Being charged with a DUI has major personal ramifications. If you own a small business, the implications can be even more severe. Small business owners may experience difficulties getting to work and delivering items to clients. While certain insurance rates will rise, many business insurance premiums, such as commercial property insurance, general liability, and product liability, will remain unchanged. This article will cover:

• What a DUI is
• Your Health and Alcohol Use
• What Happens When You Get a DUI
• How Your Business Should Respond To the Charges

Here are the major consequences of a DUI on your small business!

What is a DUI?

Most people are familiar with the BAC measurement. The amount of alcohol in a person’s system determines their blood alcohol concentration (BAC.) There are three common techniques to confirm this. The first way is to use a breathalyzer, which determines the level of intoxicant in the blood by using the body’s alcohol metabolism. On the other hand, a blood test might be performed to confirm intoxication over a longer period of time. Alcohol can persist in a person’s bloodstream for up to 12 hours after intake. The third method for determining BAC is a urine test, which can produce results for intoxication up to 48 hours after ingestion.

The amount of alcohol required to reach a BAC of.08 varies for each person. This is due to the fact that a person’s metabolism, height, weight, and even fitness level can all have an impact on how much alcohol they require to become inebriated. Because of the way the law is written, if a person is found to have a BAC of .08, they can be charged with a DUI whether they are driving, pulled over to the side of the road, or even asleep in the back of the car, as long as they have custody of the keys at the time of the arrest. 

Your Health and Alcohol Use

Excessive alcohol use has immediate repercussions, raising the risk of a number of health issues. Some of the most prevalent adverse effects of excessive drinking include the following listed below.

Short-Term Consequences

• Car accidents, falls, drownings, and burns.
• homicide, suicide, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence.
• Alcohol poisoning.
• Unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners. (These acts may result in unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted illnesses like HIV.)
• Miscarriage, stillbirth, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in pregnant women.

Long-Term Consequences

• Hypertension, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and gastrointestinal problems.
• Cancers of the breast, mouth, and throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum
• Immune system degradation. (This increases the risk of being sick.)
• Problems with learning and memory, such as low academic performance and dementia.
• Mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
• Family problems, work-related problems, and unemployment.
• Alcohol use disorders.

What Happens When You Get a DUI

When you get a DUI, a few things will happen. They are listed below.

Your Driving Rights are Suspended

The license of anyone guilty of a DUI will be suspended for at least a month. This means that a convicted drunk driver will be unable to lawfully drive to work or deliver products to clients. In addition, a small business owner will be unable to drive to visit offices and clients.

You Have To Fulfill Requirements To Regain Your License

Period of probation refers to the requirements that a court imposes on a convicted drunk driver. As part of their probation, a person convicted of a DUI must adhere to any legal restrictions and suspensions of their driver’s license. Following a conviction, a person will be required to undergo alcoholism classes. Random alcohol testing will be mandatory for small business owners. A person convicted of operating while intoxicated is required to report to a probation officer every two weeks. Sessions with a counselor will be required. An Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is an example of counseling that a convicted drunk driver will be required to attend.

Your Insurance Rates Will Go Up

A person’s automobile insurance will increase if they are convicted of a DUI. Car insurance will rise even more for a small business owner who needs to drive for work. The risk assessment is used by insurance firms to set their prices. When it comes to auto insurance, few things pose a greater risk than operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. A small business owner’s insurance will be badly impacted by even a single conviction from many years ago.

Social Stigma of a DUI Conviction

A shattered reputation is another issue that small company owners confront as a result of a DUI conviction. Drunk drivers have a negative societal reputation. Clients may decide not to do business with someone who has been convicted of unlawful conduct. The owner’s Google My Business page may have negative ratings, causing fewer people to do business with them.

How Should a Business Owner Respond To a DUI?

Once you’ve been convicted of drunk driving, the greatest thing you can do is accept responsibility for your actions and learn from them. One approach to accomplish this is to make a financial contribution to a local charity. Another positive method to respond is to speak at a local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting or a local school about the hazards of drunk driving.

We hope this article on the consequences of a DUI on your small business has helped you realize the potential implications of your actions! As this article demonstrates, small company owners suffer additional obstacles as a result of a DUI conviction. However, this does not imply that your company will fail. Keep an optimistic attitude, work hard to make your conviction a positive experience, and use your bad experience to help others make better decisions. If you’re looking to purchase any type of insurance, whether it be SR22 insurance or even work vehicle insurance, reach out to Serenity Group today!