74 miligrams per 100 - What sentence?

[brainybury]

Hi
Last night I had my wprks leaving do in Dartford 74 miles from home and was due to stay at a friends. He went off drinking seperately and didnt get back till 5.30. I waited from approx 2.30 to 3.45 and then decided to drive home to hampshire 74 miles.
I got pulled over 2/3of the way home and registered 74mg per 100.
No fuss re arrest etc
My new job starts Thursday and as its sales i need the car. I worked for this company before so hopefully they will be understanding.
Im 40 clean licence (9 points on 3 speeding approx 14 years ago) . No criminal record. 3 young boys and wife not working.
So
- what would you say i will get re fine ban etc
- Any tips as to how to reduce the ban over and above the driving course which I will naturally agree to.
I have never drunk and drove before and i will definately not be doing it again.
B

 

[Forum Moderator]

Hi
Last night I had my wprks leaving do in Dartford 74 miles from home and was due to stay at a friends. He went off drinking seperately and didnt get back till 5.30. I waited from approx 2.30 to 3.45 and then decided to drive home to hampshire 74 miles.
I got pulled over 2/3of the way home and registered 74mg per 100.
No fuss re arrest etc
My new job starts Thursday and as its sales i need the car. I worked for this company before so hopefully they will be understanding.
Im 40 clean licence (9 points on 3 speeding approx 14 years ago) . No criminal record. 3 young boys and wife not working.
So
- what would you say i will get re fine ban etc
- Any tips as to how to reduce the ban over and above the driving course which I will naturally agree to.
I have never drunk and drove before and i will definately not be doing it again.
B

Hi,

For a reading of 74 in breath you can expect a 17 - 22 month driving ban and a fine. The best way of maximising your chances of receiving the best possible sentence in your circumstances would be to hire a good solicitor. Good luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[brainybury]

Thank you for your kind and prompt response.
Does this figure assume that I have taken the awarenes course or can I be knocking off an additional 25%???

 

[para10]

Hi There

i got stopped with 91mg i think on the breath test. i was sentenced to 17 months plus £450 fine.

i did the drink driving course and ended up with about a week or 2 over a twelve month ban with the reduction.

the course cost £170 and was 3 days over 3 weeks. whilst the guy who ran the course was great i really felt that it was a bit of a waste of time and focused far too much on how much is safe to drink before driving the next day and how to work all this out for every different drink you can imagine, as opposed to what i believe would be the better message of just don't do it at all....

i guess those of us in this boat literally only have ourselves to blame but equally i felt all the learning that we did could have happened in one day! i don't begrudge the money but travelling quite a distance on a bus for three weeks became a bore... message = don't drink and drive lol.

all that said, the year has gone by farily quickly and i now have only the medical before i get my full license back (i don't think you'll have to do this as its for 'high risk' offenders like me who blow over 85mg).

i hope that your work is understanding, mine wasn't... all the best of luck for the challenging road ahead. and maybe, just maybe, everything happens for reasons... i certainly have felt like this since it happened to me.

JK

 

[brainybury]

Jk - Thank you for your encouraging note and I have to say the course probably wont help me as I gave up drinking the moment I got stopped. It was good to hear a story from some one that is almost out the other side as right now it seems miles away.
My new job starts Thursday, they have a board meeting Wednesday and I will be on the agenda. I am hoping they are able to work with me although a reduction in pay and or car allowance maybe on the cards, I dread to think about losing the job altogether although I have options to work commision only for 1 or 2 companies.
I will drop my results up here and am definatly thinking these things happen for a reason, some good must come out of this.
Thanks again for your words of encouragement.
Onwards and upwards (somehow)
Brian

 

[gutted]

Regarding the course ... even if the content isn't great, surely the 25% off makes it worthwhile?

I'm 3 months into a 12 month ban and I'll be doing the course soon to get it down to 9 months (license back 6 months from now). I doubt it'll teach me anything I don't already know, but for the sake getting my license back 3 months earlier £170 won't put me off.