In addition to Article 31, New York Penal Law Section 125 describes crimes and sanctions related to drunken drivers who cause a crash in which someone is killed or injured. Section 511 of the Vehicle & Traffic Law sets forth the violations and sanctions for driving a vehicle without a license as the result of a DWI conviction.
Fines for alcohol offenses range from $300 to $10,000. In addition to fines, court surcharges are applied to each offense and range from $260 for conviction of DWAI, a violation, to $520 for a Felony offense.
Separate from fines and surcharges, a $750.00 Driver Responsibility Assessment is levied by the Department of Motor Vehicles, in addition to typical fees for re-issuing a license.
In order to be eligible for conditional license, a fee of $200 to $225 is paid to for attendance of the NYS Drinking Driver Program. If referred for alcohol and substance abuse evaluation, each offender is responsible for the cost of treatment not covered by insurance.
To all of these costs, each offender must add the cost of a Lawyer to represent them in Court. Depending on the complexity of the case, fees range from $2,000 to $10,000.
Finally, each DWI Offender will have to purchase Automobile Insurance from the risk pool. The premiums paid by this group are typically 3 times that of other drivers.
Estimates of the Total financial cost of a typical DWI: $4,000 to $15,000.
New York DWI Laws prohibit persons charged with driving while intoxicated from pleading guilty to a non-alcohol related offense except under very narrow evidentiary circumstances.
In addressing the practice of plea bargaining, an essential component of an overburdened criminal justice system, the New York lawmakers put in place landmark legislation regarding DWI related offenses. Click here for a chart of penalties.
CHILD PASSENGER PROTECTION ACT (VTL §1192.2a (b))
Eleven year old Leandra Rosado’s life came to a tragic end on October 11, 2009 in a DWI crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway. She and six other children were in a car driven by Carmen Huertas, a friend’s mother, who was under the influence of alcohol. The vehicle spun out of control and Leandra’s body was ejected out of the vehicles window causing her death. The six other children were seriously injured as well. Leandra’s father, Lenny Rosado, has become a fierce proponent of harsher DWI laws and his lobbying combined with momentum from the tragic crash has led to quick changes in New York’s DWI laws.
New York’s STOP-DWI program is the Nations’ first and, to date, only self-sustaining impaired driving program. Other States have implemented components of self-sufficiency, but none to the degree of New York State.
