Plz help

Convicted Driver Insurance
First of all, it’s my opinion (“opinion” being the operative word) that the machine is not 100% as accurate as they make out to be, if that was the case why didn’t I receive a copy of the printout at the station???

Second of all, I never said it was appropriate to drink 2 bottles of bud?whereabouts in my original post did you see them words?

Thirdly, I think it’s harsh that I blew the lowest reading possible at the station which I could get charged for and I will be getting possibly the same punishment as someone who blew 55+ and ontop of that 5 years of absolute robbery insurance quotes.
In my opinion for a first time offence with the lowest reading possible and no aggravating factors I should of been given a big fine and a final warning with a lot of unpaid community work.

but like I said that’s my OPINION which in the eyes of the law is irrelevant.
I know what I did is wrong I don’t need you to make me aware that it was a stupid mistake.

it is what it is I messed up now I’ll pay the price. (£50,000 in insurance for the next 5 years)
 
That is like saying “I only robbed the paper boy of £30, why should I get the same as someone who robbed the shopkeeper of £3,000......the offence is the same no matter how much you stole......
You didn’t actually say it was OK to drink 2 bottles of Bud, but made it clear that you feel are a victim and based on one experience of the breath test machine say you think it gives false readings and are therefore being cheated out of your licence.
you say you do not deserve a ban at a reading of 40...... so when do you think a ban should kick in if not at 14% over the limit (bearing in mind that we already have the highest reading in Europe that you are able to get away with before you are convicted?) 35 versus 22 in almost all European countries.
One glimmer of hope for you, whilst your insurance will go up a lot for a year or two, it reduces away to very little more than a quote without a DD conviction for the rest of the 5 years you have to declare it for runs through. You say that it is likely to be £500 a month, so even at that level it will not be £50,000 over 5 years and as you get increased no claims and age / experience discounts you will probably not pay much more than a quarter of that.
 
I’ll be honest, i say all this stuff but deep down I know I’m just trying to find excuses for my actions. I don’t know whether it’s my way of coping with the situation or me just being an idiot (probably both) I just feel so gutted how I blew one microgram over the 39 mark that’s what’s killing me the most. I’ve never been so depressed in my whole life I feel like it’s over before it’s even begun. I have to wait until end of April to get the ban and then 12 months or maybe 9 if I’m lucky of walking to work in the rain and waiting for the bus. Something I felt so great about getting away from one silly error has just put me back where I started plus I will possibly have to take my test again because it’s been only 3 months since passing and I’m disqualified already.

I don’t know what to say man, I’m just drained and it’s only been 3 days and I’m still allowed to drive now up until the court date I can’t imagine what life’s going to be like for me after. Scary stuff it’s going to be so craaaaaaap just grateful could of been worse could of damaged someone’s property or possibly injured somebody
 
Glad to read what you say. I am not trying to trivialise what you will be going through, I just want people who have been caught drink driving to take responsibility for their own actions rather than look elsewhere for something / someone to blame. You are now doing that, you will still face the wait to find out what your ban will be (probably the basic 12 months as the magistrates will feel a small amount of symapathy for blowing the lowest to be prosecuted) but then you can start to plan for when you will be driving again.
One more positive for you. As you know, a person in their first 2 years of driving has to resit their test if they get 6 points or more,.....but drink driving carries a straight 12 months ban, but NO POINTS! Like our Eurovision Song Contest entries) so you do NOT have to resit your test. There is the very occasional time when the magistrates order someone to retake their test but this is usually for elderly drivers or following a nasty accident.
 
I understand to some extent your frustration at being 1 microgram over the threshold for prosecution (which is not the same as the limit as has already been mentioned a couple of times here).

The fact is that the threshold has to be defined somewhere and 14% over is deemed to be reasonable (although I believe there are moves afoot to remove this leniency as the latest HO approved machines are now deemed accurate enough)

If you made it 41 then individuals blowing 42 would feel hard done by and so the argument would go on.

It's somewhat similar to speeding. A car speedometer is designed to read at around +7% of the actual speed. Most forces will not prosecute below a reading of 10% + 2mph but if you were done for doing 36 in a 30 you would feel hard done by but your speedometer would have been showing almost 39mph so you can't really complain.

It's easy to say don't beat yourself up and think of what could have happened and to be honest, the self righteous comments from Alf63 don't really help.

You will almost certainly receive a ban at the very bottom of the scale as there don't seem to be any aggravating circumstances and with the 25% course reduction you will be back on the road 9 months after your court date.
 
Got a court date for the 13th of July was meant to be 18th of may but due to the virus its been pushed back so that would be 8 month after the incident happened will the court take this into account waiting to hear from them took 4 months to begin with and its driving me up the wall because I just want this over and done with.
 
There is nothing really to take Into account. Over the limit for drink driving is a minimum 12 months ban. No amount of sympathy can alter that I’m afraid.
 
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