Medical - cdt level requirements

Convicted Driver Insurance

Missbee

Established Member
Hey all,

I'd like clarification on what the acceptable cdt levels are for a HRO with NO alcohol dependence or recorded misuse. 1st offence.

Is it the 2.2 as per the traffic light system mentioned on the drinkdrive website?

I've seen people on here state that on their medical letter it's written what CDT is required but on mine it doesn't


Thanks in advance.
 
Hey all,

I'd like clarification on what the acceptable cdt levels are for a HRO with NO alcohol dependence or recorded misuse. 1st offence.

Is it the 2.2 as per the traffic light system mentioned on the drinkdrive website?

I've seen people on here state that on their medical letter it's written what CDT is required but on mine it doesn't


Thanks in advance.
I believe the traffic light system operates as follows.
0-1.76 is indicative of little or no alcohol consumption. (Green)

1.76-2.2 is controlled alcohol use.(amber)

And above 2.2 is "better luck next time" (Red)
That's my understanding, there are many on here way more qualified than I to give you a fuller explanation
 
I believe the traffic light system operates as follows.
0-1.76 is indicative of little or no alcohol consumption. (Green)

1.76-2.2 is controlled alcohol use.(amber)

And above 2.2 is "better luck next time" (Red)
That's my understanding, there are many on here way more qualified than I to give you a fuller explanation
Great thanks. X
 
Hey all,

I'd like clarification on what the acceptable cdt levels are for a HRO with NO alcohol dependence or recorded misuse. 1st offence.

Is it the 2.2 as per the traffic light system mentioned on the drinkdrive website?

I've seen people on here state that on their medical letter it's written what CDT is required but on mine it doesn't


Thanks in advance.
Hi Be very careful with this, people have been caught out due to miss information. If you are HRO they will look for a CDT score of <1.0 You could use medichecks for peace of mind.
 
Hi Be very careful with this, people have been caught out due to miss information. If you are HRO they will look for a CDT score of <1.0 You could use medichecks for peace of mind.
I can confirm, having used medichecks recently. I returned 0.6 level. They are pretty good and professional. Certainly puts your mind at rest. There are other places that will provise a CDT test, but medichecks seem to be the most well known.
 
Hey all,

I'd like clarification on what the acceptable cdt levels are for a HRO with NO alcohol dependence or recorded misuse. 1st offence.

Is it the 2.2 as per the traffic light system mentioned on the drinkdrive website?

I've seen people on here state that on their medical letter it's written what CDT is required but on mine it doesn't


Thanks in advance.
Don't drink for a month, CDT unless you are hammering it will be bang on
 
Don't drink for a month, CDT unless you are hammering it will be bang on
I haven't drank in 4 weeks already and before that one sesh (family 50th..gin was needed to survive it lol) it had been 3 weeks since I'd had a drink so I'm pretty confident I will under 1%
I just need my licence back soooo much 😫 I won't want anuyunh going wrong. I'm stressing about it constantly. X
 
I haven't drank in 4 weeks already and before that one sesh (family 50th..gin was needed to survive it lol) it had been 3 weeks since I'd had a drink so I'm pretty confident I will under 1%
I just need my licence back soooo much 😫 I won't want anuyunh going wrong. I'm stressing about it constantly. X
As long as you don’t drink you will be fine
 
Hi Be very careful with this, people have been caught out due to miss information. If you are HRO they will look for a CDT score of <1.0 You could use medichecks for peace of mind.
Hi - just to clarify, it’s only HRO’s that require a cdt test (I was one). If your doctor designates you dependent THEN cdt levels change. I was 6 weeks without drinking and dvla confirmed my cdt at 0.9%. My letter from dvla stated up to 1.6 showed abstinence.
 
Hi - just to clarify, it’s only HRO’s that require a cdt test (I was one). If your doctor designates you dependent THEN cdt levels change. I was 6 weeks without drinking and dvla confirmed my cdt at 0.9%. My letter from dvla stated up to 1.6 showed abstinence.
Hi Castle 1, this is very inlighting but not my experience, worryingly ive never been classed as HRO and I've been forced to jump through the hurdles again for my 3rd Temp licence... I'm so bitter about it I can't tell you. 47 yrs clean licence... The sobs took my bus truck car an full m/cycle LiC off me. My life, my honour.. Then covid sealed my fate as to unplanned early retirement, The reason... My Doctor dubbed me in when I applied for renewal of class 2...Then He rides off Retiring on his I kid you not.. Motorcycle.. So much for band of Bros. DON'T TRUST YOUR GP, ever since the bin lorry tragedy in. Glasgow, there all over us... Targeting the wrong people.... Read my post 2yrs ago "dvla trap" good luck
 
Hi - just to clarify, it’s only HRO’s that require a cdt test (I was one). If your doctor designates you dependent THEN cdt levels change. I was 6 weeks without drinking and dvla confirmed my cdt at 0.9%. My letter from dvla stated up to 1.6 showed abstinence.
The benchmark for this seems to change for each candidate. Mine was set at under 1.3%.
I haven't drank in 4 weeks already and before that one sesh (family 50th..gin was needed to survive it lol) it had been 3 weeks since I'd had a drink so I'm pretty confident I will under 1%
I just need my licence back soooo much 😫 I won't want anuyunh going wrong. I'm stressing about it constantly. X
The only way to de-stress is not to drink now until after the DVLA medical. Is it booked in yet?

CJ
 
Hi @Castle1. ... I had to show 1 years abstinence since last october. If I don't drink now for 6 weeks I will be below 1.6 my required pass level? Can I ask did you drink everyday before you stopped drink drinking for the 6 weeks ? If so how much did you drink each day if you don't mind me asking
 
Hi @Castle1. ... I had to show 1 years abstinence since last october. If I don't drink now for 6 weeks I will be below 1.6 my required pass level? Can I ask did you drink everyday before you stopped drink drinking for the 6 weeks ? If so how much did you drink each day if you don't mind me asking
If you had to abstain for 12 months, they must have deemed you to be alcohol dependent.

In this case, using the dubious traffic light system of below 1.6% CDT being fine will not help you unfortunately!! As alcohol dependent, you are required to fully abstain for at least 12 months, with proof. This can usually be aided with LFT blood tests from your GP over the 12 month period, and they will generally want a CDT of below 1% which 'indicates no recent excess alcohol intake'. Above this, it may indicate some alcohol intake, and as they want 12 months with zero. Above all, you need your GP on board to help you get your licence back.

Coupled with the questionnaire, if the result does not marry up with how you answer, you are opening a can of worms.

6 weeks abstaining may be OK for some, but others have noted 3 months plus and still being refused as their results are spurious based on the answers and/or they have no proof of abstaining.
 
@BigTom in the letter I have it doesn't mention that I have to show any proof from my GP, I called the DVLA today and they told me I have to pass below 1.6. she told me to apply for my license and I will have to take a medical. It's my first offence and lost it because I failed to give a specimen of breathe. I will attach a photo of my letter but I'm sure I don't have to give proof from my GP
 
Hi @Castle1. ... I had to show 1 years abstinence since last october. If I don't drink now for 6 weeks I will be below 1.6 my required pass level? Can I ask did you drink everyday before you stopped drink drinking for the 6 weeks ? If so how much did you drink each day if you don't mind me asking
Hi - yes pretty much every day before I stopped.
 
I know it doesn't say about getting proof from your GP, but I assure you if you read through other peoples experiences on this forum, they want proof. What they say and what they do are 2 totally different things! Look at the the paragraph with alcohol dependence in bold "you will need to show abstinence from alcohol for 1 year before applying" - the key word here is "show", which means prove!

If you ask them what proof, they will not guide you. That is where people have found getting their GP on board, registering a date of last drink and several LFT's carried out is helpful.

If you have been previously been classed as alcohol dependent, and you get a CDT result of say 1.5% and then say you have not drank for 12 months, I guarantee you that you will be refused for another 12 months until you can prove you have more than 12 months total abstinence.

It doesn't stop there either. If and when they do reissue a licence, it will be a 12 month medical licence and you need to do a DVLA medical again 12 months later. In that following 12 months, someone classed as dependent will be expected to continue their abstinence. This can happen for 6 years, and any mention of even a small sherry at Grandma's at Xmas during this period will see the licence revoked again.

I don't mean to sound like a doom monger or seem like I'm spreading scare stories, I just know that getting a licence back after a dependent classification is far from easy. I'm sure there are people out there who have winged it and got through, but there are many more who have fell foul and suffered further misery because they thought that a few weeks off the sauce was sufficient after the DVLA told them they must not drink alcohol.
 
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