License refused CDT 0.3% Please help

[Dave W.]

I feel for the OP.

His CDT reading was way below the legal requirement to get his license back, yet because he was honest enough to say he'd had a drink in June, they called him for dependency.

The lessons to be learned?

1. Do not ever, if you want to drive again, tell your Doctor anything about what you have or haven't drunk.

2. Do not mention any issues with addiction to anything to any Doctor - or indeed anyone with in an official/government position.

3. Appreciate what a ridiculous web of nonsense surrounds the issues, so much so, that you're forced to to be evasive.

4. That this is a classic example of the law of unintended consequences; that people who learn the lesson and move on are still criminalised.

 

[Pipacs]

I feel for the OP.

His CDT reading was way below the legal requirement to get his license back, yet because he was honest enough to say he'd had a drink in June, they called him for dependency.

The lessons to be learned?

1. Do not ever, if you want to drive again, tell your Doctor anything about what you have or haven't drunk.

2. Do not mention any issues with addiction to anything to any Doctor - or indeed anyone with in an official/government position.

3. Appreciate what a ridiculous web of nonsense surrounds the issues, so much so, that you're forced to to be evasive.

4. That this is a classic example of the law of unintended consequences; that people who learn the lesson and move on are still criminalised.

Absolutely right you are! Plus the fact is DVLA never looking any case like we’re human beings just a bloody reference number! Causing so much stress and mental issues! Made a mistake pay for it the rest of our lives! I don’t think it’s fair

 

[Dave W.]

Agreed.

You see, I think it's dangerous. The law pushes those who might well have addiction issues that might well be downright dangerous to the rest of us, to


















Agreed.

A poorly administrated not-very-good-law that's at the whim of individual box-tickers with their own particular prejudices and interpretations of what's required.

No consistency and, in this particular case, less justice.

 

[Pane123]

I feel for the OP.

His CDT reading was way below the legal requirement to get his license back, yet because he was honest enough to say he'd had a drink in June, they called him for dependency.

The lessons to be learned?

1. Do not ever, if you want to drive again, tell your Doctor anything about what you have or haven't drunk.

2. Do not mention any issues with addiction to anything to any Doctor - or indeed anyone with in an official/government position.

3. Appreciate what a ridiculous web of nonsense surrounds the issues, so much so, that you're forced to to be evasive.

4. That this is a classic example of the law of unintended consequences; that people who learn the lesson and move on are still criminalised.

I'm an alcoholic but would always walk to the shops for my drink, so I never, ever drove drunk. This meant falling over, sometimes into neighbours' gardens, falling asleep at my front door because I was too drunk to get the key in the lock etc. but I think I'd have been jailed if I were caught behind the wheel.

The only chance is that I'd have been over the limit the next day after having too much the night before, but my life consisted of going to the shops for drink and spending the rest of my time locked away in my bedroom.

Being honest with the DVLA is the biggest mistake I've ever made and I feel that I'm treated worse than someone who got caught drink driving, since I didn't commit a criminal offence, or, if I did, I didn't get caught doing so.

I guess that doesn't matter, given we're all in roughly the same position but I could not agree more:

NEVER TELL YOUR GP OR THE DVLA THAT YOU'VE HAD A DRINK.

Tell them that you're abstinent, celibate and that you comb your hair and say your prayers every night before bed.

 

[Pipacs]

I'm an alcoholic but would always walk to the shops for my drink, so I never, ever drove drunk.

The only chance is that I'd have been over the limit the next day, after having too much the night before, but my life consisted of going to the shops for drink and spending the rest of my time locked away in my bedroom.

Being honest with the DVLA is the biggest mistake I've ever made and I feel that I'm treated worse than someone who got caught drink driving.

I guess that doesn't matter, given we're all in roughly the same position but I could not agree more:

NEVER TELL YOUR GP OR THE DVLA THAT YOU'VE HAD A DRINK.

Tell them that you're abstinent, celibate and that you comb your hair and say your prayers every night before bed.

So literally DVLA are making people lie and it’s kind of the only way to be able to live a sort of normal life including able to drive! You never driven when drinking but they are not interested in that only the fact is you are drinking so that makes you a criminal!! How ridiculous is that??!!!

 

[Pane123]

So literally DVLA are making people lie and it’s kind of the only way to be able to live a sort of normal life including able to drive! You never driven when drinking but they are not interested in that only the fact is you are drinking so that makes you a criminal!! How ridiculous is that??!!!

Yeh it's the being treated like a criminal that annoys me the most.

I have a problem, reported it to the DVLA, and it's messed my life up so much.

Once you're in their system, there seems to be no escaping their clutches.

 

[Pipacs]

Yeh it's the being treated like a criminal that annoys me the most.

I have a problem, reported it to the DVLA, and it's messed my life up so much.

Once you're in their system, there seems to be no escaping their clutches.

You see! Doing the right thing and actually you are punished for it??!! Where is the truth? They are allowed to ruin lives in a matter of minutes! I’m literally like a walking dead as I still can’t except the decision of named as unfit to drive and not allowed to drive as I’ve had a big mistake I’ve made in 2014??? It’s purely insane??!!!

 

[Pane123]

You see! Doing the right thing and actually you are punished for it??!! Where is the truth? They are allowed to ruin lives in a matter of minutes! I’m literally like a walking dead as I still can’t except the decision of named as unfit to drive and not allowed to drive as I’ve had a big mistake I’ve made in 2014??? It’s purely insane??!!!

To still have them tracking you 8 years later is a scary thought.

 

[Pipacs]

To still have them tracking you 8 years later is a scary thought.

It’s beyond scary!!! And now the result not able to drive as there are no information or warnings! So basically I’m trapped and punished twice for something happened 8 years ago?? How can I agree on that?

 

[topchippyles]

DVLA revoked my driving licence 10th December based on a letter(which was sent in 2020 referring to 2016), I’ve sent my application form back in 2022 April! Saying the guidelines are changed in 2021! Of course there were no information about the magnificent change! So now I’m medically unfit to drive even so I’m driving the last 5 years

I have just found out about the change in guidelines to my own situation. I declared on my application my last drink was 5/8/2022 6 units they have now classed me as dependant and revoked my licence i was dumfounded when i opened the letter.

My situation
May 2020 appointment with Gp and documented my last drink
May 2021 applied for licence with 4 LFT done and a liver scan all clear so full 12 months abstaining from alcohol
June letter to book medical
August medical with dvla doctor CTD score 0.9 below 1% benchmark they look for.
September 2021 - 1 year medical licence granted
September 2022 apply for new licence declared 6 units 5/8/2022 as last drink (Big mistake)
December 2022 letter saying licence revoked and classed as dependent.


Current situation
I was never classed as alcohol dependent i was down as misuse confirmed over the phone yesterday with dvla .
Licence was returned so no longer classed as HRO as far as aware drink within 14 unit were the dvla guide lines (Policy) 2021
I have continued to have 3 monthly LFT for two and a half years and all are normal.
I was never aware the dvla has changed policy about 0 alcohol if classed as dependant as i was classed as misuse i was only aware you had to abstain for 12 months and misuse was 6 months.
My GP was 1000% happy for me to apply to renew licence

Do i have grounds to appeal or what would you guys do in my situation thanks for looking Les.

 

[Pipacs]

I have just found out about the change in guidelines to my own situation. I declared on my application my last drink was 5/8/2022 6 units they have now classed me as dependant and revoked my licence i was dumfounded when i opened the letter.

My situation
May 2020 appointment with Gp and documented my last drink
May 2021 applied for licence with 4 LFT done and a liver scan all clear so full 12 months abstaining from alcohol
June letter to book medical
August medical with dvla doctor CTD score 0.9 below 1% benchmark they look for.
September 2021 - 1 year medical licence granted
September 2022 apply for new licence declared 6 units 5/8/2022 as last drink (Big mistake)
December 2022 letter saying licence revoked and classed as dependent.
My GP was 1000% happy for me to apply to renew licence

Current situation
I was never classed as alcohol dependent i was down as misuse confirmed over the phone yesterday with dvla .
Licence was returned so no longer classed as HRO as far as aware drink within 14 unit were the dvla guide lines (Policy) 2021
I have continued to have 3 monthly LFT for two and a half years and all are normal.
I was never aware the dvla has changed policy about 0 alcohol if classed as dependant as i was classed as misuse i was only aware you had to abstain for 12 months and misuse was 6 months.


Do i have grounds to appeal or what would you guys do in my situation thanks for looking Les.

I can feel your pain! Almost identical to my situation! My belief is that they have changed the guidelines they were supposed to be informing people about this magnificent change as common people like me are not checking the guidelines or law changes on a daily basis? So in my belief if I even know anything about the changes how would I be able to say that truly and honestly I wasn’t drinking the whole year in 2021-2022 as I only found out the change in that moment as I was filling out my application form??

 

[Pipacs]

I have just found out about the change in guidelines to my own situation. I declared on my application my last drink was 5/8/2022 6 units they have now classed me as dependant and revoked my licence i was dumfounded when i opened the letter.

My situation
May 2020 appointment with Gp and documented my last drink
May 2021 applied for licence with 4 LFT done and a liver scan all clear so full 12 months abstaining from alcohol
June letter to book medical
August medical with dvla doctor CTD score 0.9 below 1% benchmark they look for.
September 2021 - 1 year medical licence granted
September 2022 apply for new licence declared 6 units 5/8/2022 as last drink (Big mistake)
December 2022 letter saying licence revoked and classed as dependent.


Current situation
I was never classed as alcohol dependent i was down as misuse confirmed over the phone yesterday with dvla .
Licence was returned so no longer classed as HRO as far as aware drink within 14 unit were the dvla guide lines (Policy) 2021
I have continued to have 3 monthly LFT for two and a half years and all are normal.
I was never aware the dvla has changed policy about 0 alcohol if classed as dependant as i was classed as misuse i was only aware you had to abstain for 12 months and misuse was 6 months.
My GP was 1000% happy for me to apply to renew licence

Do i have grounds to appeal or what would you guys do in my situation thanks for looking Les.

I think a good start would be if you go back to your Gp and ask he’s or her opinion and maybe a letter to send out to DVLA ? That’s where I am now but for this “incredible” organisation it will take at least 10 working days to file this document and my fear is in my case would take months (as my application was sent out in April and got my unforgettable Christmas present from DVLA on the 10th of December) so basically there is no chance to be able to drive in close future for me I guess

 

[topchippyles]

I think a good start would be if you go back to your Gp and ask he’s or her opinion and maybe a letter to send out to DVLA ? That’s where I am now but for this “incredible” organisation it will take at least 10 working days to file this document and my fear is in my case would take months (as my application was sent out in April and got my unforgettable Christmas present from DVLA on the 10th of December) so basically there is no chance to be able to drive in close future for me I guess

It was only over the phone he informed me off their change in policy zero alcohol (dependency) totally unaware. I informed them i was having LFT done every 3 months and have done for two and a half years in support of my ongoing driving situation 1 year medicals. He said i could apply to amend anything and a cover letter of my Gp would be taken into account.

My main question i cannot seem to find an answer to is - I was only ever classed as misuse never dependant on alcohol so how can they just class me in that bracket. Also any past issues with alcohol is 9 years ago and not 6 years as they state on the letter.

 

[Pipacs]

It was only over the phone he informed me off their change in policy zero alcohol (dependency) totally unaware. I informed them i was having LFT done every 3 months and have done for two and a half years in support of my ongoing driving situation 1 year medicals. He said i could apply to amend anything and a cover letter of my Gp would be taken into account.

That’s exactly how I found it out myself too! First they said my license is revoked because of the new guidelines and then they said because of a letter they requested from my Gp in 2020(referring to 2016) so feels like they haven’t got a clue basically! So I said earlier I did have a chat with my Gp and he sent them a letter (as he was confused about the title of calling me unfit for driving) so now it’s a great waiting game to see if they are going to review at all my case or they don’t care about any circumstances which is actually lack of information on changing guidelines

 

[topchippyles]

That’s exactly how I found it out myself too! First they said my license is revoked because of the new guidelines and then they said because of a letter they requested from my Gp in 2020(referring to 2016) so feels like they haven’t got a clue basically! So I said earlier I did have a chat with my Gp and he sent them a letter (as he was confused about the title of calling me unfit for driving) so now it’s a great waiting game to see if they are going to review at all my case or they don’t care about any circumstances which is actually lack of information on changing guidelines

Were you ever classed as dependant pipacs

 

[Pipacs]

Were you ever classed as dependant pipacs

Unfortunately in 2016

 

[topchippyles]

Unfortunately in 2016

This is where i am confused if someone was classed as misuse how can you then be classed as dependant without speaking to their doctor or failed medical. Must have been a nightmare having medicals every year

 

[Pipacs]

It was only over the phone he informed me off their change in policy zero alcohol (dependency) totally unaware. I informed them i was having LFT done every 3 months and have done for two and a half years in support of my ongoing driving situation 1 year medicals. He said i could apply to amend anything and a cover letter of my Gp would be taken into account.

My main question i cannot seem to find an answer to is - I was only ever classed as misuse never dependant on alcohol so how can they just class me in that bracket. Also any past issues with alcohol is 9 years ago and not 6 years as they state on the letter.

In my case the lady on the phone was mentioning a 7 year magic number which doesn’t make any sense to me

 

[Pipacs]

This is where i am confused if someone was classed as misuse how can you then be classed as dependant without speaking to their doctor or failed medical.

I guess DVLA has got a kind of magical instruction book which is doesn’t available to the public and they are making up their own minds and rules! That’s how I feel to be honest!??

 

[Pipacs]

This is where i am confused if someone was classed as misuse how can you then be classed as dependant without speaking to their doctor or failed medical. Must have been a nightmare having medicals every year

Better go back to your Gp and try to challenge him or her as I can’t find any information about so many important issues about how and why they are making their decisions, classifications??