When one mentions the Garden State, one of the first things that come to the mind of the average man is the Nets and the car insurance in Virginia. The high car insurance premiums are supported with some of the strictest DUI laws in the country. Thousands of people every year are stopped and questioned by the police whether they might be driving while intoxicated. Almost by default the police inquire about alcohol, especially if it’s late at night. Here is a quick guide on how to behave in such situation, your rights as well as your obligation as a citizen of the state of Virginia.

The smart thing to do if a police officer signals you to stop is to use your turn signal and carefully pull over on the side of the road. At that point you need to stay in your car, keep your hands visible to the officer and wait for the officer to approach your car. When the police officer approaches you act natural and do as you are told. It’s highly likely that he will ask you for your driver’s license, insurance card and registration. While you produce the documents the officer will observe you and see how you perform.

If and if it’s late night he will surely ask you whether you been drinking or not, simply say that you are claiming your fifth amendment rights if you have been drinking. Discussing where you were, what you did, with who you were or whether you were drinking at all won’t help you much. However, if the officer asks you to take a BAC test you need to know that you are obligated to do so by the Virginia state laws. If you refuse to take the test your driver’s license can be suspended for at least seven months, regardless if you were or were not under the influence of alcohol. The main point is not to refuse to take the test.

No matter how the test will turn out, you need to be cooperative with the police officer and don’t argue. Simply comply with whatever he or she says and listen to what he tells you to do so. You shouldn’t get out of your vehicle unless you are asked to do so. In case you are asked to step out of the vehicle you need to be careful not to trip or stumble when you get out. If the police officer asks you to do a field sobriety test such as put your finger to your nose or walk heel to toe. You can kindly refuse to do so because no law obligates you to take them. If you are arrested for Driving under influence the best thing to do is to call DUI attorney and let him take care of it. The best thing for you would be to be as quite as possible and practice the Fifth Amendment right. Once you are out you need to call your insurance agent and arrange a meeting where you can inform him about your new circumstances. There you can discuss how that affects your premiums and what to expect.

Considering your new situation, you can do one more thing, and that is to check online what insurers have to offer to people caught DUI. The fastest way to do that is if you enter your zip above on this page and get free quotes from some of the companies of best car insurance in Virginia that operate.

So you had a few drinks, you were stopped by a police officer and your BAC was over 0.08%. That means that you have been driving under the influence, at least according the DUI Laws in Virginia. First of all don’t panic. The best thing to do is to be cooperative with the police officer and do as you are told to do so. Refusing to take the test, arguing with the police and denying that you are drunk won’t do you any good. You need to get over it as soon as possible and make sure that it is your first as well as the last time you do so. The point is that if you are first time offender, make sure that you stop there and not turn to second or multiple times offender. All that you can do at that point is pay your fine and stick to what the authorities have prepared for you.

Your next step should be to call and make an appointment with a DWI attorney. You need to find someone that is experienced in dealing with DWI cases and who is willing to take your case. If you are first time offender and your BAC wasn’t too high he can help you avoid a lot of troubles in terms revoking of your driver’s license as well as other to pay a smaller fine. A simple online search or a recommendation from a friend or family can direct you towards a reputable DWI attorney.

Once you do that your next move should be to make an appointment with your insurance agent. Regardless how your case will turn out on court, your DWI will find its place in your driver’s record and there is not much that can be done about it. What you can do is talk to your insurance agent how it will affect your premiums and more importantly for how long. Nowadays, there is an expiration date to everything, after certain period your DWI can be erased from your driver’s record and your premiums can be back to normal. That is if you behave well on the road and don’t do that again or you are the cause for some car accident.

Another thing to do is to erase your name from someone else’s car insurance policy, because you will raise his or her premiums as well. It’s highly likely that your name is on some of your family member’s car insurance coverage and the sooner you erase your name the less chances his or her premiums to grow.

Regardless your DWI in your driver’s record there is no reason why you shouldn’t regularly check for quotes from different insurance companies. Nowadays, that is pretty simple and doesn’t too much time or effort. Even at this same moment you can do that, all you need is to enter your zip above on this page and you can get multiple free quotes from great number of Virginia car insurance companies. Try it, it’s fast, it’s efficient and it won’t cost you a dime.

Large percentage of the people that pay high premiums on their car insurance in Virginia do so because they have been caught driving under the influence. Virginia not only that is known for its high car premiums but at the same time is known for its severe fines and penalties for drinking under the influence. Even if you are caught once driving while intoxicated in the state of Virginia your premiums will suffer the consequences of that for many years. Here follow an overview on the driving while intoxicated law in Virginia and how it can affect your car insurance premiums.

According to the DUI Laws in Virginia, a driver is guilty if his blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% or higher. However, there are two exceptions to that law. First for drivers under 21, the maximum allowed BAC is 0.01%. Second you can still be charged for DUI if you had alcohol your BAC is below the allowed limit, but you driving is negatively impacted. The police officer that will stop you is the one that can make that call. In any case the police officer makes a report that will find its place in your driver’s record.

If you are under 21 caught driving dui, the penalties are Participation in an alcohol and traffic safety education program, Loss or postponement of driving privileges for 30 to 90 days, 15 to 30 days of community service. The biggest penalty is one of the highest car insurance premiums.

If you are over 21 and that is your first offense, you can expect: A fine of $250-$400, 3-month license suspension, a minimum of six hours a day for two consecutive days in an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center, Possible imprisonment for up to 30 days and an automobile insurance surcharge of $1,000 a year for 3 years. If it’s your second offense you can expect: a fine of $500-$1,000, possible -year license suspension, 248 consecutive hours detainment in a regional Intoxicated Driver Resource Center, possible imprisonment of at least 48 consecutive hours and up to 90 days, installation of an ignition interlock device for a period of 1 year to 3 years after license restoration and the cherry on your cake will be the automobile insurance surcharge of $1,000 a year for 3 years.

On the other hand, if you can’t get away from alcohol and is it’s your third offense you risk: A fine of $1,000, 10-year license suspension, detainment in an in-patient alcoholism treatment program, a fee to be paid to the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center dependent upon court sentence, installation of an ignition interlock device for a period of 1 year to 3 years after license restoration , imprisonment of 180 days and of course and automobile insurance surcharge of $1,500 a year for 3 years.

In case your driver’s license is not suspended or you are not doing time in prison you can still obtain car insurance and drive. However, you will be faced with one of the highest car insurance premiums. Nevertheless, there is a way to find the lowest from the highest car insurance insurance’s. All that you need to do is to enter your zip above on this page and you can compare the lowest Virginia car insurance. Try it now; it’s free and non-obligational.

There is a moment in almost every teenage driver when his dad calls him for a talk about his car insurance in Virginia. It is not like teenagers that live in the other states don’t have that problem, but teenagers in VA have a much bigger problem considering the insurance rates in this state. The talk is how they managed to raise their premiums so high? Many parents pay for their children’s rates and are stunned when the premiums arrive. Their inexperience and reckless is what brings them troubles with their car insurance. Here are some of the most common mistakes they do and that skyrocket their premiums. If you are teenage driver you will find what follows very helpful and you might even recognize yourself in some of the situations.

1.            Lending the car to friends

Even though at that point that might look like doing your friend a favor you need to avoid such situation as much as possible. In case your friend is involved in a car accident your car insurance premiums will suffer as well. Insurance companies don’t like when that happens and as a result increase policyholder’s premiums. Therefore, try to avoid borrowing your car if you want your premiums not to grow.

2.            Buying new fancy car

Having a great cool ride is every teenager’s dream. However, there is a downside to that. The insurance companies assign much higher premiums to new cars because they cost more to be repaired in case of an accident. Plus, if you add that the new car will be driven by an inexperienced teenager you get record high rates. Almost everyone that knows how insurance companies operate and think will recommend you to wait a year or two before you get your brand new car. Not only that you will get much lower premiums but you will become more experience in driving.

3.            Making frequent claims

Teenage drivers often make this mistake, making a claim for every little thing. The results are raised premiums by the end of the year.  They don’t know that often claims raise red flags with insurers, they see you as a risky customer and add higher premiums to you as a result of that. The solution to that is to pay for the small staff from your own pocket. On the short run might look like unnecessary and pointless but on the long run it’s a money saving move, in terms of lower car insurance premiums.

4.            Making modifications

The more you modify your vehicle the more you increase its value and with that your insurance premiums. You are obligated by your insurance contract to notify your insurer about any modification. If you fail to do so your policy can be revoked.  Therefore, either you don’t do that or you tell your insurer and expect higher premiums.

5.            DWI

This is the main reason why teenage drivers pay the highest premiums. Driving while intoxicated is the number one cause for many car accidents as well as for many record high car insurance premiums. The best advice is don’t drink and drive. Simple as that, it can mean a great deal for you in the future. Many adults regret that they did that when they were young drivers, many of them still pay high premiums.

Another thing that many teenagers don’t bother to do is to get free quotes for comparison even so they are constantly online doing their things. If you are a driver, teenage or not, and you want to find the cheapest car insurance in Virginia, enter your zip on the top of this page and see how much you can save. It’s fast and free. Try it now!

Most of the underage drivers don’t take car insurance in Virginia so seriously because mainly their parents are the ones that pay for it. Later when they start to pay their own insurance coverage they realize how much it costs and wonder how that can be. If you are a teenage driver and you don’t want to find yourself in such situation here follow five great tips from people that pay low car insurance premiums.

5. Alcohol is the worst enemy to car insurance premiums

This is probably the most important advice that you can get on how to keep your car insurance premiums low. If you are under 21, your BAC maximum limit is 0.01%. Everything beyond that and you can be charged with DUI. The DUI Laws in Virginia are pretty strict when it comes to under age drivers that drive under the influence. Even if you had only half a beer and the police officers doesn’t like how you drive and suspects that your motor sensors are affected you can still be charged with DUI. You can even be fined if you allow your drunken friend to drive instead of you. The fine and the suspension of your driver’s license is not the worst thing that can happen, but the effect on your car insurance. It will make it pretty high for a really long period.

4. Add an adult with clean driver’s record to your car insurance as a second driver

If you can keep away from alcohol you can do yourself a favor and add an adult driver with clean driver’s record to your car insurance policy as a second driver. The insurers will surely award you a discount on that account. Second driver for the insurers means that two people drive the car and that one of them is more trustworthy. For you that translates into a discount. Just make sure whoever you add as a second driver to have a clean driver’s record.

3. Drive less (keep it below 10.000 miles)

The insurance company’s logic is the less time you are driving the fewer chances for some sort of traffic accident. If you are underage driver you probably drive less than 10.000 miles which qualifies you for a discount. Anyway, when you are talking to the people that work in the insurance company you need to point that so they can take it in account when they make your premiums.

2. Take the defensive driving course

Anyone who passes the defensive driving course, underage drivers included, is eligible for a discount. That is if you pass the course at an educational center approved by the Virginia Motor Vehicles Commission. The insurance companies that work on the territory of Virginia are obligated by a state law to do so.

1. Get free quotes

This is recommendable for any age group of drivers and it can save you a lot of money. If you are teenage driver and you pay your coverage from your own allowance or from what you earn from your part time job, you will appreciate that very much. All you need to do is to go online and get free quotes from which you can later find the lowest. If you are interest you can do that right away, just enter your zip above on this page and you can get multiple free quotes from some of the cheapest car insurance companies in Virginia.

Almost every resident in VA associates DWI with car insurance in Virginia. No one speaks about the fines or the penalties that follow with it but the increase of the premiums. Also, rarely who speaks about the real dangers of it and what has happens to too many people every year, especially to the young drivers who are often part of many DWI accidents. The hardest thing is to capture the attention of the young drivers so they know the full weight on DWI. Simply talking to them often doesn’t bring too many results. However, if you are a young driver here is an interesting approach to the matter. The best advice you can get on driving while intoxicated is don’t do it. Each of the tips below is carefully selected to help teachers and parents who want to alert the young drivers to the dangers of DWI. Here follow some pretty interesting facts and statistics that can help them get the picture on what it really means to drive while intoxicated.

Alcohol related automobile accidents and different age groups

•             < 16 years old: 10.4%

•             16-24 years of age: 25.5%

•             25-44 years of age: 31.5%

•             45-64 years of age: 20.5%

•             > 64 years of age: 10.2%

Who is most at risk?

At all levels of BAC, there is a much greater risk for a young driver to be involved in some type of a crash than an older person. According to a statistic from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, among drivers that were involved in fatal crashes in 2009, more than one out of every three was between 21 and 25 years of age. That is around 34% of all age groups. That is a number that speaks a lot about young drivers and how serious they take DWI and DUI laws in Virginia.

More facts & stats on driving under influence

–              In any given day, in the United States only, 32 people die in motor vehicle accidents in which driver under the influence of alcohol was involved. That makes an average of one death on every 45 minutes.

–              50% to 75% of the drivers with suspended licenses as a result of DWI keep on driving regardless of that.

–              In average, every first time drunken driving offender has driven around eighty seven times prior to his or her arrest.

–              Every year, more than $51 billion is the average cost of alcohol-related crashes.

–              In 2008 11,773 people dies in car accidents in which a person that was driving under the influence of alcohol was involved.

If these statistics were not scary enough you need to take a look at the premiums that drivers caught driving while intoxicated pay. Everyone knows that Virginia car insurance rates are one of the highest in the country and if you add to that the DWI effect on them than you better be earning pretty well if you want to be able to afford your coverage. But, considering your circumstances caught DWI or not, it doesn’t mean that you can get the lowest possible rates. All you need to do is to get as much as possible free quotes. Just enter your zip above and you can compare quotes from great number of insurers.