The cost of driving is an ever-present issue for the modern motorist, whether it relates to the car itself, the insurance, paying for petrol, or getting an affordable breakdown cover quote. But one huge expense that hasn’t got much press is the financial cost of a drink-driving conviction.
While the actual and potential human cost of drink driving has been focussed on in the past, most recently the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has examined the financial fall-out from a drink driving conviction instead.
He unveiled a pint of beer in central London, housed in a glass case and surrounded by security guards. The pint was “worth” £50,000, since that is the cost that could result if a driver is caught behind the wheel with too much alcohol in his or her body.
It may seem like a very high figure, but with court fines anything up to £5,000, and with average legal fees amounting to £4,800, you can see how the costs start to stack up. Once a driver’s insurer discovers the conviction, annual premiums may rise by as much as £8,000. Add to this the loss of earnings for those who need a driving licence to work (15 months is the average disqualification period), which have been estimated at £33,000 based on the average £26,500 a year salary, and you are close to the £50,000 figure.
Such gimmicky campaigns may raise eyebrows, but the Department for Transport says drink driving has reduced a lot thanks to such safety initiatives. In 1979 there were 19,470 accidents relating to drink driving, resulting in 1,640 deaths. These figures have dropped to 6,730 accidents and 280 deaths in 2011.
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