How Much Does a DWI Actually Cost You in Louisiana?

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Anybody who drives in Louisiana knows one of the costliest expenses, after fuel, is auto insurance. And if you've paid any attention at all, you also know Louisianans pay some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country.

MarketWatch Guides, a reviews and recommendations team for consumers, looked at car insurance data all across the country and noted Louisiana residents pay the most in the country for full coverage insurance.

The high rates may force those to try to save money by going with minimum coverage, but even with minimum coverage, Louisiana residents are paying among the highest rates.

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And to make matters even worse, if you get caught driving under the influence,you're going to pay more than just your fine and court costs. Louisiana drivers, according to MarketWatch Guides, see an average of a 21 percent increase in their full coverage auto insurance policies after a DUI.

The Louisiana average for full coverage is $363 a month, but, if you get a DUI, it jumps to $439 a month.

And the percentage goes even higher for those with minimum coverage. Their rates jump an average of 44% from $125 a month to $180 a month.

The MarketWatch Guides analysis also found:

Alcohol-involved crashes have an economic cost of $68.9 billion, or 20% of all crash costs.
According to the most recent data, 13,524 people were killed in alcohol-impaired traffic accidents in 2022

“The financial impact of a DUI conviction can be immense, but it pales in comparison to the potential human cost of driving under the influence," said David Straughan, an analyst with MarketWatch Guides. "According to data from the NHTSA, more than 15,000 people lost their lives in a car accident that involved alcohol in 2021 (the most recent year for which the NHTSA has published such data)."
"You have an opportunity to recover from the financial pain of a DUI, even if it takes several years," Straughan added. "However, the decision to drive after drinking can cause deadly consequences that you and the family and friends of someone injured or killed in a crash may never recover from. It is never worth it.”

Bottom line, Louisiana residents already pay more to travel our highways. Don't make it worse by adding a DWI into the mix.