HRO without ever committing an offence.

[ivy]

Hi, thanks for having me. Apologies if this is too long.

I've never committed any driving offence, bar having to attend a speed-awareness course years ago. However, I've had to fill out the HRO forms for the last eleven years since being diagnosed bipolar.

I self-reported to DVLA at the time, knowing it was a notifiable condition. They took my licence away for 18 months. Reapplied, had a medical, got a 1 year, had another medical, then had a 3, a 2, and another 3 none with a medical required.

Last year I had another form so duly filled it out, saw the GP etc. Later it turned out that her form got lost in the Practice post over Christmas and wasn't sent back until well into January. I assume this was the reason why the DVLA unexpectedly called me in for a medical after all this time.

Now, we had a family tragedy in December (dead child). I freely admit I drank heavily over December into January before calming it down to my usual intake (20 units/wk - a bottle of wine shared with my partner four nights in a week). I've always been open about this with my GP.

The medical came through in February. I was honest and admitted misusing alcohol over that period. I (not-unsurprisingly) failed the CDT test and the licence got revoked.

Obviously I was angry about the injustice, but knew from experience how soulless and unyielding the DVLA group are, so shrugged and decided I'd have to be resigned to it. The letter was vague about misuse/dependency, so I phoned them to clarify, and was told it's between me and my GP. (She's mortified!)

I've been drinking moderately, less that 14/wk, but reading some of the horror stories on here I decided to pretty much cut booze out entirely, bar 1 or 2 pints a week.

Anyway - and I apologise again for the length of this - I have two questions:

i) What kind of burden of proof do I and and my GP have to provide (a) to declare it misuse rather than dependency, and (b) to prove that I'm a 'reformed character'.

ii) How on earth does one become an Offender for all these years with never having committed an offence - puzzles me, that one.

Anyway, thanks very much for listening if you've made it this far.

 

[craig121]

Hello IVY )

Taken from drinkaware website it's the first line
#If you find it difficult to enjoy yourself or relax without having a drink, it’s possible you’ve become dependent on alcohol. #

It's a very complex subject myself had very similar issues trying to prove wasn't dependant despite drinking most days I was off! However I was drinking above the government alcohol guidelines which was set @ 21 units at that time!!
since January 2016 it's been lowered to 14 units for MALES
I capitalised male to point out that females have always been 14 units per week and since you openly admited abusing Alcohol over 2 months then reducing to REGULAR amount which you stated usual intake20 units? am afraid they have you under the microscope rightly or wrongly! but you openly told them your drinking regularly above set guidelines.
However reading on you have explained to have lowered this amount furthee to 14 units PW which if fine for most people! but I would caution yourself being Bipolar and alcohol HRO it's probably best you were squeeky bum clean for a while atleast.

b) You do not have to be an offender to have your licence revoked, you must prove your fitness to drive there is no rights to holding a licence

 

[Bacchus]

Hi Ivy,

My GP was also very coy with the dependence/misuse question and planted the bonus solely on me to surrender my licence to the DVLA after telling me "not to drive". Because I had to declare a reason, I got the lesser of two evils and was in the 'misuse' bracket by my own admission rather than my GP's. After a month of getting bloods down to normal levels, it then took two and a half years' to finally get an unrestricted licence back. The only difference that I could see between an HRO and myself was that the DVLA paid for me to undergo their medical.