To think drink driving does not mean lose your license?

[berks]

Regular poster but name changed.

DH was arrested for drunk driving last night after crashing his car. He blew 104 on the breathalyser then tested 57 at the police station several hours later. He broke his wrist so had to go to hospital before the station.

He's the sole earner in our family- I haven't worked since 2014 since I had our first child- we have 3 DCs (age 6, 3 and 1). If he loses his license he won't be able to get to work which is 15 miles away and not near public transport.

He seems to think that because of this he may be allowed to keep his license. I am desperately clinging to this.

I know what he did is wrong, I know what could have happened so please don't lecture me- he's in more trouble at home I assure you.

I haven't stopped crying all morning. He's such an idiot.

He should and will lose his licence and I hope he is also ordered to retake his test after his ban.
I also hope that if he ever gets his licence back again his insurance is so high that buying a mars bar is a treat let alone going out on the piss.

Don’t drive him to work. Buy him a bike and whilst he is cycling those 15 miles twice a day he can reflect on his stupidity and be gratefully he didn’t kill anyone.

"So he's allowed to keep driving around freely until late November when he appears in court?"

He's not been found guilty of any offence yet, the police have got their evidence and charged him but it's up to the courts to convict him and sentence him

You are massively naive if you think this is the first time has done this. Why did he drive for a night out that was going to involve alcohol in the first place? Normally, if people know they are going to drink, they walk or get a lift/taxi at the start of the night. Particular if the walk is only 25 mins - that's less than 2 miles!!
This ^ with bells on.
I also wonder how many people drink just enough to be able to drive, knowing they will get away with it.
You only have to drive on M25 on a Saturday or Sunday morning to know that is have never done drink driving’ is statistically and technically not true at all.

People can be wrongly accused of drink driving because the breathalyser registers alcohol from somewhere else (like the football team bus mentioned in the news recently where the alcohol based sanitising spray contaminated the alcohol lock on the engine and the bus stopped working for 6 hours). Alternatively there is always the spiked drinks defence (which happens a lot less often than defendants say it does but can happen).

While that doesn’t appear to have happened here, a very small minority of people charged with drink driving are actually not guilty and disqualifying them before they are convicted is seen as unreasonable.

the law sucks he should at least be suspended from driving pending court-i wouldnt want to come across him especially with a broken wrist

Sorry to hear of this situation OP

Unfortunately I think any sort of drunk driving & being over the limit will result in the temporary loss of driving license.

Also, I don't think a company will look too favourably on a drink driving conviction especially if a driving license is essential for the job.

Years ago I had an acquaintance who worked as one of those pharma reps, driving everywhere, she had one glass of wine too many one evening and lost not just her driving license but her job as well.

So he is going to drive with a broken wrist now?? And you don't think that will mean he has less control of the car? And therefore he still isn't safe to be driving? Putting other road users at risk again?? FFS, you are complicit in this if you lend him your car knowing he has a broken wrist. And also, would it not invalidate the insurance if he has another accident?

So based on your plan of him driving until his inevitable ban, that's a couple of months he'll be on the roads then, the first six weeks of which he'll be driving with a newly broken wrist?

Brilliant news for everyone who will be endangered further by his reckless decisions and your support of him driving with a broken wrist. Cheers for that, not selfish at all.

Unfortunately I think any sort of drunk driving & being over the limit will result in the temporary loss of driving license.

Fortunately, not unfortunately.

It shouldn't just be temporary IMO. People might think twice more often then, as the potential for harming themselves or others doesn't seem to be off putting enough.

He best get a push bike then.

Dick heads like me have to scrape up the body parts left in their wake.
I fucking hate drink drivers.

Did your kids sign up for better for worse too OP? If your DH ever drives again I would make sure they are never in the car with him, and prepare them for his death/disablement or imprisonment for killing others. I would also advise them to give him a wide berth...explain you have to keep him around because you signed up for better or for worse, but that as he is an irredeemable cunt they are best avoiding his presence or influence as much as possible.

I'm not ending my marriage, I signed up for better for worse

What if he'd ended the life of a family with his disgusting, selfish actions? Because that's the risk he took. I suggest you start earning pretty fast OP if this is the kind of asshole in charge of supporting your family financially.

Let him cycle sure but the op might need him home earlier

@Gobbycop

He best get a push bike then.

Dick heads like me have to scrape up the body parts left in their wake.
I fucking hate drink drivers.

I'll bet it's a real kick in the teeth for the families to know the cunts who do this are also free to run around driving (and with broken limbs) for months on end whilst their loved one is in a grave. It would me.

the law sucks he should at least be suspended from driving pending court-i wouldnt want to come across him especially with a broken wrist

Well, the OP doesn't think he should be banned at all, so there are a range of views on this one.

Fortunately for him he will only be sentenced on the evidential reading in the police station rather than the 104 he blew at the scene. That may reduce the term of the suspension.
His future insurance is going to be very expensive indeed after the claim for the crashed car while drunk and then the conviction.
Has he made an insurance claim yet? It's possible they may not pay up.

The insurance will pay for damage to another car but not his own.

@Talia99

People can be wrongly accused of drink driving because the breathalyser registers alcohol from somewhere else (like the football team bus mentioned in the news recently where the alcohol based sanitising spray contaminated the alcohol lock on the engine and the bus stopped working for 6 hours). Alternatively there is always the spiked drinks defence (which happens a lot less often than defendants say it does but can happen).

While that doesn’t appear to have happened here, a very small minority of people charged with drink driving are actually not guilty and disqualifying them before they are convicted is seen as unreasonable.

Thank you. I wondered if there would be an automatic, neutral suspension from driving as soon as the driver is charged for the sake of safety...a kind of bail term, if you will, and then if they have a defence, they can use it when they go to court and not be convicted or banned further. Given how rarely I imagine there to be a legitimate and successful defence for drink driving, I do think it would make sense.

Can you drive? If so you'll have to take him to work, obviously at a time convenient for you and not him - if it means he has to go in earlier/leave later then that's his tough luck

He works 15 miles away. To take him is two round trips of 30 miles - 60 miles a day! Is the OP really supposed to drive 60 miles every day, possibly with kids in their car seats, to facilitate this? And spend so much on petrol and polluting the environment? Talk about adding insult to injury!

Is the OP really supposed to drive 60 miles every day, possibly with kids in their car seats, to facilitate this?

A drunk driver whose main concern is whether he'll still be able to drive probably will expect this.

I think extenuating circumstances like the ones you outlined would be considered if it was a speeding offence only, but as it involves DUI I don't think any exceptions would be made. I may be wrong though.

Sorry you are going through this. Thankfully no one was badly injured.

@AltoCation

Can you drive? If so you'll have to take him to work, obviously at a time convenient for you and not him - if it means he has to go in earlier/leave later then that's his tough luck

He works 15 miles away. To take him is two round trips of 30 miles - 60 miles a day! Is the OP really supposed to drive 60 miles every day, possibly with kids in their car seats, to facilitate this? And spend so much on petrol and polluting the environment? Talk about adding insult to injury!

Quite. He’d probably be cheaper getting a taxi!

I don't want you to feel anymore stress than you already do because I too was once with a guy who was caught drink driving. He also went to hospital and blew very similar before and after readings to your husband and he got a 22 month ban and a £1000 fine. He's an ex for this reason!! Not that I'm telling you to do that. He too worked about 40 miles from his work and had a daughter who relied on him getting her to school. The court didn't care.

I don’t believe for a second that he’s never done this before. The sooner he’s off the road the better.
Some blowing 3x the limit should really be told they can’t get behind the wheel in a car til the court add is done.