As the holiday season approaches, the Quebec wing of the Canadian Automobile Association wants to remind drivers of how much a drunk driving conviction could end up costing you. And it's a lot more than you think.
The CAA-Quebec says on top of the potential human costs of driving while impaired, drivers found guilty of impaired driving face costs at least $6,000 — which includes a fine of at least $1,000, plus additional court, lawyer, counselling, towing, educational sessions and a host of other fees and costs. [See the comprehensive list of costs here on the CAA-Quebec's web site.]
"It's a lot of money and people have to be aware that this kind of money needs to be paid if they are accused of impaired driving," says Annie Gauthier with CAA-Quebec.
The $6,000 figure, Gauthier says, is for a simple drunk driving conviction. If you damage your car in the process — or worse still, if you injure or kill someone — then, of course, the costs are much higher.
The figure includes the costs of having your licence suspended, towing, and installing an alcohol interlock device on your car, if you're ordered to install one by a court.
You insurance premiums, incidentally, would also skyrockets — by as much as 200 per cent in the first year.
And, if you want to visit the U.S. with a drunk driving conviction on your record, CAA-Quebec says you'll have to deal with restrictive administrative formalities, including having to bring the English version of a court document along with you. That, incidentally, would cost you an additional $540.
"Be aware that having a conviction for impaired driving will make the authorities more suspicious about you, too," she says.
The CAA-Quebec says about 15,000 Quebecers see their drivers' license suspended every year for impaired driving.