Car insurance for drink drivers

Can you get car insurance for drink drivers?

It’s difficult, but not necessarily impossible. While some insurance providers won’t cover motorists with a conviction, others specialise in this type of cover.

You’ll probably have fewer policies and providers to choose from and your premium may be higher. However, it’s still worth shopping around to find the best deal you can.

Even if you’re serving a driving ban and your car isn’t being driven, it’s a legal requirement to have third-party insurance for it, unless you declare it off the road. To do this you need to make a SORN notification, after which you won’t have to pay road tax.

Once you’ve served a driving ban, you’ll have to apply for your licence to be reissued. Then you can apply for a new car insurance policy or see if your current provider will cover you once more.

Is car insurance for drink drivers more expensive?

A drink-driving conviction could cost you thousands of pounds. That’s factoring in costs including solicitor’s fees, fines, possible loss of employment – and increased drink driving insurance.

Any criminal conviction, whether related to driving or not, can make insurance more expensive or hard to find. That’s because you’re seen as a higher risk, so more likely to have an accident and make a claim on your insurance.

However, no matter how much more the premium is, you still need to have insurance to legally drive. You could also face further prosecution for driving without insurance.

How can I reduce the cost of convicted drink driving car insurance?

There are a few things you can do to keep the cost of car insurance down after a drink-driving conviction:

Go on a drink-driving rehabilitation course

If your driving ban is for 12 months or more, the sentencing court may offer you the opportunity to take a drink-driving rehabilitation course. You have to decide in court if you want to take the course – you can’t change your mind later. You’ll have to pay to take the course, which can cost up to £250.

These courses are designed to educate people convicted of drink driving, with the aim that they don’t drink drive ever again. They typically take place over 16 hours – usually run on three days spread over three weeks.

Completing the course could reduce the length of your driving ban by 25% and lower the cost of your future car insurance as a convicted drink driver.

After completing the course, you’ll be given a certificate that you can present to insurance providers to show you’re serious about becoming a better driver and not re-offending. Your premiums may not rise as steeply.

Pay a higher voluntary excess

Offering to pay more for your excess – the cost to you when you make a claim – can mean paying less for your annual policy. Make sure you can afford the amount though.

Get a black box

A black box can be helpful for convicted drink drivers. The box monitors your driving and its data is sent back to your insurance provider. The safer you drive, the cheaper your car insurance policy could be.

Lower your mileage

You’re most likely to suffer an accident or damage to your car when you’re on the road. That’s why typically the more mileage you do, the higher the risk. Driving fewer miles reduces the risk, which can lower the cost of your insurance. But be honest with your insurance provider – if you drive more miles than you say you will, your policy may be void.

Increase your car’s security

The more secure your car is, the lower the risk of theft or damage. Taking steps to beef up your car’s security may mean you’ll pay less for insurance. For example, you might keep it in a driveway or in a well-lit area with an immobiliser fitted.

Compare car insurance quotes

With your premium likely to be significantly higher when looking for a convicted drink-driver insurance policy, comparing insurance quotes is an easy way to find a better deal. We order quotes from cheapest to most expensive, so you can select the best price for you.

Do I need to tell my car insurance provider about my drink-driving conviction?

Yes, you need to tell your car insurance provider after a drink-driving ban or any other motoring conviction. Not telling your insurance provider about a drink-driving conviction could invalidate your insurance.

You’ll also need to inform your insurance company if you’re given any penalty points. If you don’t tell them, they may cancel your policy without a refund. This also means a claim could be rejected and you’d be left to foot the bill.

Over what period of time do I have to declare drink driving to an insurance provider?

If you have an unspent drink driving conviction, the length of your sentence will determine how long you need to continue to declare it.

Endorsements imposed by a court for a road traffic offence such as drink driving are treated as a sentence under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and become spent after five years (or two and half years where you are under 18). However, the endorsements will remain on your licence for longer.

When does a driving ban with an endorsement become spent?

When a driving ban becomes spent depends on:

• How long the ban lasts

• How old you were when you got it.

If you were 18 or over

• If the ban lasts less than five years, it becomes spent five years after you got it.

• If the ban lasts more than five years, it becomes spent on the date it ends.

If you were under 18

• If the ban lasts less than two years and six months, it becomes spent two years and six months after you got it.

• If the ban lasts more than two years and six months, it becomes spent on the date it ends.

Will drinking and driving invalidate my car insurance?

If you have an accident while you’ve been drinking, your insurance provider might not pay for injuries you suffer or repairs to your vehicle.

Your provider must pay for the costs of claims by a third party – but they might try to reclaim these from you. Check your policy to see exactly what you are and aren’t covered for.

What are the drink-drive alcohol limits in the UK?

Before you get behind the wheel, or consider having a drink, make sure you’re aware of the legal limits in the UK.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the alcohol limit if you’re driving is:

• 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in your body

• 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath

• 107 milligrams per 100 millilitres of urine.

In Scotland the legal limit is lower:

• 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in your body

• 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath

• 67 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine.

How your body absorbs alcohol can depend on:

• Your sex, age, weight and metabolism

• The type of alcohol you’re drinking

• Whether you’ve eaten or are drinking on an empty stomach

• Your stress levels at the time.

Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your ability to drive safely. So even if you’re under the limit, you may not be safe to drive. It’s never worth risking and the safest thing to do is to not drink any alcohol if you’re going to be driving.

What are the penalties for drink driving in the UK?

To be clear: there’s no excuse or reason for drink driving. Here are just some of the possible penalties you could face if you’re caught driving over the legal limit:

• Up to six months in prison

• An unlimited fine in England and Wales or £5,000 in Scotland

• A driving ban of at least 12 months, or three years if you’ve been convicted twice in 10 years

• A court referral to take a drink-drive rehabilitation course.

If you cause death by driving under the influence of alcohol, you could face:

• Life imprisonment

• An unlimited fine

• A driving ban for at least five years

• An extended driving test before you could get your driving licence back.

Other possible consequences of a drink-driving conviction include:

• Significantly higher insurance premiums

• Losing your job, particularly if it involves driving

• Difficulty getting a visa to visit certain countries.

If you’re convicted of drink driving, you’ll also be given points on your licence. The number of points you receive and how long they appear on your driving record will depend on the offence you’re charged with.

Conviction codes DR10 to DR61 stay on your record for 11 years from the date of conviction.

Codes DR40 to DR70 must stay on a driving record for four years from the date of the offence, or for four years from the date of conviction that results in a disqualification.

Your endorsement will be spent after a maximum of five years, so you don’t have to tell your insurance provider after that, but it will remain on your licence for longer.

Your insurance provider may ask about spent convictions, however, and if they do you must answer truthfully.