If you’ve got points on your licence, or a conviction such as a DR10, DR20, or DR30, then you should still be able to get an HGV licence. However, you should expect your HGV insurance to rise, and it may also affect your employability.
At Anthony Jones, we specialise in securing the right cover for HGV drivers. We’ll take the time to understand your situation. So if you’re worried about how past convictions might affect your cover, talk to one of our friendly experts today. Call us on 020 8290 9099 or email us at commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com.
What is a DR10 Conviction?
A DR10 conviction is essentially a drink driving conviction. It means you’ve been caught operating a vehicle with excessive alcohol in your system.
In England and Wales, the legal limit of alcohol you can have in your system while operating a vehicle varies depending on the type of test the police carry out. They might test your blood, your breath, or your urine, and the limits are as follows:
- 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
- 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
- 107 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine.
What Happens If You Get a DR10 Conviction?
If you get a DR10 conviction, you will likely get suspended from driving for at least 12 months. You will also get a fine, a community order, or even a prison sentence of up to six months. The more alcohol detected in your system, the more severe a penalty you’ll face.
How Long Does a DR10 Stay on Your Licence?
A DR10 will stay on your driving licence for 11 years following the date of your conviction. But even after this period’s passed, you may still have to declare all previous convictions when taking out insurance. So anyone with a drink driving conviction may have to pay higher premiums no matter how many years pass.
Other Drink Driving Convictions
- DR20 – If the police suspect you of drink driving, they can pull you over for a test. The police can then decide that it’s not safe for you to drive in your current condition, even if you’re within the legal limits for alcohol in your system. In this case you’d get a DR20 conviction, instead of a DR10, which is reserved for those who were caught operating a vehicle while over the legal limit. A DR20 also brings harsh penalties, including a driving disqualification, a fine, a community order, or a prison sentence.
- DR30 – This offence code means that the police pulled you over on suspicion of drink or drug driving, but you refused to provide a blood, breath, or urine sample for analysis without a reasonable excuse. A reasonable excuse for not providing a sample can be a medical issue affecting your ability to use a breathalyser, or certain psychological conditions, such as a phobia of needles. Like DR10 and DR20 offences, DR30 convictions can result in a driving disqualification, a fine, a community order, or a prison sentence.
Driving Disqualification – What Happens Next?
You can get disqualified from driving either following a DR10, DR20, or DR30 conviction, or through simply accruing 12 points or more on your licence in a three year period. Your ban can last between six months and two years, depending on the nature of your offence.
If you’re disqualified for 56 days or more, you will have to apply for a new driving licence before you drive again. You may also have to retake your driving test, or even take an extended test, before you can get your full licence back.
How To Get an HGV Licence With Points or a DR10
You won’t be able to qualify as an HGV driver again until you’ve regained your full car licence. If you’ve qualified as an HGV driver before, you’ll have to renew your licence, then either do 35 hours of training or take parts two and four of the Driver CPC tests.
The official government guidance says that you can only renew your HGV licence if “you’re not currently disqualified”.
So if you’ve got points on your licence, or a conviction such as a DR10, it should not affect your ability to get an HGV licence. You’ll have to wait until you’ve got your car licence back, but after that you should be able to go through the same qualification process as other drivers.
Driving After a Disqualification May Not Be Easy
So while you will be able to drive again following a conviction and a disqualification, you should expect some difficulties in two significant areas:
- Finding Employment. Many fleet managers will be reluctant to hire drivers with convictions on their records – particularly if those convictions involve drink driving. Even if you’re working as an independent owner operator, your past convictions might cause problems when you try and work with umbrella companies or recruitment firms. This is not to say that you’ll never work again. But finding an employer who’s willing to hire you might take longer than it used to.
- HGV Insurance. Some insurers refuse to cover drivers who were previously disqualified, as they believe the risks are too great. And when you do find appropriate HGV insurance, you should expect to pay a much higher premium than you used to. Most insurers will view it as a considerable risk to cover you, and this increased risk will be reflected in the price of your policy.
At Anthony Jones, we’ll take the time to understand your situation, so that we can get you the need at a price you can afford. So if you’re concerned that how past convictions might affect your insurance, talk to one of our friendly experts to get the cover you need at the best possible price. Call us on 020 8290 9099 or email us at commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com.
