I get your point, but honestly, "riding it out" isn't the best advice. If someone's dealing with a DUI, they need to actively manage the situation. First, shop around right away—don't wait years hoping it'll improve. Second, take those defensive driving courses immediately; insurers often give discounts sooner rather than later. Lastly, consider raising your deductible temporarily to offset premium hikes. Waiting passively just prolongs paying higher rates...better to tackle it head-on and save yourself some cash.
I totally agree about tackling it head-on. When my cousin got a DUI a couple years back, he tried the whole "wait and see" thing, thinking it'd magically get better. Spoiler alert: it didn't. His premium stayed sky-high until he finally took a defensive driving course and switched insurers. Honestly, your advice about shopping around ASAP is spot-on. Being proactive is always smarter—especially with something serious like insurance premiums after a DUI.
"His premium stayed sky-high until he finally took a defensive driving course and switched insurers."
Yeah, switching insurers can definitely help. My buddy had a similar issue—he drives a classic Mustang and got hit with a DUI. He shopped around and found a specialty insurer that was surprisingly reasonable...might be worth checking out niche providers.
Good call on shopping around. DUI hits your premiums hard, no way around it. A friend of mine got nailed with one a couple years back—he drives a lifted truck, not exactly cheap to insure in the first place. He ended up doing the defensive driving course too, and it shaved off a good chunk. Bottom line though: it'll suck for a while, but stay patient and proactive...it does get better eventually.
Defensive driving courses definitely help soften the blow, but it also depends a lot on your insurance company and driving history. I've seen some insurers be more forgiving than others, especially if it's your first offense. Curious if anyone's noticed a big difference between national carriers and smaller local companies in Idaho when it comes to DUI rate hikes?
