"Just gotta be patient and proactive about it... eventually, it'll ease up."
That's generally true, but I'd caution against assuming it'll always ease up significantly. Idaho insurers can be pretty tough, and a DUI is considered high-risk for a reason. I've seen cases where even after several years of clean driving, rates stayed noticeably higher than before the incident. Shopping around definitely helps, but don't expect miracles—some companies have strict underwriting guidelines and won't budge much. Your cousin's experience is encouraging, but it's not universal. Best bet is to keep expectations realistic, stay diligent about safe driving, and regularly check in with multiple insurers to gauge your options.
Honestly, even shopping around doesn't always make much difference. I had a coworker who got a DUI here in Idaho, and he tried just about every insurer under the sun. Sure, rates dipped a bit after a few years of clean driving, but they never got back to his pre-DUI level. It's a tough pill to swallow, but sometimes you gotta accept that certain mistakes stick with you longer than you'd hope...
"Sure, rates dipped a bit after a few years of clean driving, but they never got back to his pre-DUI level."
Yeah, that's pretty much spot-on. A buddy of mine went through the same thing here in Idaho. He shopped around like crazy too, even tried those smaller local insurers hoping they'd cut him some slack—but nope. The DUI stayed on his record for ages and kept his premiums annoyingly high. Best thing he did was switch to a cheaper car and bump up his deductible to offset the cost a bit...but still, it's rough.
Yeah, that's exactly why I'm always extra cautious about this stuff. I've heard similar stories from friends—once that DUI hits your record, it's a long uphill climb to get back to decent rates. But hey, at least your buddy found some ways to soften the blow a bit. Switching to a cheaper car was smart; sometimes it's just about damage control until things improve... hang in there, it'll eventually ease up.
"Switching to a cheaper car was smart; sometimes it's just about damage control until things improve..."
Exactly this. Older, lower-value cars can really help offset those premium hikes. Had a buddy with a classic Mustang—after his DUI, he garaged it and drove a beater for a while. Took patience, but eventually things normalized. Hang tight, it'll get better.
