Nebraska DUI Insurance Laws

Sent to you by soni via Google Reader:

Nebraska DUI Insurance Laws

via Car Insurance Comparison by Editor on 11/23/11

In an attempt to deter drunk-driving, the Unicameral legislative body of Nebraska has enacted tough DUI laws and sanctions, which will become even tougher once the new bills recently signed into law by Governor Dave Heineman will enter in effect in January 2012. Compare car insurance by entering your ZIP code into our FREE comparison tool!
These new laws include, among other provisions, increased financial penalties and length of incarceration for certain DUI offenses, new crimes for alcohol related offenses, and amendments to the law to allow prosecutors to use prior DUI convictions from the past 15 years instead of 12 years to charge one with a more serious subsequent offense with increased penalties.
claims car insuranceThe operation of motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor currently is a criminal offense as per Nebraska Revised Statute 60-6,196, titled "Driving under influence of alcoholic liquor or drug; penalties", according to which a DUI conviction will be triggered by having under control, or operating a motor-vehicle while intoxicated, irrespective of the actual blood-alcohol concentration (BAC), as well as by driving with a BAC of 0.8 or above, in which case the motorist is presumed intoxicated by law and no further proof is required for the DUI conviction. Compare car insurance companies after a DUI and find the best rate with our FREE ZIP code search!
Nebraska has a Zero Tolerance Law which makes it a criminal DUI offense for motorists under the age of 21 to drive with even a 0.02 BAC, in light of their lack of driving experience, and the difference in the way their young bodies metabolize alcohol compared to older drivers.
Motorists in Nebraska are presumed, under the implied consent law, to have agreed to drug and alcohol testing when applying for their driver's license, and a driver's refusal to submit to testing when an officer has reasonable suspicion that the driver is under the influence can cause the operator of the vehicle the have his license suspended, along with other possible penalties.
The penalties for a DUI offense in Nebraska are harsh, with even stiffer penalties to enter in effect as of January 2012. The current sanctions for DUI convictions are as follows:

• First DUI conviction: $400 fine and a 6-month driver's license suspension;
• Aggravated DUI conviction (BAC of .15 or more): 2 days in jail, a $500 fine and a 1-year driver's license suspension;
• Second DUI conviction: 10 days in jail, a $500 fine and 1-year license suspension;
• Third DUI conviction: Minimum 30 day jail sentence, $600 fine, 15-year license suspension and the installation of ignition interlock device, which prevents the driver from operating the motor-vehicle while intoxicated;
• Fourth DUI conviction: Felony conviction, 90 days in jail, $1,000 fine, 15-year license suspension and the installation of ignition interlock device;
• Breath test refusal penalties: 1-year driver's license suspension,and the installation of ignition interlock device.

Nebraska DUI Statistics

Tougher DUI laws contributed to an improvement in the number of alcohol-related accidents resulting in fatalities from 131 fatalities – approximately 50% of all the accidents resulting in loss of human life – in 1982, to 88 fatalities – approximately 39% – in 2009. Still, according to the Nebraska Department of Records, alcohol was involved in at least 36 automobile accidents which resulted in one fatality, 17 injured and 18 property damage reports in 2010.

Nebraska SR22 Insurance

Proof of car insurance, also known as proof of financial responsibility, is required on all vehicles registered in the State of Nebraska with the exception of trailers, which must be covered by the pulling unit insurance, snowmobiles, boats, 30-day plated vehicles, dealer-plated vehicles, and campers on the back of trucks, but proof is required for the truck on which the camper is placed.
claims car insuranceMotorists convicted of an alcohol related traffic offense in the State of Nebraska will typically have to obtain a SR22 auto insurance insurance policy before their drivers license is re-instated. The SR22 filing provides a guarantee to the state that an insurance company has issued a high risk driver with the minimum amount of liability insurance needed in order to drive a motor vehicle in the State of Nebraska.
According to the information on the Nebraska DMV's website, it is the offending motorists' responsibility to notify their insurance companies, as soon as possible, that they need an SR-22 filing. The certificate can be personally delivered or mailed to the Department of Motor Vehicles, unless the insurance company can electronically submit the filing.
Faxed or photo copies of the SR-22 form are not acceptable, as are incomplete documents that do not list the name, complete address and identifying information of the insured, a valid policy number, name of the insurance company, the effective date and certification effective dates of the policy, and signature by an authorized individual whose signature was placed on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles requires out-of-state SR filings for motorists who do not reside in Nebraska to be submitted directly from the home office of the insurance company, together with a cover letter – on letterhead- to accompany the filing, if the insurance company does not already have a signature authorization letter on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The letter must be signed by an authorized representative of the company and will need to authorize the Nebraska DMV to accept the out-of-state filing, and provide a contact name, and phone number in the Underwriting Department for any issues that arise pertaining to the filing. The letter will also need to provide written documentation indicating that the insurance company agrees to submit the SR26 notice of cancellation to the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles upon termination of the insurance policy.

Three types of SR22 certificates are available:

The following are the various types of SR22 insurance:

• SR22 Operators Certificate, which insures the driver for the operation of any vehicle which the operator is driving with the owner's permission;
• SR22 Owners Certificate, which covers the driver in the operation of vehicles which the operator owns, and which can be issued with the details of the make and model of the automobile, or may cover any vehicle owned by the driver; and
• SR22 Operators-Owners Certificate, which covers any vehicles owned by the driver, as well as those vehicles only driven with the owner's permission.

Nebraska SR-22 auto insurance is usually required for a period of 3 continuous years after a DUI conviction, but drivers are free to switch insurance companies as long as there is no gap between the insurance policies.
SR-22 Nebraska car insurance is not offered by all insurance carriers, and existing insurance policies may be canceled if the insurer does not offer this type of insurance. Since SR-22 policies are issued to high-risk drivers, they can be very expensive. The price of the insurance will depend, among other factors, on the insured's age, gender, marital status, vehicle, and driving record, and perhaps most importantly, on the insurance carrier that issues the policy.
Prices vary substantially between carriers and it pays to shop around and compare the rates of the insurance companies offering this type of high-risk car insurance. At the end of the day a few minutes of research could save a driver hundreds of dollars. So enter your ZIP and complete a car insurance comparison INSTANTLY!

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Car Insurance Comparison using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites