What is drink driving insurance?

Despite the well-known dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol, many individuals still get behind the wheel of a vehicle whilst being above the legal limit for alcohol in the body. Each year there is an average of 5,350 road traffic accidents that involve at least one drink driver.

This number has been steadily declining over the last forty years, yet we still have a long way to go — there are still an average of 41,737 convictions for drink driving each year. These drivers will not only face serious penalties and fines, but they will also find that insuring their car after a conviction is harder and far more expensive.

Of course, the safest thing to do is to not drink any alcohol if you are going to be driving. But, if you do enjoy the occasional drink, you need to be aware of your limit and make sure you are below the legal maximum. Additionally, if you have already been convicted of a drink-related driving offence, this article will help you in understanding the implications of the penalties you receive.

Here, we will cover all you need to know about car insurance for drink drivers, from declaring convictions to your insurance company to how to make your car insurance more affordable following a driving conviction. We will also cover what the drink drive limit is and what the possible penalties are for drink driving convictions, so you are aware of the potential implications of getting behind the wheel of your car after a drink.

Can I get car insurance after a drink driving conviction?

It is possible to get car insurance after being convicted of a driving offence. However, you may find it difficult to find affordable insurance, and there will be fewer options for providers available. Some providers will not insure you following a conviction, but others do specialise in drink driver insurance.

If you have been disqualified from driving and your car is off the road, you legally need to either insure it or request a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). Furthermore, once you have served your driving ban, you may need to apply for a new licence which we will explain how to do later on. When you have made sure your full driving licence is reinstated, it is worth comparing insurance providers to find the most competitive insurance premium.

Do I need to tell my car insurance provider about a drink driving offence?

Yes, you will need to tell your insurance provider about any change in circumstances. Failure to do so can invalidate your insurance policy and you may also be left footing the bill if an insurance claim is rejected.

You are required to declare any ‘unspent’ convictions and penalty points. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a motoring offence is considered ‘spent’ after 5 years (two and a half for offenders under the age of 18), after which you will not be required to declare them to your insurance policy. Penalty points stay on your licence and have effect for 3 years.

Finally, you need a licence to insure a vehicle so if you have had your licence revoked due to a driving offence, you will be breaching your car insurance policy if you fail to contact your provider. As a result of this, your provider may cancel your policy without a refund.

How will a drink driving conviction affect my insurance policy?

Any criminal conviction will make it harder to get an insurance policy. If you are a convicted drink driver, you will find that your insurance premium is more expensive and that there are less options for specialised insurance for drink drivers. This is because you are considered a greater risk on the road if you have commited an offence.

Regardless of having a more expensive policy as a result of a drink driving conviction, you are still legally required to insure your vehicle if you intend on driving it — at the very least you will need Third Party insurance.

How can I make my insurance policy more affordable following a drink driving conviction?

Drink driver insurance is usually much more expensive than a standard insurance policy, however, there are ways you can reduce your insurance premium following a conviction. Things you can do to make your insurance more affordable include:

Completing a drink driving rehabilitation course: the courts sometimes include this as a stipulation in your conviction, but you can also choose to take it yourself. The cost of the course can be up to £250 and you will be required to pay for it yourself. Many insurance companies do offer discounts to individuals who have completed the course.Pay a higher voluntary excess: choosing to pay a higher excess (the cost you pay when making a claim) can reduce the price of your annual premium. Do make sure that when you set your excess, you can afford to pay it in the event of a claim as setting it too high will be counterproductive.Have a black box fitted: many insurance providers offer discounted insurance to individuals who opt to have a black box installed in their car. The box monitors your driving and provides information to your provider, therefore you can prove you are driving safely.Lower your annual mileage: generally, the less time you spend on the road, the lower the risk of you getting into an accident. Lowering your mileage is likely to reduce the cost of your insurance for this reason.

What is the drink drive limit?

There are a number of factors that have an impact on how alcohol affects you, including:

Your age, gender, weight and metabolismThe type and amount of alcohol you consumeWhat you have eaten recently

For this reason, there is no set number of drinks that you can consume that will be deemed safe for you to get behind the wheel. Instead, the drink drive limit is measured by the number of micrograms of alcohol in your breath, blood or urine. The limits for each are as follows:

Level of alcoholEngland, Wales and Northern IrelandScotlandMicrograms per 100 millilitres of breath3522Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood8050Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine10767

Despite there being a legal limit in place, having even a small amount of alcohol in your system can affect your judgement and reflexes. So, the safest option is to not drink any alcohol if you know you will be driving.

What are the penalties for drink driving?

If you are found guilty of drink driving, you can be landed with a fine as well as potentially being imprisoned or banned from driving. The actual penalty you will receive is decided by the magistrates who are present in your case and they will decide on an appropriate penalty based on the severity of your offence.

Below are some convictions and the penalties you could face if found guilty.

Being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal limit or unfit through drink: 3 months in prison, a fine up to £2,500, and a possible driving banDriving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit or unfit through drink: 6 months in prison, an unlimited fine, and a driving ban of at least 1 year (3 years if convicted twice within 10 years)Refusing to provide a specimen (breath, blood, or urine) for analysis: 6 months in prison, an unlimited fine, and a driving ban of at least 1 yearCausing death by careless driving while under the influence of alcohol: 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine, a driving ban of at least 2 years, a court order to take an extended driving test before you are given your licence back

In addition to these penalties, a drink driving conviction also means your employer will see your conviction on your driving licence if you drive for work. You may also find that you have trouble travelling to countries such as the USA and in some cases, you may be refused entry.

How long does a drink driving conviction stay on my licence?

The length of time an offence will stay on your licence will depend on the severity of it. The courts can ‘endorse’ your driving record with penalty points and issue a fine if you have committed a driving offence. Each driving offence has an allocated code as well as a range of points that sit on the ‘penalty points’ scale — again, the more serious an offence, the more penalty points you will have added to your driving record. The codes are as follows:

CodeOffencePenalty pointsDR10Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit3 to 11DR20Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink3 to 11DR30Driving or attempting to drive then failing to supply a specimen for analysis3 to 11DR31Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity3 to 11DR61Refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive10DR40In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit10DR50In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink10DR60Failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive10DR70Failing to co-operate with a preliminary test4

Endorsements will start from either the date of conviction or the date that the driving offence took place and will stay on your record until they expire. Once an endorsement has expired it will automatically be removed from your driving record and you will not need to do anything further — you can view your driving record to check for penalty points and see if convictions have been removed.

Offence codes DR10 to DR61 are required to be kept on your driving record for 11 years from the date of the conviction. Codes DR40 to DR70 are kept on your driving licence for 4 years from the date of the offence, or 4 years from the date of conviction and a driving ban is put in place.

How many points before I lose my licence?

You can lose your licence if you are convicted of a drink driving offence or if you receive 12 or more penalty points (endorsements) on your licence within 3 years. If you are a new driver, you can have your licence revoked if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your driving test. Additionally, if you receive penalty points on a provisional licence and they have not expired, they will be carried over when you pass your test. This means you will get your licence revoked if you take up the 6 points within 2 years of passing.

How long does a drink driving ban last?

The length of a driving ban will depend on how serious the court perceives the offence to be. A driving ban can last:

6 months if you get 12 or more points on your licence within a three year period12 months if you get a second driving disqualification within 3 years2 years if you get a third driving disqualification within 3 years

Do I need to apply for a new licence following a driving ban?

Yes, you will need to apply for a new driving licence following a ban if you have been disqualified from driving for 56 days or more. You may also be required to retake your driving test or take an extended test before you will get your full licence back. You will be told if you are required to do this by the court when you are summoned following a driving ban.

To get your new licence, there are three steps you will need to complete:

Apply for your new provisional licence. The DVLA will send you a reminder to do so 56 days before your disqualification ends, which you can use to reapply for your licence. If you do not receive this reminder, you can also download an application form online — use D1 for a car or motorbike or use D2 for a lorry or bus licenceBook and pass both the theory and practical tests. You can arrange your theory test and practical test online at the same time, but you will need to pass the theory test first before you actually take your practical driving test. When booking your driving test you will need to specify if you are taking the extended driving test as it is longer and higher in price.Arrange for your new licence to be set to you. Once you have passed your practical driving test, you can ask your examiner to get your new licence to be sent to you.

After you have passed your test, you will be legally allowed to drive again. Before you do so, however, make sure you are properly insured for the vehicle you intend on driving.