Finally…on the road again

Convicted Driver Insurance

Weallmakemistakes

New Member
So, in Nov 2020 I was banned for drink driving. Pulled over and blew 87 at the roadside, 85 at the station. First conviction and hadn’t been involved with legal system before. It was all pretty scary, felt the usual shame and embarrassment but I soon got over it after court. I was banned for 17 months and fined £500.
I soon got used to not driving, taking public transport and cycling. I haven’t told anyone and only my spouse knows.
applied for my licence in Feb and it arrive mid March. I managed to get fully comp insurance with all the trimmings for £133 per month so not too bad considering i drive a Merc.
It felt like forever, but I’m on the road again from Monday. For those at the start of this journey, it gets better and you’ll adjust. We all make mistakes, just learn and whatever you do, don’t make the same mistake again!
This forum has been great during my ban and really helped put things in Perspective when I was at my lowest. Good luck all and see you on the M4 😎👌🏼👍🏼
 
Can I ask who your insurance is with please?
I went through a broker “got you covered” who sorted the policy with “Eridge”

I could have gotten slightly cheaper with Admiral or another high street but they wanted to put a black box on and overcharge for the extras (windscreen cover etc)

I’d definitely recommend going via a broker if you’re fresh off a ban 👍🏼
 
So, in Nov 2020 I was banned for drink driving. Pulled over and blew 87 at the roadside, 85 at the station. First conviction and hadn’t been involved with legal system before. It was all pretty scary, felt the usual shame and embarrassment but I soon got over it after court. I was banned for 17 months and fined £500.
I soon got used to not driving, taking public transport and cycling. I haven’t told anyone and only my spouse knows.
applied for my licence in Feb and it arrive mid March. I managed to get fully comp insurance with all the trimmings for £133 per month so not too bad considering i drive a Merc.
It felt like forever, but I’m on the road again from Monday. For those at the start of this journey, it gets better and you’ll adjust. We all make mistakes, just learn and whatever you do, don’t make the same mistake again!
This forum has been great during my ban and really helped put things in Perspective when I was at my lowest. Good luck all and see you on the M4 😎👌🏼👍🏼
Just to add, at a reading of 86 I just scraped by without being HRO so didn’t need the medical, hence the speed of my licence application and return. I’m feeling bad for my HRO comrades who are having to deal with the DVLA backlogs and medical shenanigans.
 
So, in Nov 2020 I was banned for drink driving. Pulled over and blew 87 at the roadside, 85 at the station. First conviction and hadn’t been involved with legal system before. It was all pretty scary, felt the usual shame and embarrassment but I soon got over it after court. I was banned for 17 months and fined £500.
I soon got used to not driving, taking public transport and cycling. I haven’t told anyone and only my spouse knows.
applied for my licence in Feb and it arrive mid March. I managed to get fully comp insurance with all the trimmings for £133 per month so not too bad considering i drive a Merc.
It felt like forever, but I’m on the road again from Monday. For those at the start of this journey, it gets better and you’ll adjust. We all make mistakes, just learn and whatever you do, don’t make the same mistake again!
This forum has been great during my ban and really helped put things in Perspective when I was at my lowest. Good luck all and see you on the M4 😎👌🏼👍🏼
I went through RCIB. I'm 64, been banned twice since 2017, got myself a Jaguar XF, have zero NCD and managed to get insurance through for £738 a year. Only for 5,000 miles, but I thought that was pretty good. The excess is £1,000, but that's the extra some companies wanted me to pay each year anyway.
 
Congratulations! Also great news you weren’t HRO. Really complicates things otherwise, especially since the DVLA seem to prioritise playing Minesweeper lately as opposed to doing any actual work. Chuffed for you.

My insurance isn’t too bad either despite being an HRO for first year.
 
Congratulations to you !

It must be a great feeling getting your licence back and jumping in your Merc.

I am non-HRO too and I think in 2 or 3 weeks I will (hopefully) receive the forms I need from the DVLA for my ban that ends mid-June. I am really hoping that it isn't delayed but what will be will be.

Good luck, and enjoy the road....sober
 
Congratulations to you !

It must be a great feeling getting your licence back and jumping in your Merc.

I am non-HRO too and I think in 2 or 3 weeks I will (hopefully) receive the forms I need from the DVLA for my ban that ends mid-June. I am really hoping that it isn't delayed but what will be will be.

Good luck, and enjoy the road....sober
You don't need to wait until the DVLA send you the forms. Sometimes they forget. Just get a D1 application form from the Post Office and send this in 90 days before your ban expires. That will get the ball rolling.
 
You don't need to wait until the DVLA send you the forms. Sometimes they forget. Just get a D1 application form from the Post Office and send this in 90 days before your ban expires. That will get the ball rolling.
Thanks for the advice Luna2000, I will do just that !
 
You don't need to wait until the DVLA send you the forms. Sometimes they forget. Just get a D1 application form from the Post Office and send this in 90 days before your ban expires. That will get the ball rolling.
So, I took your advice Luna, got myself a D1 and a postal order which has gone in the post today.
17th June is supposed to be the end of my ban, and I'm not an HRO
I had my original licence driver number and a valid passport so I've put both those numbers on the form which by the sounds of it negates the need for me to have to muck around with a new photo.
Lets see what happens in a couple of months.
 
So, in Nov 2020 I was banned for drink driving. Pulled over and blew 87 at the roadside, 85 at the station. First conviction and hadn’t been involved with legal system before. It was all pretty scary, felt the usual shame and embarrassment but I soon got over it after court. I was banned for 17 months and fined £500.
I soon got used to not driving, taking public transport and cycling. I haven’t told anyone and only my spouse knows.
applied for my licence in Feb and it arrive mid March. I managed to get fully comp insurance with all the trimmings for £133 per month so not too bad considering i drive a Merc.
It felt like forever, but I’m on the road again from Monday. For those at the start of this journey, it gets better and you’ll adjust. We all make mistakes, just learn and whatever you do, don’t make the same mistake again!
This forum has been great during my ban and really helped put things in Perspective when I was at my lowest. Good luck all and see you on the M4 😎👌🏼👍🏼
I'm currently at a similar point to where you were back in Nov 2020- court hearing due early next month, and I'm anticipating a similar sentence to the one you received- only difference being that as I am based in NI, will have to re-apply for my licence from provisional and re-take my test

I'm grateful for your comments, trying to work through my issues and this is incredibly helpful to me
 
I'm currently at a similar point to where you were back in Nov 2020- court hearing due early next month, and I'm anticipating a similar sentence to the one you received- only difference being that as I am based in NI, will have to re-apply for my licence from provisional and re-take my test

I'm grateful for your comments, trying to work through my issues and this is incredibly helpful to me
You’re doing exactly what I did; checking the forum and looking for stories similar to mine.

I can honestly say that the worst part for me was before court. The shame and embarrassment was crippling but it all seemed to lift when I got out of court.

In the grand scheme of things, a drink driving conviction is not the end of the world…I’m not condoning it and I will never drink alcohol and drive again but it’s easy to over analyse and beat yourself up about it. It’s only since my DD conviction that I’ve noticed how many people I know regularly drink and drive whilst believing they are under the “legal limit”. It’s only since I completed the DD course that I've realised that there isn’t really a Drink Driving limit. If you’re technically under the limit but the police have ANY reason to pull you, they can charge you with any number of offences.

Stay positive and just try to change how you view the situation…it helped me to focus on fitness during my ban which meant walking and cycling became a positive rather than a punishment. I’ve even kept it up since getting my licence back and try to avoid taking my car if I can help it.

Keep us updated on how you get on and “pass on the penny” after all the drama calms down because sharing your story will help others.

👍🏼😎
 
You’re doing exactly what I did; checking the forum and looking for stories similar to mine.

I can honestly say that the worst part for me was before court. The shame and embarrassment was crippling but it all seemed to lift when I got out of court.

In the grand scheme of things, a drink driving conviction is not the end of the world…I’m not condoning it and I will never drink alcohol and drive again but it’s easy to over analyse and beat yourself up about it. It’s only since my DD conviction that I’ve noticed how many people I know regularly drink and drive whilst believing they are under the “legal limit”. It’s only since I completed the DD course that I've realised that there isn’t really a Drink Driving limit. If you’re technically under the limit but the police have ANY reason to pull you, they can charge you with any number of offences.

Stay positive and just try to change how you view the situation…it helped me to focus on fitness during my ban which meant walking and cycling became a positive rather than a punishment. I’ve even kept it up since getting my licence back and try to avoid taking my car if I can help it.

Keep us updated on how you get on and “pass on the penny” after all the drama calms down because sharing your story will help others.

👍🏼😎
Can I ask a question ? Did you have an accident or just got caught DD. I got caught but no accident whatsoever. Wondering if that will work In my favour once my ban is up and I'm applying for insurance again. Many thanks
 
Can I ask a question ? Did you have an accident or just got caught DD. I got caught but no accident whatsoever. Wondering if that will work In my favour once my ban is up and I'm applying for insurance again. Many thanks
Hi, no accidents or incidents. It was 23.30 on a Friday night and I had left my indicator or after overtaking. I was pretty much the only other vehicle on the duel carriageway so I guess leaving my indicator on made me look suspicious.
 
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