TTC Drink Driving Course Review

Convicted Driver Insurance

ally

Well Known Member
As I have shared in earlier posts I have recently been convicted however determined not to let recent events ruin my life any further I decided to get what I could out of the way straight away. Fine paid, curfew over, and rehabilitation course complete. All that remains is to survive my ban and to attend a medical both not till next year.
TTC Course :- Standing in court and being offered the course it meant little as I was numb with emotions I didn't know I had, however I found the nearest venue to me and having read posts on this forum with people leaving it till the last minute and a delay in getting back on the road I decided to go on the first available course. It was over four weeks, three sessions.
The first session I was reluctant to join in I sat quietly but soon realised I would gain nothing unless I changed my attitude. There were 15 in the group youngest 19 to someone in their 60's. The facilitator encouraged me to join in and I was soon put at ease.
The second session was the following week and even in that short amount of time I had gained an element of trust and the feeling of peace, speaking to people that understood me completely was amazing, I had never spoke so honestly before. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders I felt I could be myself and could be honest.

The final session was emotional, the thought that this bubble of acceptance was about to end and the daunting fact that after 5pm that day I was once again on my own was at some points difficult throughout the day. We were shown DD adverts from Ireland and tears streamed down my face, all that was going though my mind was 'thank god this didn't happen to me' however I knew it could have. One lad said at some point in the course that after two drinks he probably wouldn't drive but after 10 drinks he would because your sense of judgement just goes. Everyone in the group nodded and knew what he meant.


The course was a life changing experience, I look at alcohol differently I am more aware of my surroundings and what others are drinking but most of all I value my life. I have realised we only get one life this is no dress rehearsal. Following the course I have cut back on my drinking, a couple of glasses of wine on the weekend and even then I struggle. I don't get the feeling I used to do when drinking alcohol, I have found other things to do.

The facilitators of my course were amazing there was nothing they didn't know and most of all knew how to manage 15 angry adults. As we left the final day I could have cried, I walked straight up to the man that delivered the session, shook his hand and thanked him and I meant it.


I wish I knew what I do now when I took my driving test however I thank god I didn't hurt anyone, I have been given a second chance that I will not take for granted.



If you are offered the course, take it, 25% off your ban is a bonus what you learn will stay with you for life.


Ally
 
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Re: 3/5 completed plus TTC Review

Ally,
i am certain that we run a good balanced course, but it is always nice to hear confirmation of this from a participant, particularly from someone like yourself with an education background. Thank you for your assessment.
 
Re: 3/5 completed plus TTC Review

i too took the course as soon as I could pretty much straight away, and I liked it a lot, we all shared our stories etc and now i know what not to do.. even the day after... etc.
however, I am really struggling here. i've got 10 (with 8 completed) moths still to go and i am losing my will to live. i don't care any more and this punishment just made it all worse for me. i can drink sometimes to the excess now, even though didn't for a while but i am just losing my will to live now, i have no motivation, if i had a car that would obviously stopped me, but now... i dont care... everything is just one long road of buses, buses and buses, and 4 hours travel to work. even if you don't drink you would likely to start in this situation.
 
Re: 3/5 completed plus TTC Review

Ellen1
There is nothing else you can do to reduce the length of your ban other than the drink drive rehabilitation course you have already done.
i understand why not being able to drive means that it is easier to drink alcohol but remember what you were shown on the course: "alcohol is a depressant drug." If you are feeling depressed, it is the last thing you should be having because it will only make things seem worse. If your drinking then leads you to seeing your doctor, this could cause a problem when you have to do the medical at the end of your ban.
 
Hi Ellen
It was interesting to read your comment and how you were feeling. I'm only eight weeks into an 18 month ban only yesterday I went up to my parents whilst my dad started my car and left it running for a while as it is in their garage. I had it valeted the day before court and my plan was to leave it their till I got my license back. When the garage door opened the emotion I had was un bearable I couldn't even look at my car! I was silently saying in my head 'its because of you I am in this mess!' The M.O.T runs out in July and I have decided to sell it.
I know it is early days for me but whatever happens in my life that stops me from doing something I programme myself to agree with the decision almost like a coping mechanism so I am less bothered and affected. So now I am quite glad I was banned the first reason is that if I wasn't I would have killed myself or someone else part of me is happy I was caught I feel like I have been given some time out to reflect and change my ways.
The second reason is I have told my nearest and dearest of my experience and they also have changed their ways so I have prevented others from making the stupid mistake I made.
Lastly I too walk everywhere, because of what I did I lost my job but not my life.
Honestly hun using public transport and the inconvenience of not driving is minor. You are alive and can still get about and most of all it isn't forever. Embrace this time away from driving, I have met so many people walking and using public transport it has been nice. I never spoke to a soul driving apart from the odd curse through the window.

For the time being we are not driving...... save your money and treat yourself as I have done. Deposit paid for a summer house for my garden!


Try not to get down, it is what it is, no point getting fed up over something you can do little about. Ignore it and it will soon be over!!

Ally x
 
Hi Ally,
thank you so much for kind words! I know that you understand my pain. In my case the car was totalled, which was good in a way, because I didn't tell anybody apart from 2 close friends what happened. So it is easy to lie to the rest of them, saying, yes was in an accident, car totalled, saving for a new car etc. At the same time it's hard, because i'd have to buy a new car after the ban, which is a pain. I dont have anybody to help and I want to buy it from the Car Giant, I want to buy just the same car. I'd need to find somebody to help me to deliver it back, because I'd be scared to drive from there. I wasn't very confident anyway to drive from unfamiliar places, but after a long break even more so. So, I'd have to find somebody to help and I don't actually have anybody. So, even after the ban I won't be driving straight away.
I understand what you are saying, nothing I can do about it. But it's just seem so long. It is awefull that you lost y our job. Why did you lose it, did it involve driving? I guess i am lucky that i didn't loose mine, even though I do need to do a little drive as part of my duties, but I got some other people to do it at the moment, but other than that they don't know about anything. But I am just feeling more and more depressed. Mr. Price I agree with you, alcohol is a depressant, but will not go to the doctors, are you kidding? so they can report me to the medical team? no way. Of cause i'll sober up before the medical, and wont drink for 3 or 4 months at all. But at the moment its all a one long road. no end to it. this is how i see it. I didn't drink at all after the accident. I did the community service 60 hours. And you know what, in a way I actually liked it, I worked in a charity shop, which i loved, and also was cleaning some school. And people were nice there, mostly got into trouble by some stupid mistake. But I was so tired, because I work a lot and Saturday work was just finishing me off completely. So, one day I just bought that bottle of wine. And i was sick after just 2 glasses. You have to understand that with me it is not physical dependence, I don't need it at all and do not crave it. It's just like... I dont care. The sentence is too long. yes,would be good to reflect on things if it was a year for the first offence. but 1.5 year is too much. You send somebody to prison for shop lifting ie. for too long and they will come out mature criminals. I think it is over the top, and I know its my own fault, but for the first offence... its just too much. I hate public transport so much. I'll do anything to get my car back. as soon as its over I will do anything. And you know what, it shouldnt be like that. I cannot believe that people made public transport a complete prison. a punishment. an awful ordeal. surely it shouldnt be like that!
 
Ellen
Honestly I know what feeling down is like, as if I hadn't been through loads already......you asked what happened to my job well a week before I was due in court the police rang my employer and whatever they told them was enough for me to lose my job. Nothing quite like innocent till proven guilty.... another story hun x
 
ally, that's awful. they had no right to do that! why did they do it? thank god here police didn't give a damn about my job. Ok if i was a driver, mb they would have, but I am not.
I am still here, looking sometimes on this forum, 9 months to go now.... counting....
 
ellen and Price
3 days into my new job and cant believe it especially as I disclosed what had happened. it was on my enhanced DBS but they were totally fine about it. I am a lecturer again teaching full time and loving it, but ever so grateful. The lady at HHR said my letter made her cry? but it was the facts and the truth. I cant believe I have gained a positive out of a nightmare but I have x
 
Ally, very pleased for you. You are now starting to gain a feeling of 'self worth' that is knocked out of you when you are convicted.
you have also shown that honesty can pay off, too often people are looking for how to not disclose their conviction, when they do that it often ends up badly.
 
Ally, very pleased for you. You are now starting to gain a feeling of 'self worth' that is knocked out of you when you are convicted.
you have also shown that honesty can pay off, too often people are looking for how to not disclose their conviction, when they do that it often ends up badly.

when everything known to you is taken away those in power can do no more. Once all is gone and you hit rock bottom only way left is up x
 
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