GEICO Says Celebrate Fourth of July in Moderation

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GEICO urges drivers to keep it in park and stay off the road if they plan to attend a July 4 celebration and consume alcoholic beverages. Drivers should work on making alternate plans for transportation that could include:

• Using a rideshare app: If you’re new to the rideshare game, plan to have your app downloaded and set up ahead of time so all you need to do is order a ride to your desired destination.

• Taking public transportation: Mass transit is a very sensible option to prevent impaired driving; however, riders should check service schedules in case availability changes around the holiday.

• Declaring yourself or another group member a designated driver: Helping as a designated driver means no drinks; not a few less drinks. Passengers should always listen to the designated driver and refrain from doing anything that interferes with his/or her ability to maneuver the vehicle.

Driving impaired comes with financial consequences:

On holidays and holiday weekends, many local jurisdictions set up DUI checkpoints as an additional measure to remove drunk drivers from the road. If a driver is cited for driving under the influence at a checkpoint or routine traffic stop, s/he can often face a bumpy road ahead with some expensive costs involved.

The DUI fine itself may only run a few hundred dollars; however, drivers could have to pay fees well into the future such as surcharges on their car insurance premiums or a monthly payment for monitoring services on an ignition interlock device.

A charged driver may also have to hire an attorney, and will have to pay court costs. After accounting for these types of additional fees, the price tag on a DUI can climb to more than $10,000 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For more safe driving tips, visit GEICO’s Safe Driving Resources page.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company), the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures more than 28 million vehicles. For more than 80 years, the company has worked to make people’s lives better by protecting policyholders against unexpected events. As GEICO has grown, it has delivered money-saving coverage and outstanding customer service to policyholders through its investment in human resources and technology. GEICO is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies.

Contacts

GEICO Communications

[email protected]
To view GEICO’s Blog: https://www.geico.com/more/

This article published with permission from Business Wire