Tips for Recovering from a DUI Conviction

Receiving a DUI conviction is a scary­—as well as stressful—occurrence. It can feel as though your life is now completely off-course and that you’ll never recover. When this happens, it may take you a while to get back on your feet. It’s important you take the time to come to terms with what happened and decide what your next steps will be. There is bound to be long-term consequences and you’ll need to learn how to navigate them. We provide a few ways that you can begin your road to recovery after receiving a DUI.

Get SR22 Insurance

After receiving a DUI, you’re required to obtain an SR22. This is a proof of insurance that’s held by high-risk drivers. An SR22 can be very expensive, but fortunately, some companies offer competitive quotes for eligible applicants. If you find the right company, getting an SR22 online can be a painless experience.

Seek Out Support

Your initial instinct upon receiving a DUI may be to run away—either physically or metaphorically. Don’t make any impulsive choices; stop, breath, and evaluate your situation. If you were to move in pursuit of a new start, factors such as your SR22 coverage and the penalty on your background check will still follow you. It’s better to stay in place and receive help from the people around you. Reach out to family and friends and see what they can offer in terms of support and accountability.

We understand that there are circumstances where family members cannot offer their assistance. Should that be the case, you could consider starting therapy. GoodTherapy is an excellent place to begin your search for help. We also recommend seeking out local support groups. Below are some online resources you can use find the group that’s right for you.

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• SMART Recovery
• SOS Sobriety
• LifeRing

Stay Sober

One of these most important things you can do is avoid alcohol. You need to prove that you can be accountable to not only those around you but to yourself as well. To avoid relapsing, you’ll want to identify and learn how to avoid potential triggers.

Some common triggers include:

• People you used to drink with
• Certain environments
• Stress
• Certain times of the day

The good news is, apps such as Mood Tracker can help you to track changes in your mood and make it easier to identify triggers. If you’re diligent about keeping everything in one place, you may even start to discover patterns. Once you’re able to determine what provokes your need to drink, share your discoveries with a healthcare professional. They’ll help you devise a solution on how you can avoid these occurrences.

Find New Hobbies

If you’ve struggled with alcohol addiction, you may find yourself with a lot of free time during your remission. The risk of relapse may be higher if you sit with your thoughts and allow large pockets of empty time. Navigate this by filling your time with hobbies that excite you. Explore some of your older passions or try something completely new.

Forgive Yourself

For many, the hardest step in this process is your willingness to forgive yourself. Unfortunately, the effects of your DUI are going to stick around for a while, however, you’ll have to learn how to grow despite this. Take the time you need to recover and decide what’s next—this is a lesson learned. Use this new perspective to jump back into your life on a more positive note.

Causes of Road Rage and How to Handle Them

What is Road Rage?

The first thing you should know is that there’s a difference between aggressive driving and road rage. It’s important to know the differences between the two and identify which category you fall under, if any. According to New York State’s official site, “Aggressive driving is the operation of a motor vehicle in an unsafe and hostile manner without regard for others.” While aggressive driving is not road rage, it can branch into it.

Road rage is a violent act instigated by an occurrence caused by traffic. It’s important to note that road rage is not caused by the traffic itself, but by the individual displaying it. If you’re someone that displays any sort of violence due to incidents on the road, it’s important to realize that what you’re doing is the result of your own actions and no one else’s. Even mild-mannered people can display road rage, so it’s not just those with hot-heads who are susceptible to dangerous actions.

If you’ve identified yourself as someone that struggles with road rage, it’s best to pinpoint the causes and plan your solutions accordingly. The most common trigger for road rage is someone getting cut off, which accounts for 44% of incidents. Other common triggers include:

• Distracted driving
• Heavy traffic
• High Beams
• Slow driving
• Tailgating
• Inappropriate gestures

Once you’ve identified the cause of your road rage, you can work on ways to navigate your roadside temper. We’ve collected some tips on how deal with this, and we hope that you can successfully integrate them into your daily driving habits. If you find that you still struggle with rage when on the road, consider contacting a mental health professional to learn about their additional recommendations.

Heavy Traffic and Slow Drivers

Crawling home at a snail’s pace after a long day of work is likely to get on anyone’s nerves. Whether it’s bumper to bumper traffic on the highway or a driver ahead of you on a one-lane road coasting beneath the speed limit, we understand your frustration. With an entire day’s events already sitting on your chest, one more thing going wrong could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. It’s important that you know how to handle these frustrations in a safe manner. If you feel negative energy piling up, take a deep breath and ground yourself. If you’re worried about slow traffic taking up time that could be spent on more important things, try to find ways to make your drive more productive, and redirect your thoughts.

What to Do:

• Listen to a podcast on a subject that interests you.
• Choose a book series that takes a long time to listen to, and keep the audiobooks in your car.
• Create new music playlists, and choose songs that will calm you.
• If you have Bluetooth connected to your car, call someone you haven’t caught up with in a while. If you do this, make sure that it’s by voice command only, and that you’re not picking up your phone while moving.

Being Cut Off

The most common cause of road rage, and why does it make us so angry? For one, it often feels like someone is entering our space that we don’t think has a right to. It’s easy to concentrate on the fact that they had no regard for other drivers on the road, only their own goals. Another reason that this may be so anger-inducing for us is the dissociation we have with other drivers. Since we don’t know them, we don’t know of their motives or their concerns for their safety. This blatant disregard of others will annoy everyone, but ultimately, it’s a small brushstroke in the bigger picture.

What to Do:

• Realize that you don’t have control of the driver in front of you, but you do have control over yourself. You need to accept that they did something arguably wrong, but you won’t retaliate with further instigation.
• Avoid eye contact. Making any sort of visual connection with the other driver could cause the situation to escalate. If they’re already agitated, and now you are as well, you’re both more likely to make inappropriate gestures that could be translated as a challenge. It’s better to avoid the situation by keeping your eyes trained on the road.
• The danger has passed, and nothing with lasting effects has occurred. Recognize and accept this fact and move on.

Distracted Drivers

Distracted drivers aren’t only an annoyance—they’re a danger. When someone is endangering the lives of others for the sake of their own convenience, they’re sure to invite disapproval. Drivers are 23 times more likely to get in an accident when using their phone behind the wheel. With all the reports of accidents caused by technology, it is tempting to battle their dangerous habits by displaying your own.

What to Do:

• Drive defensively. Once you identify the potential threat, try to be more aware of your own driving. Keep your distance from the driver in case they brake suddenly or swerve into another lane. You may wish to pass the driver, but be careful if you choose to do this.
• Report the driver. If you consider their behavior too erratic, call the proper authorities instead of taking justice into your own hands. If the driver is navigating in a way that’s unsafe to other drivers, especially if they seem to be under the influence, there should be some sort of intervention, but only from the proper authorities. Again, don’t pick up your phone while driving. Use it wirelessly or pull over.

You Are in Control

We stress again that the choices of other drivers are not your own. You should never put the safety of others at risk because of your own anger, whether you determine it to be justified or not. It’s important to be aware of what makes us tick and how to avoid it.

Road rage is considered a crime, and you can get in serious trouble for getting involved. If you’ve been in trouble before for this offense, you may seek out ways to manage your anger. This is an admirable step for you to take. There is also a chance that your road rage has caused a need to obtain an SR22. If you need one, we can help.

For an SR22 in Colorado, follow the link and get your quote today.

What is SR-22 Insurance and When Do You Need It

After a license suspension or serious driving misdemeanor, you will likely have to file an SR-22 form. Though not an ideal situation, you can prepare yourself for the rigidity of an SR-22 policy.

What is SR-22?

People make mistakes, and an SR-22 form offers a little hope to drivers who commit serious moving violations. An SR-22 is required when someone can’t pay for damages incurred during a serious traffic offense. Such offenses include:

• Drinking and driving
• Reckless driving
• Getting into an at-fault car accident without insurance (once or multiple times)
• Driving with a suspended license

Though often referred to as insurance, SR-22 is a form filed with the state rather than an insurance plan. Filing an SR-22 identifies you as a high-risk driver, and your insurance company is notified of your precarious driving record. This usually results in premiums raised anywhere from 14-40%. Higher premiums protect the insurance company, as they take on a high risk and potential future damages by keeping you on as a claimant.

The length of time you need to keep your SR-22 varies state-by-state and relates to the seriousness of the transgression, but the average length of SR-22 is at least 2 years.

How to File an SR-22 Form

If your infraction is serious enough to require a court appearance, the judge will order you to obtain an SR-22 at the time of the ruling. Don’t fret, reputable auto insurance companies can help you fill your SR-22 out. They may charge an initial one-time fee for filing the claim with the state. The insurance company sends a copy of your SR-22 to the appropriate state department, and then the insurer will notify you if you can maintain insurance with them. Some insurance companies are unwilling to take on SR-22 claims, in which case you’ll have to locate another company willing to do so.

If you’re unable to consistently make the minimum payments to sustain your SR-22 insurance, you face license suspension. If this worst-case scenario happens to you, you’ll have to catch up on late or missed payments and re-file an SR-22 claim. The length of time you must maintain the SR-22 insurance starts over when you file a new claim. If your state orders SR-22 for a minimum of 3 years and your plan lapsed after 2 years, for example, you will have to maintain the policy for another 3 years from the point of expiration.