Charged with drink driving.

[OliS]

After some advice on behalf of a friend who got charged with drink driving last night.

Has anyone on here ever been in this situation or know of anyone who has? If so what was the outcome?

He knows he has messed up, and fully accpets that he should not have been out driving. He's never done this before, it's not his normal behaviour at all, but he's just broken up with his missus, so we all went out for a few bevvies and when the rest of us crashed out, he found he couldn't sleep and as it had been a few hours since his last drink he decided to drive back home to Kingston, and was stopped (by a dog handler!) as he was driving a nice car, late at night (2am), through a dodgy area. He was not speeding, driving erratically or dangerously (although imo any drink driving is dangerous). So he's looking at a ban, fine and penalty points.

Does anyone know how this offence will affect his insurance in the future? Obviously he will have to declare for the next five years that he's commited this offence, and he's now thinking about selling his motor as he does not believe he will be able to afford the insurance once convicted. Any experience of people insuring a car after a drink driving offence would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers all, sorry for the sombre post.

 

[hoolio]

Go on line and get a quote, but use a different name etc.
Think he will have to sell as it will cost a LOT. It will also stay on his licence for 10 yrs.

 

[Johnnytheboy]

http://www.pepipoo.com/

Mine of useful info on motoring law

 

[OliS]

Well just got back from seeing my mate, did an online quote and the conviction will add about 50% to his premium, he's only paying just over £500 a year now, so it's not the end of the world. I think it means he's going to keep his car now, just leave it sitting in his garage for a year.

Mentioned about the conviction staying on his record for 10 years, so we did a seach on the net and the only info we could find detailled 11 years, either way he's gutted about it, but he totally accepts that he made a serious error of judgement and is quite prepared for the punishment.

 

[ryanaldo13]

OliS, theres no excuse for drink driving, too many lives have been lost because of it. I'm sure your friend would take a driving ban rather than have the guilt of killing someone.

 

[Cue]

do you know he was just road side breathalised or taken back to the station for the accurate reading?

Ryan - total agreement from me.

 

[OliS]

...and a total agrement from me as well. I've been kicking his ass about this big time, saying to him that if he had killed someone, he would be doing time without a doubt, and having to live with the fact that he had ended someone's life. Not a good situation, especially for someone who is a genuine nice guy, who just made the worst decision he possible could.

He's got to count himself lucky that something like this did not happen, it's a real wakeup call for him to get his life back on the straight and narrow. As I've mentioned before, this is literally the first time he has ever driven whilst being over the limit, and the first time he has ever been in trouble with the police. Even the experience of being put in a cell for a few hours has shocked him enough to know that something like this must never happen again.

As for the punishement, looks like it will be a mandatory 12 month ban, with the possibilty of taking 25% off if he pays for and attends a rehab course. The only things we don't know for sure is how much the fine will be (up to £5k) or how many points he will end up with (3-11 for a DR10).

 

[hoolio]

My understanding of the points thing is that you got 12 pts (instant ban) the length of the ban being decided by the beak who also decides fine (you should be allowed to speak but do employ/speak to a lawyer) and then you get your licence back after ban period with the DR10. wouldn't think he'd get any extra points unless he had been a very bad boy.

 

[OliS]

do you know he was just road side breathalised or taken back to the station for the accurate reading?

Both, blew 67 roadside and 55 at the station.

Interesting about being given 12 points straight away...12 points on your licence for 10/11 years! :shock:

Deserves it though, at least he won't do something like this again!

 

[hoolio]

Interesting about being given 12 points straight away...12 points on your licence for 10/11 years! :shock:

just to clear that up a bit, the twelve points is a ban,they dont stay stacked up all together, the only thing that appears on your license is DR10 and any points you may have already accumulated.Thick thats correct.

Best advice is get your mate to get some proper advice not my 2nd hand old info.
Wish him good luck, did a bad thing but at the end of the day only he got hurt.