CDT Medical

[jjohno]

Dear Forum,

I am up for a medical over the next week or so after a healthy 5 year ban..... It has been such a long time now without driving I can hardly bear to wait the remaining month but it doesn't really make a difference after so long now. There is a 325i Touring sitting outside my house as well for me which is probably making things worse!

There are a few questions in relation to the new medical that I have though and wondered if anyone can help.

I had my first medical about 7 years ago and I am under the impression that this has changed now and all they are looking for is CDT levels in your blood??

Also, if this is the case where exactly is the cut off point?? It seems that there is slightly differentiated data regarding the figures. Some saying readings over 2.2% will show you up as amber and other at 2.5%?? Does anyone know??

Also, I still drink a little, sometimes to excess. I would say over the last few weeks I have drank a few bottles of beer a night, sometimes had a bottle of wine and last Saturday got completely hammered when my friend came to stay. Having reading all the half life data etc with regard to CDT, you would think that my levels should be back to below 2.2 or 2.5% within the next couple of weeks? The hard bit is, I don't really know how much I have drank over the last few weeks but I would have thought it to be anywhere from half a bottle to a bottle of wine a day but the week before that I completely stopped drinking for at least 5 days. Bit lost with it all to be honest.....

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks

 

[price1367]

Jjohno,

The best thing to do would be to defer your medical in my view.
You are right that you now have a CDT test. A reading of 2.3 to 2.9 gives cause for concern and further investigation. Above 2.9 is viewed as a "red" result and a failure. You can read the DVLA view on this link, although not all experts agree on their analysis for the amount of alcohol needed to raise CDT to these levels.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives....etings/~/media/pdf/medical/mins_07032012.ashx

You need to address your drinking well ahead of the medical and you have failed to do so. You said you can hardly wait, but you have to put effort into making yourself able to pass the medical and to be safe to be back on the road. Looking at the DVLA statement on the levels, you will certainly be in the 2.2-2.9 category, if not red. This could result in you being refused a licence and you cannot apply for another 12 months.
At your level of drinking, it could be up to 12 weeks before you produce a CDT result in the 'green' category. You will not get much of a reduction from a 5 day alcohol free period during your weeks of regular drinking at those levels.