What’s involved in a drink-drive rehab course?

There can be serious repercussions to being caught drink driving. It depends on how serious your case is, but you could face a fine and points on your driving licence, be banned from driving or even spend time in jail.
 
One thing’s for certain – if you’re found guilty, you’ll struggle to find car insurance as affordable as it was before you committed the offence. But that’s where the Insurance Factory can help.

We arrange  convicted driver insurance policies that come with all the benefits of standard insurance, offered at a price that won’t break the bank.
 
We understand that the past is the past. We don’t judge you – instead, we take the time to understand your unique needs before finding you a suitable policy.

 

What are drink-drive rehab courses?

If you’re caught drink driving and receive a ban as a result, you could be offered a rehabilitation course if the length of your ban is a year or more. You need to pay to go on the course, with fees costing up to £250.
 
A rehab course will mean that you will have your driving ban reduced, provided you finish it within a certain timeframe. Typically, the length of the ban is reduced by one quarter.
 
You have to decide in court whether you want to take the course or not and you can’t change your mind at a later date.

 

How do you book to go on a course?

If you’re thinking about taking a drink-drive rehab course then you'll need to do your research before your appearance in court to choose the course you want to go on, in case you’re offered one.
 
The court will then send your information – known as a referral order – to the provider of the course and they will return with details of available course dates, and when you must complete the course by to have the ban reduced.
 
It’s entirely down to you to finish the course in the allocated time. You’re also able to switch to another provider at any time before booking with a provider. You don’t need to pay anything to do this – you just need to let the first provider know and they will send on your referral order to the new provider.

A person studying writing in a note book
 

What does the course involve?

The course is designed to stop you from driving while under the influence of alcohol again. It’s a face-to-face course that takes place across 16 hours, typically carried out on three days spread over three weeks.
 
You can browse through the course syllabus so that you have an idea of what the course will involve.
 
In a nutshell, the course is split into two units. The first is focused on understanding the impact of alcohol use in relation to driving, while the second unit is centred on changing alcohol use in relation to driving.
 
The whole course is designed based on a model that recognises six typical stages in the process of individual, behavioural change:
 
  • Precontemplation – where the idea a person needs to change hasn’t yet occured to them because they don’t realise there’s a problem.
  • Contemplation – where the person has some awareness that there’s an issue, and that there could be advantages to changing but also, possibly, a huge degree of fear about the work involved, for instance in changing their behaviour.
  • Preparation – where the person has made a decision but it needs to be considered in detail and where the person could easily be put off.
  • Action – where someone actively changes their behaviour.
  • Relapse – where old habits show themselves again, for instance when the person is stressed.
  • Maintenance – where change has become part and parcel of a person’s life and has become automatic.
 
Overall, the course aims to help drivers take responsibility for their actions, understand where they have acted inappropriately and realise that they could and should have acted differently, not just to comply with driving law but also for their health and for the safety of themselves and others.

It will help you to put in place effective strategies to achieve a positive change in your behaviour.

 

What happens after the course?

If you complete the course you’ll receive a ‘certificate of course completion’ from your chosen provider, who will send a second copy to the court responsible for issuing your sentence. The court will then let the DVLA know so that your ban can be reduced.
 
Don’t complete the course, or don’t pay for it, and you won’t receive a reduction in your driving ban.

The interior of a new car
 

What happens if you’re a high-risk offender?

If you’re deemed a ‘high-risk offender’ then you’re required to reapply for your driving licence and take a medical. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re high risk, the best thing to do is speak with your course provider.
 

Learn the lessons

Hopefully, a drink drive course will help to ensure you never get behind the wheel while over the limit again.

As well as refreshing your memory on drink driving law, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the impact alcohol has on your ability to drive safely and responsibly, the wider health issues associated with alcohol consumption, as well as the effect your decision could have on the lives of others.
 
You’ll learn the typical costs associated with drink drive incidents and the burden your actions place on the emergency services. All this should inspire you to make sure you’re always sober when you get in that driver’s seat.

 

Convicted driver insurance from the Insurance Factory

When you’ve completed your drink drive rehab course, your reduced ban has ended and you’re ready to get back on the road, make getting a convicted driver insurance quote with the Insurance Factory one of the first things you do.
 
We cover a range of motoring offences – including driving/attempting to drive with a blood alcohol level exceeding allowable limits – and have access to a panel of specialist insurers to find you the right policy, for the right price.
 
Get a quote today!