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Convicted Driver Insurance

Starship

Member
Hi all

I stupidly crashed my car about two minutes from my house on Saturday night after getting into a huge panic about a family member being ill and having an urge to see them. I'd have several vodka and cokes, maybe four or five large ones vodkas. Thought i saw someone crossing the road (yet to be idenitifed unless police have their details) so swerved to avoid them and hit a lamppost, writing off my car, damaging the lamppost. Police called, ambulance called, I couldn't take the breathalyser as was hyperventilating from the shock, had to have all kinds of checks in the ambulance and at hospital, finally got a urine test five hours after crash happened. I managed to drink lots of water in this time on the advice of the paramedic!!

I love my job that I work for in the local authority, and I do do some driving for it bur lots home based, my strenghts are mainly the online/admin stuff and my colleague prefers to be out and about so i mainly cover his side of admin and he does the bulk of my visits, there is no reason I can't use a bike or public transport for visits but historally it's always been cars.

I've told my boss I've had a crash and that I have a voluntary interview with the police next week tp discuss what happened (true)
My question is, when I get my urine test results back and then inevitably a court date, should I even bother asking if they will keep me on. My boss loves me and would say yes in a hear beat but as its a local authority the final descion won't be hers. I can not handle being sacked so I'm wondering if I wait for my court date then just hand in my notice?

How did you all get on with your employers?

I'm sp angry with myself. A moment of madness! An unnecessary journey 2 mins from my house:(

Thanks all
 
Staceywacey said:
Hi all

I stupidly crashed my car about two minutes from my house on Saturday night after getting into a huge panic about a family member being ill and having an urge to see them. I'd have several vodka and cokes, maybe four or five large ones vodkas. Thought i saw someone crossing the road (yet to be idenitifed unless police have their details) so swerved to avoid them and hit a lamppost, writing off my car, damaging the lamppost. Police called, ambulance called, I couldn't take the breathalyser as was hyperventilating from the shock, had to have all kinds of checks in the ambulance and at hospital, finally got a urine test five hours after crash happened. I managed to drink lots of water in this time on the advice of the paramedic!!

I love my job that I work for in the local authority, and I do do some driving for it bur lots home based, my strenghts are mainly the online/admin stuff and my colleague prefers to be out and about so i mainly cover his side of admin and he does the bulk of my visits, there is no reason I can't use a bike or public transport for visits but historally it's always been cars.

I've told my boss I've had a crash and that I have a voluntary interview with the police next week tp discuss what happened (true)
My question is, when I get my urine test results back and then inevitably a court date, should I even bother asking if they will keep me on. My boss loves me and would say yes in a hear beat but as its a local authority the final descion won't be hers. I can not handle being sacked so I'm wondering if I wait for my court date then just hand in my notice?

How did you all get on with your employers?

I'm sp angry with myself. A moment of madness! An unnecessary journey 2 mins from my house:(

Thanks all
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I am no expert best to wait for the results and see what the reading is. Loads on here who had been in a similar situation with high spec jobs and managed to stay in their employment.
 
Staceywacey said:
Hi all

I stupidly crashed my car about two minutes from my house on Saturday night after getting into a huge panic about a family member being ill and having an urge to see them. I'd have several vodka and cokes, maybe four or five large ones vodkas. Thought i saw someone crossing the road (yet to be idenitifed unless police have their details) so swerved to avoid them and hit a lamppost, writing off my car, damaging the lamppost. Police called, ambulance called, I couldn't take the breathalyser as was hyperventilating from the shock, had to have all kinds of checks in the ambulance and at hospital, finally got a urine test five hours after crash happened. I managed to drink lots of water in this time on the advice of the paramedic!!

I love my job that I work for in the local authority, and I do do some driving for it bur lots home based, my strenghts are mainly the online/admin stuff and my colleague prefers to be out and about so i mainly cover his side of admin and he does the bulk of my visits, there is no reason I can't use a bike or public transport for visits but historally it's always been cars.

I've told my boss I've had a crash and that I have a voluntary interview with the police next week tp discuss what happened (true)
My question is, when I get my urine test results back and then inevitably a court date, should I even bother asking if they will keep me on. My boss loves me and would say yes in a hear beat but as its a local authority the final descion won't be hers. I can not handle being sacked so I'm wondering if I wait for my court date then just hand in my notice?

How did you all get on with your employers?

I'm sp angry with myself. A moment of madness! An unnecessary journey 2 mins from my house:(

Thanks all
Click to expand...
Hi,

First and foremost I am glad you are ok and also no one was injured (just some replaceable metal was damaged).

I also would just wait for the results, hope for the best but prepare for the worst as the saying goes.

Keep your head up it was a mistake and just that!

Kind Regards,




Stu
 
My advice would be to check your employment contract/employee handbook immediately and see what it states your course of action should be. I work in a highly regulated industry as a regulated person (finance) and it all really all boiled down to what actions were taken after the incident. If the contract/handbook says inform them of arrest/conviction do so. Essentially, full honesty is the best policy (although nerve wracking and shameful at the time). Good luck.
 
TPR said:
My advice would be to check your employment contract/employee handbook immediately and see what it states your course of action should be. I work in a highly regulated industry as a regulated person (finance) and it all really all boiled down to what actions were taken after the incident. If the contract/handbook says inform them of arrest/conviction do so. Essentially, full honesty is the best policy (although nerve wracking and shameful at the time). Good luck.
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Thank you. I haven't been charged of anything yet. I've told my boss that I had an accident at the weekend, and that the police and ambulance were called and that I have to go and give a voluntary statement next week (all true) so I hope that satisfies her for now. When I inevitably get charged I will make sure to tell her right away. Thanks for your advice and good wishes.
 
Staceywacey said:
Thank you. I haven't been charged of anything yet. I've told my boss that I had an accident at the weekend, and that the police and ambulance were called and that I have to go and give a voluntary statement next week (all true) so I hope that satisfies her for now. When I inevitably get charged I will make sure to tell her right away. Thanks for your advice and good wishes.
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Good luck stacey its a hard lesson to learn.
 
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Staceywacey said:
Thank you. I haven't been charged of anything yet. I've told my boss that I had an accident at the weekend, and that the police and ambulance were called and that I have to go and give a voluntary statement next week (all true) so I hope that satisfies her for now. When I inevitably get charged I will make sure to tell her right away. Thanks for your advice and good wishes.
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I think you are doing the right thing Stacey. You may find that you are not charged if the result comes back in your favour, but laying the foundations is the right way to go. Plan for the worst, hope for the best!
 
BigTom said:
I think you are doing the right thing Stacey. You may find that you are not charged if the result comes back in your favour, but laying the foundations is the right way to go. Plan for the worst, hope for the best!
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Thank you, pretty certain a ban is coming my way, the police officers were horrible, wanted me to go straight to the station despite being clearly concussed, just hell bent on getting a reading! Luckily my dad arrived and insisted I get seen at the hospital. Thank you for your kind words. X
 
Staceywacey said:
Hi all

I stupidly crashed my car about two minutes from my house on Saturday night after getting into a huge panic about a family member being ill and having an urge to see them. I'd have several vodka and cokes, maybe four or five large ones vodkas. Thought i saw someone crossing the road (yet to be idenitifed unless police have their details) so swerved to avoid them and hit a lamppost, writing off my car, damaging the lamppost. Police called, ambulance called, I couldn't take the breathalyser as was hyperventilating from the shock, had to have all kinds of checks in the ambulance and at hospital, finally got a urine test five hours after crash happened. I managed to drink lots of water in this time on the advice of the paramedic!!

I love my job that I work for in the local authority, and I do do some driving for it bur lots home based, my strenghts are mainly the online/admin stuff and my colleague prefers to be out and about so i mainly cover his side of admin and he does the bulk of my visits, there is no reason I can't use a bike or public transport for visits but historally it's always been cars.

I've told my boss I've had a crash and that I have a voluntary interview with the police next week tp discuss what happened (true)
My question is, when I get my urine test results back and then inevitably a court date, should I even bother asking if they will keep me on. My boss loves me and would say yes in a hear beat but as its a local authority the final descion won't be hers. I can not handle being sacked so I'm wondering if I wait for my court date then just hand in my notice?

How did you all get on with your employers?

I'm sp angry with myself. A moment of madness! An unnecessary journey 2 mins from my house:(

Thanks all
Click to expand...
Just resign it means if you have a pension you will still keep it if your sacked you will only keep your contribution you made a mistake
 
topchippyles said:
No that is incorrect she thinks a ban might be coming. She is only a young girl and you are advising her to quit her job without even knowing if she night not even loose it is she is over the limit. Shocking advise glad you never post on here often.
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Not night ? Just my advice been there done it mitigating factors there aren’t any drink drive solicterr will promise your the world until they get to court
 
nats said:
Not night ? Just my advice been there done it mitigating factors there aren’t any drink drive solicterr will promise your the world until they get to court
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You're right regarding the ambulance chasing solicitors, however the OP had a urine test 5 hours after the crash so likely it will come back under the limit (unless they push for a back calculation - which is unlikely due to the costs involved and whether it is in the public interest).
 
Thanks everyone I appreciate your responses!

Not an excuse I know but my sister is 34 and was diagnosed with terminal cancer in April after months of being fobbed of by the doctors, we are very close and are work colleagues too, it was her I got it in my head to go and see! So I feel very guilty that i will let my small work team down too, as there are only 4 of us, now 3 and I have taken on all her work load if i get sacked. I have been drinking my feelings and kept getting told to get signed off work but I couldn't do it to my colleagues....should of took their advice.

My boss rang me earlier and said thank you for all my work today, and she's so grateful to have me... I nearly cried!

I've now contacted the doctors and got prescribed meds for anxiety and depression, taking advantage of free counselling at work, and will go to aa next week. Its clear my answers arwnt at the bottom of a bottle. I also ring macmillan regularly for emotional support- have been doing that since the start of the cancer crap.

I appreciate all your support in what is the worst few months of my life, what will be will be I suppose!
Thanks again
 
BigTom said:
You're right regarding the ambulance chasing solicitors, however the OP had a urine test 5 hours after the crash so likely it will come back under the limit (unless they push for a back calculation - which is unlikely due to the costs involved and whether it is in the public interest).
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With several vodka tonics (which I take to mean at least three containing single shots of vodka), 5 hours almost definitely wouldn't be enough to be under the limit. But in actual fact, any drink drive case with long delays involving a collision would probably meet the criteria for a back calculation to be requested. They aren't very expensive anymore and are fairly fast to be carried out.
 
mrturk said:
With several vodka tonics (which I take to mean at least three containing single shots of vodka), 5 hours almost definitely wouldn't be enough to be under the limit. But in actual fact, any drink drive case with long delays involving a collision would probably meet the criteria for a back calculation to be requested. They aren't very expensive anymore and are fairly fast to be carried out.
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Even if it were 5 double vodkas, that would be 10 units of alcohol over a period of time. 5 hours after the last drink, the level will have dropped significantly and therefore the level in urine (given consumption of large amounts of water in the meantime) would likely be borderline at best. (Based on your assumption of 3 units consumed, after 5 hours the level of alcohol would be pretty much negligible if not zero...)

Back calculations maybe don't cost as much as they used to, however I was under the impression that an expert witness would also need to be called into court which is where the costs for the CPS increase to such a level that they deem it not in the public interest. If however you know differently, then I apologise.
 
There is no hard and fast rule where it comes to what work will do.

I was told by my esrtwhile employers that they 'had my back (sic)", and the founder himself even had a drink-drive conviction from years ago. The quoted comment they made actually transpired to be total horse shit, and they couldn't wait to fire me with whatever excuse they could.

But then I think the fact that you work for a local authority actually works in your favour. We've seen nurses, other NHS staff, council workers, other civil servants etc. on here retain their jobs; with their employers not only understanding but grateful of the honesty. I'd love to believe that this is the dawn of the DUI stigma beginning to diminish for good; but I think it's more likely a result of the public sector being what it is (public); and a little more acutely in-touch with what it is there as an entity to do; and as a result much more empathic. To serve the public, which requires a totally different grade of empathy to those of us in the private sector.

My advice would simply be that you have enough to worry about, and to take each day as it comes. And to worry about problems you know exist, rather than waste time, energy and valuable mental resource panicking about what will probably never happen. Easier said than done, I know, but I managed to get back from a rock-bottom you haven't seen, and so have many others here. You will be OK. :)
 
Sundog said:
There is no hard and fast rule where it comes to what work will do.

I was told by my esrtwhile employers that they 'had my back (sic)", and the founder himself even had a drink-drive conviction from years ago. The quoted comment they made actually transpired to be total horse shit, and they couldn't wait to fire me with whatever excuse they could.

But then I think the fact that you work for a local authority actually works in your favour. We've seen nurses, other NHS staff, council workers, other civil servants etc. on here retain their jobs; with their employers not only understanding but grateful of the honesty. I'd love to believe that this is the dawn of the DUI stigma beginning to diminish for good; but I think it's more likely a result of the public sector being what it is (public); and a little more acutely in-touch with what it is there as an entity to do; and as a result much more empathic. To serve the public, which requires a totally different grade of empathy to those of us in the private sector.

My advice would simply be that you have enough to worry about, and to take each day as it comes. And to worry about problems you know exist, rather than waste time, energy and valuable mental resource panicking about what will probably never happen. Easier said than done, I know, but I managed to get back from a rock-bottom you haven't seen, and so have many others here. You will be OK. :)
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Thank you so much, 💓 I'm so grateful for all the advice on this forum, I'm glad you have managed to get back from your rock bottom, I feel I am just hitting mine!
 
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