The Penalties
DWAI First Offense―8 points toward license suspension; $100 to $500 fine; two to 180 days in jail; 24 to 48 hours community service.
DUI First Offense―Automatic suspension of license for up to a year; $300 to $1,000 fine; five days to one year in jail; 48 to 96 hours community service; alcohol education for three to nine months.
The penalties increase substantially for repeated offenses and, in some cases, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device on your car. That means your car won't even turn on if the device detects a certain percentage of alcohol in your breath.
The Arrest
* After you manage to fail the roadside sobriety test, which could entail anything from standing on one leg while answering a barrage of questions to touching your nose and walking a straight line, you will be read your rights.
* You will enjoy a complimentary ride in a police car to a city or county jail―in tight handcuffs.
* A tow truck will take your car and impound it.
* A breathalyzer test will be offered, and if you refuse it, you can say good-bye to your license at that point; it will be confiscated. You may never see it again, as it will be revoked.
* You will get to sober up either in the stink of a mass holding cell or in a "detox" room. Depending on how much you had to drink, this could be just a long few hours or a never-ending day. While you are sitting in jail, a whole series of events could be set into motion affecting your employment, your financial stability, and your family.
The Cost of Keeping the Keys
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) calculates that the average alcohol-related fatality in Colorado costs $3.6 million: $1.1 million in monetary costs and $2.5 million in quality of life losses. Also, motor vehicle accidents involving alcohol set the state back an astounding $1.9 billion in the year 2000.
So, one death equals $3.6 million, but what is the cost to your conscience? How can that cost be measured, or a monetary settlement be put on a family that must grieve a lost member?
CDOT offers a line item assessment in an informative brochure of what a first offense costs the individual charged with a DUI. The total comes to a whopping $9,481 and includes lawyer fees, rising insurance rates, fees to get a license back, probation supervision fees, all the way down to the brain injury surcharge and court costs. This figure is based on the minimum fine! Of course, this does not include a possible job loss and the strain on loved ones. It is easy to see that drinking and driving is not worth any cost.
Laws on the Book
Express Consent Law: By operating a motor vehicle in the state of Colorado you are automatically giving "express consent" or granting permission to be administered a chemical test by breath, blood, or urine to measure your blood alcohol content. If a law enforcement officer requires you to take a test because of suspected drinking and driving and you refuse, your license will be revoked at that point for one year.
Zero Tolerance: Drivers under 21 with a BAC between .02% and .08% face automatic revocation of their license.
Buy and Possess: If you are under 21 and get caught with alcohol in the vehicle, you will have your license revoked.
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