We are planning to give our son a car for his graduation but we are worried that it may double our financial responsibilities if we get him a car especially we need also to give him a car Insurance as well. Is there anything in California that can help us lower, if not decrease, our financial responsibility if adding another car and car insurance?

Wyatt

Carson, CA

Car Insurance policy for our young driver is a necessity just like having a car here in California. But this doesn’t mean that you are going to double your financial responsibilities for there are ways how to make it lower than the double.

Usually, parents in California don’t avail a single Car Insurance for their son; instead they add them to their car insurance policy. Adding the children to the parents’ car insurance will add more payment but then again it is way cheaper than availing another for the child. Parents might as well read their policy again to know if their policy requires all drivers to be named for coverage to apply. If you have this kind of policy, it is very necessary to list all members to the policy especially if the child has reached driver’s age. If your child will go to another location, you might as well inform your insurers since the car insurance rates usually based from where the driver is driving which needs adjusting your premium. If for example you haven’t listed all the drivers in your policy and have learned just a while ago the company will bill your for the extra premium that you should have paid.

Is it true that even if the person is not driving, but was found sleeping in the car and believed to have consumed alcohol, can be charged with DUI in California? How could this happen if the person was not actually driving?

Abby

Carson, CA

Yes, a person who is not really driving but has consumed alcohol and has slept in the car can be charged for DUI in Carson, California. If he/she is in control of a motor vehicle and in possession of the keys, it will be treated as drunk driving. In this case, it isn’t really ‘driving under the influence’ in its literal sense, but it’s gonna be ‘operating a motor vehicle under the influence.’ Even those who have slept in the back seat and may have potentially driven the car can be cited for DUI. But if the keys were not on the person at all, there may be ways to beat the DUI charge.

But in any DUI case, the court should find that there are reasonable grounds to believe for the police officer to believe that the person was operating a vehicle while under the influence. In finding out if a person has actual physical control over the vehicle, such that as person may be charged with DUI, the courts would look at where the person was seated in the vehicle and if the vehicle engine is running. In many DUI cases that the person was found sleeping behind the wheel and the engine was running, courts have upheld DUI convictions.