illegal drugs. Another mistake is to believe that a DUI can only be charged to people driving a car. The truth of the matter is that a DUI can also be given to people who are operating cars, boats, trucks, planes and motorcycles.

DUI’s are treated as a criminal offense, which increases the severity of the consequences. The primary reason for this is that when you get your driver’s license, you have to pass a written test where you display your knowledge of what driving under the influence can bring about. Additionally, when you are caught for a DUI, you are not simply putting yourself at risk, but you are actually putting everyone else on the road at significant risk.

Normally the BAC, or blood alcohol content, is what ultimately determines a DUI. However, that is not the only possible way for a DUI conviction to take place. It is important to know what your local legal BAC limits are at any time, because these can vary by state.

It is also important to keep in mind that you can be convicted of a DUI for being under the influence of drugs as well as alcohol. Basically, anything that impairs you should keep you from driving. There are even prescription drugs that state you should not operate any machinery while taking them and if you still decide to drive a vehicle then you are putting yourself and others at risk.

One way that you never dreamed you could risk a DUI is from your cough syrup and cold medicine. These often time have an alcohol content and if too much is taken could reap a DUI for you.

It is hard to say what the consequences of a DUI are since the states do have their own sets of laws. Common punishments are suspended driver’s licenses or restrictions, probation, fines or time in jail.

If you are arrested and charged with DUI then also expect a nasty surprise from your vehicle insurance company. This is because by a conviction you are required to file a SR-22 and once that is done then your insurance company can actually choose to drop you. You are also immediately after filing that form harder to insure and seen as more of a risk than others. That in turn leads to higher premiums or possibly even higher deductibles.

Keeping your caravan secure is obviously of the utmost importance as it far easier for a thief to steal a caravan than a car. If you plan on leaving your caravan unattended for a long time then as you can imagine, the risk for your insurance provider will be large.

There are a few things you can do to reduce the price of your caravan insurance, for example you can install a proven security device which disables the tow bar making it very difficult to steal, also you can lock the caravan away in a garage or compound so that it is out of sight.

The price of your insurance premiums for your caravan can vary massively from company to company, and so it would definitely be worth speaking to a caravan insurance expert as they will probably be able to advise you as to how you can make a few security changes in order to considerably lower your premiums.

It is also important that you take security precautions when you are using your caravan. You will need to be careful that you have insurance cover for any possessions that you will be leaving in the caravan. Obviously it is not a good idea to leave valuables on display, or items of significant value in the caravan at all.

You will need to specify any specific expensive items that you will have with you when you are away travelling. Your policy may well have an item value limit or require you to itemise valuables. Not all policies require this, so make sure that you do ask your broker of any restrictions.

Make sure you specify to your insurance provider exactly what you will be carrying with you in order to ensure that everything is covered and you will not be in for any nasty shocks if you need to claim.

If you have been unfortunate enough to be accused of committing a motoring offence , then you will need to prepare yourself quickly in order to put forward a plausible defence. There are many aspects of the law that are open to interpretation and the prosecutor needs to correctly complete every stage of the accusation process or you could have grounds to contest the allegation.

If you believe that the particular circumstances under which you committed the driving offence should exempt you from some or all of the punishment, then you can make a Special Reasons argument. These are most commonly used to avoid bans in drink driving cases, however they are sometimes used to avoid penalty points for other offences as well or driving through a red light.

When arguing a Special Reason, you are required to give evidence (under oath of course) that in the given circumstances it wouldn’t be fair to administer the penalty points. The most common case for people to argue Special Reasons is that it was an emergency, i.e. they were taking a badly injured passenger to A & E or were taking a woman who is having a baby to hospital and went a bit above the speed limit or ran a red light.

If the court deems that there were indeed Special Reasons in your circumstances, then you will not be issued any licence points. There aren’t any particular definitions of Special Reasons, however you will have to prove that your situation was one of the following:

1. A mitigating or extenuating circumstance

2. It must not constitute a legal defence to the allegation

3. It must be directly related to the offence in question

4. It must be something that the Court ought to take into consideration when deciding what punishment to impose.

The opportunity to argue Special Reasons is contained within Section 34 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

For more information about driving without due care and attention and for free legal motoring advice, visit pattersonlaw.co.uk