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.

Drunk drivers should get a lifetime ban on driving, fucking arseholes.

Time for him to find a new job OP and he'd be finding a new home too if he were my DH.

Yes it's going to be inconvenient for you but the sooner you wrap your head around him not being able drive for a while the better.

Ex criminal lawyer here. Yes, he will be banned for around 2 years. Assuming it is his first offence, he will be offered the drink drive rehabilitation course which will need to be completed by a certain time, and will reduce the ban by a quarter. He will need to pay for this - from memory it was around £200.

You only avoid disqualification if something called Special Reasons apply. It is vanishingly rare for special reasons arguments to succeed as there are very few circumstances in which special reasons apply, and extensive case law on what those circumstances are. I'm assuming this isn't a special reasons case, as you'd have mentioned extenuating circumstances.

Hand hold and

None of this is your fault and I am sorry you have to suffer.

I feel bad for you that your DH has done this to your family sadly for you will have to suffer the consequences of his actions.
This would probably be a deal breaker for me and I would invite him to leave.

My functional alcoholic brother in law has been done for drink driving twice. First time he got a 12 month ban, 2nd time I think he got a 3 year ban. I think 12 months is usually the minimum though for a first offence.

He could have killed someone. He deserves to lose his licence.

He cannot drive with a broken wrist. That is just asking for another accident to happen. Do you want your car written off as well?

Like some previous posts, your best case scenario is he will get a 12 month ban, hefty fine, and depending on the area where you live either a programme for road traffic offenders (usually a night class for around 3 months), or community service (also sky high insurance when he gets his licence back). The court will consider your family circumstances and the impact, but these circumstances were in place when he committed the offence and he did it regardless, so they won’t let him off lightly. I know that’s not what you want to hear, and it is a shame that you’re all going to suffer because of his poor decision-making, but at the end of the day this could have been much worse. If he had killed someone or caused serious harm to another person, he would be facing a prison sentence. Or worse for you and your family, he could have died. He, and you and your family, are all really lucky he walked away from this with a minor injury and there were no fatalities. Sending to you OP. I’m sorry you and your family have to suffer for something he did himself for no regard for how it would effect you.

His insurance will be through the roof when he gets his licence back.

@BadDucks

I feel bad for you that your DH has done this to your family sadly for you will have to suffer the consequences of his actions. This would probably be a deal breaker for me and I would invite him to leave.

I agree.

This would be a deal breaker for me. Absolutely.

Has he driven drunk before OP? Have you ignored it previously?

This isn’t your fault, but I would be reconsidering my marriage.

Will he even be able to go back to work with a broken wrist? Depends on what he does, of course, but I'd have thought he'd be off until the plaster/cast is off.

And he can't drive with a broken wrist anyway, so you have to find another way of getting him in in any case.

He can't drive with a broken wrist

Are you able to switch roles? He could stay at home with the kids and you go to work?

He has no chance of keeping his licence. Stupid fool he could of killed someone through his selfishness! He should of thought about that before getting in the car pissed.

Reference you last comment OP, you wrote "I understand that this is all his fault". The question is does HE think this is all HIS fault?

That to me would be my starting point on my next move.

Sorry but he hasnt had 1 that's taken him over the limit but he was 3 times over the limit. Do you really want someone like him on the roads?

Op, well first of all he was very very lucky he didn't injure anyone.
Secondly can be get a bike and cycle there? Can you so the car to fund a cam to and from work.
If you drive can you get someone to babysit while you drop him off and pick him up.
Alternatively both of you start job hunting.

Your partner is at fault and must therefore accept the consequences ie lose his license.

Drink driving kills and mains, imo the penalties for drink driving should be more severe than they are currently.

I'm sorry it impacts you & your children but wtf was he thinking?

He will lose his licence. They will not take into account any circumstances that make him losing his licence a problem for your family.

Might be time for him to get a pushbike and cycle. Certainly doable over 15 miles. There is no way in hell I would be dragging 3 young children out of bed at all hours to ferry about a shift worker. He's made this huge mess himself. Let him cycle.

I doubt it’s the first time he’s done it.
Not a very good role model is he.

I feel very sorry for you OP, but no sympathy for him. He has brought this on himself.

Somebody I was at school with died thanks to a drink driver. They deserve to be punished, with prison in cases like that.

Your H will almost certainly lose his licence. He deserves to lose his licence. My friend's husband was borderline and he lost his for 12 months. I think it ended up being 9 months because he did the drink-drive rehab course .

They lived in a small town where the train station is 5 miles away and there is 1 bus a day to the city which takes 1.5 hours to get there. He asked around for people in the area who worked there and managed to get a series of lifts for the time that he was banned.

Nobody needs to lecture you, you have done nothing wrong, but somebody needs to lecture your H, as he is a selfish twat who did not think about his family or anyone else's when he got behind that wheel. Thank god he did not injure or kill anyone else when he crashed.

Your H needs to sort out his transport issues for himself and not have you running around after him when you have school runs and 3 DC to look after.

This is his mess and he needs to make arrangements for transport.

Drink driving kills and mains, imo the penalties for drink driving should be more severe than they are currently.

I agree. Last time I lived in the UK you only had to wait 2 years before you got your licence back - is that still the case?

Are you sure his employer will allow him to drive with a DD conviction, even if he can plead not to lose his licence? My employer does a licence check as part of a driver risk assessment and it is likely that such a conviction (particularly a recent one) would result in being flagged as very high risk and not allowed to drive on company business.

for you OP. I’m sorry your DH has done this. I’m sorry that ultimately it’s you and the children who are going to be impacted by his stupidity. I am glad that nobody else’s family has been. It could have been so much worse. Car sharing and biking are good suggestions. I hope your DH has come to his senses and realises what he’s done. Is he showing any remorse? Does he understand how bad what he has done is?

I really hope he's disqualified, I couldn't be with a man like this, what a terrible husband and worse father.
He never considered his wife, child and job before getting behind a wheel, where he could have killed someone.
I hope it's a long ban.