The Rising Cost of a Colorado DUI

The average cost of a DUI used to run a cool $10,000. However, inflation being what it is, that cost is rising. Right now, the estimated bill for a Colorado DUI is around $13,000. Conversely, an Uber ride in Denver runs around $25 minimum. It doesn’t take a lot of math skills to see what the smart choice is at the end of the night.

From a financial perspective, a legal perspective and a safety perspective, that $25 Uber ride makes a lot more sense than a Colorado DUI. Not to mention the risk to others’ lives on the road.

Those Colorado DUI costs include medical detoxification, towing and storage of your vehicle, almost two dozen court costs and fines, attorney’s fees, increased auto insurance premiums and an ignition interlock requirement (if you are eligible for the device). Plus, there is the loss of wages if you cannot make it to work, as well as the time involved in making it to court and DMV hearings, victim impact panels, and your probation officer. Time, money, frustration and a criminal conviction, all for the low price of at least $13,000.

Currently, Colorado DUI numbers are rising at an alarming rate, too, perhaps adding into the overall cost of the crime. Colorado State Patrol statistics are already showing an 11 percent increase in DUI crashes that cause fatalities or injuries this year. Saving money is important, but saving lives is the most important reason to rethink how you’ll be getting home.

Instead of counting the reasons to try to drive yourself home, remember that your car is a lot safer left in a parking lot overnight than being towed and impounded by law enforcement after a DUI. Your life is also much more precious than the risk you take after that “one for the road,” too. $13,000 adds up quickly to thousands of reasons to plan for a safe ride home if you’ll be drinking.