Would you advise attending AA meetings?

[Ruth83]

I was caught drink driving last night after hitting a parked car. I blew 92 which is almost 3 times over the legal limit. I was arrested and spent the night in a cell.

To say I am ashamed and mortified is an understatement! It is completely out of character for me to get in my car and drive after drinking just one alcoholic beverage let alone several!

I have found that I use alcohol as a coping mechanism to not only unwind but to 'forget' I don't drink during the week, only on a weekend and when I do drink I drink to excess.

The police were more than kind to me which I felt I didn't deserve but they could see I was remorseful and it was out of character for me to make such a stupid rash decision. They have suggested I seek medical advice as I didn't cope very well emotionally with the events after my arrest.

I never ever want to spend time in a police cell again and I most certainly won't set foot in a car whilst under the influence.

After reading through some other threads it states that I could have the mandatory sentence reduced by 3 months if I attend a drink driving awareness course. I just wondered if anyone has ever had any experience with attending meetings for alcohol abuse??

Also there are mentions of getting character references from employers ~ would this help too?

Any advise would be greatly appreciated ~ thank you.

 

[Forum Moderator]

I was caught drink driving last night after hitting a parked car. I blew 92 which is almost 3 times over the legal limit. I was arrested and spent the night in a cell.

To say I am ashamed and mortified is an understatement! It is completely out of character for me to get in my car and drive after drinking just one alcoholic beverage let alone several!

I have found that I use alcohol as a coping mechanism to not only unwind but to 'forget' I don't drink during the week, only on a weekend and when I do drink I drink to excess.

The police were more than kind to me which I felt I didn't deserve but they could see I was remorseful and it was out of character for me to make such a stupid rash decision. They have suggested I seek medical advice as I didn't cope very well emotionally with the events after my arrest.

I never ever want to spend time in a police cell again and I most certainly won't set foot in a car whilst under the influence.

After reading through some other threads it states that I could have the mandatory sentence reduced by 3 months if I attend a drink driving awareness course. I just wondered if anyone has ever had any experience with attending meetings for alcohol abuse??

Also there are mentions of getting character references from employers ~ would this help too?

Any advise would be greatly appreciated ~ thank you.

Upon conviction of driving with excess alcohol and a breath reading of 92, sentencing guidelines suggest a low to high level community order and a driving disqualification of between 23 and 28 months.

The majority of first time offenders usually benefit from the opportunity of taking the drink driving rehabilitation course. Successfully completing the course will see a reduction in any period of driving disqualification imposed of up to 25% (usually 25%). A 12 month driving disqualification would result in a reduction of 3 months, a 24 month driving disqualification would usually result in a reduction of 6 months. You can read about peoples experience on the drink driving rehabilitation course here.

You will be classed as a high risk offender as the level of alcohol in your system exceeded 87.5 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. High risk offenders are required to satisfy the DVLA of their fitness to drive, by taking a DVLA medical, before a driving licence will be issued to them upon expiration of their disqualification.

Obtaining character references from employers can only help your case and is a good idea.

You may find our guide to appearing at Magistrates' court for drink driving offences useful.

Let us know the outcome of your court case as it may help others who find themselves in a similar predicament in the future.