A New Beginning

Convicted Driver Insurance

Tebbsy

Member
After a long 18 months I am finally back on the road. I found this forum just before my court date and have always found it very helpful. I thought I would make a few points about what I have learned about this whole sorry mess. These are just my opinions and observations :

Solicitors : If you are pleading guilty and there are no major aggravating factors don't bother. I did and it cost me £600 for a fat bloke with bad breath to turn up (late). He Googled the guidelines and then told me he thought my ban was " harsh". I spent probably 3 hours collating and sending my info to them and he had none of it when he turned up. He even lost my financial info sheet I completed so I had to do it again.

Letters to magistrates : Pointless. I sent in about 6 and still got the guidline ban.

Insurance : If you are on a joint policy take yourself off as it could invalidate your partner's insurance if you don't BUT check the no claims policy. I didn't and now I have no no claims as they transferred them to my wife. I queried this and they said that's their policy. If you have a single policy many insurance companies will hold the no claims allowance for 2 years.Get a letter when you cancel to prove your no claims when you reinsure.

Medical. If you have to have one you don't have to use the doctor they specify on their letter. That will be the nearest one to you but if you want a sooner appt call DVLA and ask for other surgeries. You can't book and then cancel if you find a better option so look around first if you need to. DVLA will also fax your letter to any of their surgeries to speed up the process. You can't book unless the surgery have the letter aswell as you.

Download the medical questionaire that the doctor will use and make sure all questions are ASKED correctly. My doctor misinterpreted a question and I had to call DVLA to sort out the mess. Even though you sign the form you can get notes added to your file by phone.

I abstained from alcohol for about 4 weeks after 30 years fairly heavy drinking and passed the medical. I didn't bother with Medichecks in the end as it was about £100. I just stopped drinking for a month.

Finally the most important thing I learned is you have to forgive yourself. The guilt associated with this is in many cases a huge burden. You have to forgive yourself in order to move on. My life changed for the better once I learned this.

Good luck to everyone at whatever stage they are. I'm not going to do the don't drink and drive thing. We are all adults and we all know it can ruin yours and others lives.

Tebbsy.
 
Thanks for the message and agree with you. My ban is due to end next week and just got back my driving licence . Just trying to sort out car insurance, hopefully won’t be as expensive as feared. I agree about solicitor, complete waste of time, got the expected van (23 months and 100 hours community order ) highest they could have given me given my reading. No previous points or convictions and wrote a letter . I believe they will ban anyone and give you fine / community order as to what is on the gov website.
As for the the medical, the doctor was not interested in anything apart from taking my money . Just took my blood and didn’t examine me. Didn’t drink for two months and ate healthily
All I can say that the nightmare does end for anyone going through it. I have learnt my lesson then ten over and thought about the terrible things I could have done . I am sure will be constantly reminded it for many years. I am just really nervous about driving again after all this time .
 
Lucy,
I suggest that you have someone with you the first time, to reassure you.
You could also consider having a single driving lesson if you are really nervous. they are not just for beginners.....
 
Insurance need not be the dreaded concern.

Lucy, In May 2014 I politely declined a breath/blood test in the utter fear of being 'over the limit'. I paid the price and was banned for 24 months albeit reduced with the 'course' to around 21 months. I had never ever even had a parking ticket in my life and not even aware that I would have been better off taking the breath/blood test. The hardest part for me was seeing my name in the local paper 'declined specimen' since I live in a small rural community. Regardless, I had to come to terms with it all and manage those long 21 months as well as possible without transport. As the term came to an end I honestly thought I would never be able to afford insurance with a DR30 on my licence. I need not have concerned myself since I contacted a firm mentioned in my TTC 2000 course (which reduced my 24 months ban by around 15 weeks). My first year's insurance was very reasonable around £380 (2016), (£440 2017) and just been quoted £515 (2018). I used Invicta Insurance Services and today, I decided to try some of the others in that same booklet for "drink-driving convicted" people and still found my original insurer to be not only the cheapest but the most professional with no 'pressure' to "buy now". Yes, I am retired and do around 5000 miles annually so naturally much less risk than a 30 years old (or less) having to use the car daily for work. Regardless, I am delighted with this firm and if this message helps anyone else then that is my sole aim. Spent many needless nights worrying about the cost of re-insuring after my ban. Good Luck, a painful lesson but the angst now firmly behind me. Ellen
 
Ellen
many thanks for your advise and will definitely take a look at Invicta.Glad to hear that the ban is over for you. Very strange to think I will be driving soon , used to getting buses or walking for the last 18 months .
Best wishes
Lucy
 
Thank you Lucy but don't worry about the driving again bit. It's very normal to lose your confidence and I felt exactly the same. I got my son to drive me to the supermarket carpark a couple of times when the supermarket was shut and did a bit of driving around and parking up in the parking spaces. I was still worried the first day I got in my car after getting my licence back but just made myself do short drives around the village. In no time at all I ventured further every time and within a couple of months I had regained all my confidence again. Good Luck out there you have now coped and 'moved on'. If you speak to Invicta the chap who arranged my insurance renewal again yesterday (3rd year now since first driving again) was Oliver. Should you require monthly instalments by direct debit they will arrange that too which did add about £5 per month but it's normal with all insurance firms. I thought I would 'shop around' this year but Invicta were the best quote by far especially considering my excess is only £150 when some other firms were quoting me £35 per year less premium but with a hidden excess of around £850. I honestly found Invicta to be very professional with no pressure at all to purchase. Hope I have been helpful as I know what a nightmare this while experience is including the blight of having a 'criminal' conviction on a previously blemish free character. Tough justice! Kind regards, Ellen
 
Hi
many thanks . Will take a look in the next day or so. I am just wondering do I tell my friends now the real reason why I have not been driving for the last eighteen months ?? I am sure they have an idea but have managed to avoid it , I will be driving soon. I m worried if I tell them they will never speak to me again.
thanks
Lucy ( a worried lady )
 
I can understand your reticence in respect to your explanation with 'friends' but true friends do not judge. Personally speaking, only my very best friend knew my situation and, naturally, my family. I know that many people will have seen my disqualification in the 'small side columns' in the local paper but nobody has ever spoken to me about it directly and neighbours have seen me using the bus so must have realised. I honestly believe that most people do not care too hoots and even more may have thought, "there for the Grace of God" ! I remind you that you have not been caught shop-lifting or harming anyone else so the 'crime' most probably appears greater to you than others who have their own busy lives with all the normal concerns that will be far more important than your conviction. I would recommend that you do not feel the need to offer explanations and if asked directly then keep the answer short and to the point and then change the subject. For example, "I see you are driving again, why have you not been driving and catching buses"? Answer: "I was involved in a driving incident and without my licence for a short time, it's been a nuisance but not such a huge issue otherwise to catch the bus". If they probe further, "I don't really want to talk about it, (change the subject then), but did you have a lovely holiday"? , or, any question that throws the attention straight back at the enquirer. You will soon put all of this nightmare behind you as I have done but it was a painful lesson at the time.
 
I hope I helped you if only a little but remember it was your own true grit that managed to pull you through by simply, taking it on the chin and then, "getting on with it". I hope all goes well for you and I have no doubt whatsoever that you will very soon be driving with restored confidence and you will rarely reflect on what will have seemed like a 'nightmare' for so many months. Good Luck Lucy. Ellen x
 
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