Vermont DUI Insurance Laws

Sent to you by soni via Google Reader:

Vermont DUI Insurance Laws

via Car Insurance Comparison by Editor on 11/29/11

It can be ambiguous as to whether or not certain vehicles are subject to Vermont's DUI laws. Some people have been surprised to find out he was eligible for the DUI while driving an unconventional vehicle.

The .08 law in Vermont

Vermont drivers must not drive or even begin to try to drive a motor vehicle on Vermont's highways if their blood alcohol content (BAC) can be determined to be .08 percent or higher. Compare Vermont car insurance after a DUI by entering your ZIP code into our FREE tool!

claims car insurance Definition of Motor Vehicle

Because of the many types of vehicles that people drive in Vermont, they needed to specifically define the types of vehicles that will fall under the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) laws. For this purpose, Vermont has stated that a motor vehicle has been defined as a piece of machinery that is not powered by the human muscle; it's an item that receives its ability to move from other means such as gas.

Exceptions to the Rule

Exceptions to the motor vehicle definition described above are:

• Tractors
• Trains
• Equipment used on construction sites
• Equipment used to pave the roads
• Motorized scooters

An Interesting Case in Vermont

A boom lift operator just found out that his DUI arrest will stand. He tried to argue in court that a boom lift isn't a motor vehicle and, therefore, shouldn't fall under Vermont's DUI laws. After all, he wasn't driving the machinery down the street, and its purpose is not to be moved in the same manner as a car, for example. It is mainly meant to stand in one place in order to propel workers up to higher places.
The problem is that this particular boom lift operator drank alcohol before driving the equipment across the street and under Vermont law, if a commercial vehicle driver has a BAC of .04 or higher while they are in the process of performing their duties, these commercial vehicle drivers may be arrested for DUI.
The court has ruled that the boom lift is in fact a motor vehicle and, therefore, the boom lift operator may be charged and convicted of DUI. The boom lift is not one of the exceptions described above.

Breaking Vermont DUI Laws

Those who are determined to break Vermont's state car laws will see themselves in court mounting a defense against a DUI charge. If they can't manage to have the charges reduced, dismissed or they are found guilty of DUI, they will be sent to jail for possibly two years. A first offense requires them to pay a fine that can't exceed $750, but they also will be required to pay what is called a DUI surcharge; this surcharge is at least $160. On top of all that, their licenses will be suspended for three months.

claims car insurance Receiving Another Conviction

Some people have been arrested for DUI multiple times, and Vermont has prepared for this eventuality by increasing the penalties suffered by people who have violated the DUI laws twice. These drivers are facing the same amount of jail time, a maximum of two years, but their fines will be much higher at $1,500; they also have to pay the DUI surcharge again. Their licenses will be suspended yet again, but this time it won't be for three months; with a second conviction, the suspension lasts 1 ½ years.
Added to the penalties required of a second time DUI offender is the need to perform community service. In Vermont, drivers will have to have at least 200 hours of community service or they may choose to serve 60 hours of jail time.

If the Second Conviction Isn't Enough

A third conviction brings much more serious consequences than the second; Vermont drivers may lose their driving privileges forever if they are found guilty of DUI a third time. It's possible that the state could seize these offenders' vehicles. They will also have to serve, at the most, five years in prison and pay, at the most, $2,500 in fines along with the $160 DUI surcharge.
As with the second offense, they may choose to perform community service for 400 hours. If the thought of prison sounds more pleasing to these offenders than community service, they may choose to serve at least 1,000 hours in prison instead.

Reinstating the License

In order to have their licenses reinstated, Vermont drivers have to meet certain conditions. After the first offense, they will have to:

• Demonstrate that they have attended and passed a program designed to teach drivers about drinking and driving
• Undergo an assessment designed to determine if the offender needs treatment
• Possible completion of a treatment program

After the second offense, reinstating Vermont drivers' licenses requires that they attend alcohol and driving rehabilitation treatment.
After the third offense, the license suspension won't necessarily be permanent if these drivers can prove that they have abstained completely from drugs and/or alcohol for at least three years. They will need to be able to demonstrate that they have completed a drug and/or alcohol rehabilitation program within this time and then they may reapply for a driver's license again with a $500 fee.

The Need to Purchase Liability Coverage

Vermont drivers must have liability coverage because it's a tort state and if these drivers cause an accident, they will be held legally responsible for all damages. If they don't have insurance coverage, the people who were hurt in the accident will be able to sue the driver who caused it for payment of their medical bills. If they were driving a vehicle at the time and it was damaged, they will also be able to sue to have their cars repaired or replaced.
A DUI requires that people pay a lot of money; they have a legal defense to pay for as well as expensive fines. If they add the possibility of several lawsuits to the mix, the amount of money one DUI could cost them can possibly reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. They can also be in more trouble with the DMV if they drive without insurance.

The Problem

In the first two months, Vermont car insurance agencies may cancel their clients' policies for whatever reason they see fit. If the two month mark has passed, one of the reasons they may legally cancel an insurance policy is if their clients' licenses have been suspended. With each DUI conviction, Vermont drivers receive a suspension of their driving privileges. This means drivers convicted of DUI can lose their auto insurance coverage when they are least likely to afford to do so.

The Solution

The solution is to seek auto insurance coverage from our ZIP code search. DUI offenders will receive several car insurance quotes from insurance companies that have the ability to insure high risk drivers. Some of these companies may offer very high quotes because a high risk policy implies that the driver is highly likely to cause an accident. This means that it's highly likely that someone will need to file a car insurance claim against the policyholder's bodily injury and property damage liability coverage.
Vermont drivers may also find several insurance companies that will be able to offer them some lower car insurance quotes. When they receive their quotes and they can choose the ones with rates they can afford to pay, they will need to ask these companies some questions such as:

claims car insurance
• How much will the deductible be?
• How much coverage can they purchase?
• Are there any extra fees for DUI auto insurance?

Several Options for DUI Auto Insurance Coverage

Vermont drivers will be able to have many options if they use our FREE comparison tool. Without the help of us, they will have to take to the Internet and rummage through the millions of results that come up when people do a Google search. Some of the results won't even be for insurance companies, so Vermont drivers will be spending a lot of time searching for an appropriate company.
The smart ones don't let the above scenario happen to them. They seek the assistance of a comparison website that has DUI auto insurance companies on hand ready to offer a quote to anyone who seeks one. They don't have to manually enter each client's information into each company's website for a quote; the website's system will take care of all of that automatically and quickly show their clients the results.
Since people convicted of DUI in Vermont don't have a lot of time to find their new auto insurance policies, they need to begin their comparison quote search as soon as possible. Now seems like a good time. Enter your ZIP code below and find cheap auto insurance after a DUI!

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