How long do you have to book the course

[GY666]

Hi guys I’ve just been given my ban of 24 months reduced by 24 weeks of the course is taken.
I’ve logged onto the website they recommended and it’s only showing one available session which I can’t do in July.
So I have a year or so on which to complete this or does it have to be booked asap ?
Can’t see any info on this particular question so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Daisybeau]

Hiya have you received your paperwork (court order?) from the court yet? It's on there when your deadline is to complete it by. I can not remember my exact date to complete by but I recall it being quite close to the end of my ban (I was banned for 24 months) If you ring the course provider you've been assigned on Tuesday they will have the info on you from the courts. My course provider had all my information the morning after my sentencing I hope this helps

 

[Xeronema]

Hiya have you received your paperwork (court order?) from the court yet? It's on there when your deadline is to complete it by. I can not remember my exact date to complete by but I recall it being quite close to the end of my ban (I was banned for 24 months) If you ring the course provider you've been assigned on Tuesday they will have the info on you from the courts. My course provider had all my information the morning after my sentencing I hope this helps

I think the guidelines state the date must be at least 2 months before the end of the disqualification (after the reduction is taken into consideration: f.ex a 12 month ban reduced to 9 months, the course would have to be completed no later than 7 months from the date of conviction). As you've indicated the date of completion should be on the paperwork and the court can ask for it to be completed sooner than what I've mentioned, above. That's just the latest it can be asked by the courts to be completed by.

 

[GY666]

Hiya have you received your paperwork (court order?) from the court yet? It's on there when your deadline is to complete it by. I can not remember my exact date to complete by but I recall it being quite close to the end of my ban (I was banned for 24 months) If you ring the course provider you've been assigned on Tuesday they will have the info on you from the courts. My course provider had all my information the morning after my sentencing I hope this helps

Hi ahh thank you that’s great I thought I heard the judge say by Aug but I’m now assuming it’s was Aug 2026! As it was all a bit of a haze!

I’ve not received my paperwork as it was only Wednesday.

Thanks again for all your help

 

[GY666]

I think the guidelines state the date must be at least 2 months before the end of the disqualification (after the reduction is taken into consideration: f.ex a 12 month ban reduced to 9 months, the course would have to be completed no later than 7 months from the date of conviction). As you've indicated the date of completion should be on the paperwork and the court can ask for it to be completed sooner than what I've mentioned, above. That's just the latest it can be asked by the courts to be completed by.

Brilliant thank you

 

[Daisybeau]

Hi ahh thank you that’s great I thought I heard the judge say by Aug but I’m now assuming it’s was Aug 2026! As it was all a bit of a haze!

I’ve not received my paperwork as it was only Wednesday.

Thanks again for all your help

Ah yes sorry I did realise when I posted that you updated about your court result don’t worry the one thing I found with the dvla and courts is they were very quick to send my paper work after my court case! As @Xeronema says that two months would tie in with when my ban was too

 

[Xeronema]

Brilliant thank you

No problem, although I didn't really give you an answer to your question. @Daisybeau 's advice is spot on here. It could be that the magistrate(s) have ordered you to complete the course by this August and not next August. The course provider should have that information so you can just give them a call next week to make sure how long you've got and you can also enquire about what availability they have later on in the year. Better to be safer than sorry.

 

[C J 1980]

I did my drink driving reduction course with a company called TTC who are based in Telford but run courses in different parts of the country. Fortunately, when I booked mine in 2019 there were a variety of dates available with one in my home town. However, I didn’t want to do it on my own doorstep so I opted to travel by bus to the neighbouring town which I’m still glad I did.

Many people poo-poo the drink driving reduction course, but mine was quite enjoyable. Everyone on the course was in the same situation and in good spirits. There was one lady who was clearly still struggling with alcohol and sadly she was removed after the first day as she tried to self detox because course candidates can be breath tested (even though you are not driving!). There were no drama’s - her daughter was contacted to come and collect her from the venue. The course trainer was a chap called Terry who later explained he couldn’t not allow her to pass the course as she had still not addressed her problems which was the right thing to do.

The course content was spread out over two and half days (18 hours in total), so this doesn’t include coffee/lunch breaks. I actually felt the course could have been structured over two slightly longer days but that’s just my own opinion. The content of the course included group exercises and some video presentations. I did think some of the TTC videos needed updating as some of them were from the 1990s with the police still wearing tunics and driving Rover Montego’s!!!!

One element of the course I remember better than anything I did over those three days was just speaking to the other candidates. Drink driving is not a stereotypical offence - anyone (male or female), of any age group, from any social background can be potted for drink driving. Many of my fellow course mates had actually failed the breathalyser the morning after the night before and one interesting lesson we did was about alcohol units and how long it stays in your blood system.

Some people feel really ashamed of committing drink driving and cannot bring themselves to do the course for the same reason. What I would say is that like an AA meeting - once inside a venue with a drink driving course, everything is private and confidential to the outside world and you are unlikely to see anyone from the course again once it is completed.

CJ

 

[Daisybeau]

I did my drink driving reduction course with a company called TTC who are based in Telford but run courses in different parts of the country. Fortunately, when I booked mine in 2019 there were a variety of dates available with one in my home town. However, I didn’t want to do it on my own doorstep so I opted to travel by bus to the neighbouring town which I’m still glad I did.

Many people poo-poo the drink driving reduction course, but mine was quite enjoyable. Everyone on the course was in the same situation and in good spirits. There was one lady who was clearly still struggling with alcohol and sadly she was removed after the first day as she tried to self detox because course candidates can be breath tested (even though you are not driving!). There were no drama’s - her daughter was contacted to come and collect her from the venue. The course trainer was a chap called Terry who later explained he couldn’t not allow her to pass the course as she had still not addressed her problems which was the right thing to do.

The course content was spread out over two and half days (18 hours in total), so this doesn’t include coffee/lunch breaks. I actually felt the course could have been structured over two slightly longer days but that’s just my own opinion. The content of the course included group exercises and some video presentations. I did think some of the TTC videos needed updating as some of them were from the 1990s with the police still wearing tunics and driving Rover Montego’s!!!!

One element of the course I remember better than anything I did over those three days was just speaking to the other candidates. Drink driving is not a stereotypical offence - anyone (male or female), of any age group, from any social background can be potted for drink driving. Many of my fellow course mates had actually failed the breathalyser the morning after the night before and one interesting lesson we did was about alcohol units and how long it stays in your blood system.

Some people feel really ashamed of committing drink driving and cannot bring themselves to do the course for the same reason. What I would say is that like an AA meeting - once inside a venue with a drink driving course, everything is private and confidential to the outside world and you are unlikely to see anyone from the course again once it is completed.

CJ

I completely agree, I was so nervous doing mine and to be fair it was online which I think is a lot less daunting as you are in the comfort of your own space and surroundings. I must admit the course was excellent, my course tutor was brilliant - it’s actually nice to be on a course like this where the instructor has gone through it so they have empathy and can completely relate. It’s all walks of life on these courses and I learned a lot on this course I have seen now that the company who ran the course I attended have advised those convicted on drink driving who are not offered the course by the courts you can still go on them as it will
Help with your insurance when you get your licence back just not the reduction in a ban

 

[Daisybeau]

I must add my course did use a lot of Australian videos to show drink driving consequences .. you can view them on you tube they wouldn’t show these in the UK in between your corrie and other main tv shows - they are hard hitting and brutal but that’s what it’s about isn’t it to help reduce reoffending

 

[C J 1980]

I completely agree, I was so nervous doing mine and to be fair it was online which I think is a lot less daunting as you are in the comfort of your own space and surroundings. I must admit the course was excellent, my course tutor was brilliant - it’s actually nice to be on a course like this where the instructor has gone through it so they have empathy and can completely relate. It’s all walks of life on these courses and I learned a lot on this course I have seen now that the company who ran the course I attended have advised those convicted on drink driving who are not offered the course by the courts you can still go on them as it will
Help with your insurance when you get your licence back just not the reduction in a ban

I forgot to add that my course trainer - Terry was on the brink of completely retiring. He’d worked in the brewery industry for most of his life and became involved with TTC in later years as a semi occupation to keep him from under his wife’s feet! The venue we had my course was the very last time he was to be there (with a few more courses elsewhere before calling it a day). He actually got a full round of applause from everyone at the very end which was quite a humble experience for him.

CJ

 

[ashamed7280]

Personally I'd rather go in person to a course. My Internet is crap and I hate zoom or anything like that. So fingers crossed I can do one physically.