As repeat DUI offender in Florida, you already know the danger you are to others on the road. The choice to drive under the influence of alcohol is risky, and sadly, it is others on the road or in your vehicle that pay the price for your lapse in judgment. Statistics show that half of fatal, alcohol-related vehicle accidents in the Sunshine State caused by offenders with at least a second Florida DUI, or more under their intoxicated belts.
In some cases, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device with just one DUI conviction. After a second Florida DUI (that occurs within five years of a first-time DUI), you will not have a choice but to use the ignition interlock device if you want to keep driving. Ignition interlock devices prevent you from driving if you’ve been drinking, so they are important for your own recovery as well as for the safety of others on the road. An ignition interlock device decides whether you are okay to drive, not your feeling that you are only a little tipsy or buzzed.
Other consequences of a second Florida DUI include:
- Nine months in jail, minimum.
- Fines starting at $1,000.
- Vehicle impoundment (runs consecutively with any jail time).
Also, the Florida DMV will have additional consequences for any number of DUI offenses, all of which are counted by the points you accumulate on your license, not necessarily the number of offenses. Plus, those penalties are separate from the court rules during your DUI hearing.
Florida and many other states are focused on first-time DUI offenders and stopping them from driving drunk after a conviction, allowing a certain leniency as long as the offender changes their habits. When a person has multiple DUIs and cannot seem to learn the risks of intoxicated driving, the consequences and penalties increase.
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