I was advised that if I will have a loan on my car here in Washington, I need to get gap coverage for it along with my insurance. What exactly is this gap coverage and what does it have to do with having a loan on my car?

Marc

Lakewood, WA

The horrid fall of your new vehicle’s value the moment you drive it away from the seller’s area can have shocking and unwarranted burden on your pocket if your vehicle will be declared a total loss in an accident. In case you are eligible for a payment on your totaled vehicle on your car insurance in Washington, your insurer will give you the actual cash value of your automobile. Then again, the total payment your car insurance provider estimates as the vehicle’s actual cash value could be thousands of dollars further than what you have a loan from the bank or finance company. Because you will be accountable to pay the rest of your loan even if your vehicle is totaled, you may need to produce hundreds, possibly thousands in cash, except if you purchased gap coverage.

Your gap insurance coverage would pay the disparity between the approximation of your car insurance provider’s actual cash value of your vehicle and the money that you still have a loan from the bank or financial company. You may think that when your vehicle is totaled because of an accident, you will recoup the amount you owe on the vehicle or the money you paid for it if it is new enough. Apparently, vehicles do not cling to their value similar to what you think. When you drive away the vehicle, you have immediately lost some of the fees that you paid for.

My brother has a possible DUI conviction here in Washington. I just want to make it clear to him and make him understand better the possible consequences of his action. How does a DUI conviction really affect a person?

Lynn

Tacoma, WA

Driving under the influence is not worth it because not only you are incapable of driving safely, but you are also very likely to receive a ticket. You might think that receiving a DUI simply requires you to pay a fee and try to get out of the ticket, but a DUI is really more expensive than you might have ever imagined.

A DUI conviction might cost your brother thousands of dollars, but it may also cost him emotionally, physically, and others would pay as well.

First of all, a DUI costs a lot of money. The car may be impounded, and then the driver would be taken to jail, and would receive a ticket, as well as other fees and fines that might apply to the specific situation. This would, of course, cost a pretty penny.

Then, there are the emotional costs of a DUI conviction. You would likely feel ashamed and embarrassed, and that is if you just got a ticket. In addition, you might wreck your vehicle or the vehicle of another individual, causing more emotional suffering and pain. Then, if you or others were injured you can count on significant emotional suffering.

Physical costs are likely with driving under the influence because accidents could happen. You may injure or even kill yourself, not to mention others. Imagine how you would feel if you cause yourself to be paralyzed or kill another individual. These are some huge costs of drinking and driving.

Then, there are the costs to other people as well. Your family would feel embarrassed and ashamed if you receive a DUI citation, not to mention if you are killed or kill someone else because you chose to drink and drive. Then there is the family and friends of other individuals that you might have injured while drinking and driving. They would feel angry and hurt as well.

Obviously, there are a lot of costs associated with DUI; most of them would change your life and the lives of others forever. So, if you want to drink, you have to make sure you call a cab or at least have a designated driver to ensure you get home safe and sound. We can all avoid all of the costs of a DUI and don’t drink and drive.