Drink Driver Van Insurance

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Drink Driving Conviction? Don’t Stress, We’ve got You covered.

Var Insurance For Drink Drivers 

Searching for drink driving insurance can be a challenge when you have a conviction. Some insurers may refuse to offer you insurance or want to charge you more. At A Choice, we consider all motoring convictions and bans. We treat our customers fairly, as individuals and with no judgment.

We work with a panel of specialist insurers to find car insurance for drink drivers. So, if you’re looking to get back on the road after a conviction, we could help

What Does 1 Unit Of Alcohol Look Like?

Do I Have To Declare a Drink Driving Conviction?

Past convictions that are classed as ‘unspent’ must be disclosed if asked by the insurer. This also includes anyone added to a policy, such as a named driver. This is because the severity of the conviction may affect the cost or availability of a policy. Failure to disclose an unspent conviction when asked by the insurer, could invalidate your insurance. Also, any claims you make on your policy may be rejected. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, if a conviction is ‘spent’, you do not have to disclose it when applying for insurance. If they are provided, then the insurer is legally required to ignore them. If you are unsure whether a previous conviction is spent, see disclosurecalculator.org.uk or contact Unlock’s public helpline

Drink Driving Convictions That We Can Consider

Drivers commonly seek DR10 insurance for drink driving offences. However, we will consider all drink driving related offences. The table below shows the full list of drink related motoring offences that can be put on your driving licence if you commit a traffic offence. It also shows how many penalty points you can get from each.

Codes DR10 TO DR61 must stay on a driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction.

CodeOffencePenalty Points
DR10Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol concentration above limit3 to 11
DR20Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drink3 to 11
DR30Driving or attempting to drive then failing to provide a specimen3 to 11
DR31Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity3 to 11
DR61Refusing 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 drive10

Codes DR40 to DR70 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence or 4 years from date of conviction where a disqualification is imposed.

CodeOffencePenalty Points
DR40In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit10
DR50In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink10
DR60Failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive10
DR70Failing to provide specimen for breath test4

Frequently Asked Questions

Don’t feel disheartened after a drink driving conviction, there are still several things you can do which can help reduce the cost of van insurance.

As part of your drink driving conviction, you may be given the option to take a drink driving course, although you will have to pay for the cost of the course, which can cost up to £250. Our insurance panel can also offer discounts for drivers who complete the course.

Keep your van in a secure location such as a garage or a driveway when not in use. This is generally safer than leaving the vehicle on the road and can help to lower your insurance premiums.

Choosing to pay a higher voluntary excess can reduce the cost of insurance. However, if you do make a claim, you will have to pay the excess, so it is important that you choose an excess amount that you can afford to pay.

Fit a security device, such as an alarm, immobiliser or tracker to your vehicle. This means it is less likely to be broken into or stolen. As a result, insurers are more likely to offer you a cheaper van insurance quote.

Insurers will put all vans into one of 50 insurance groups, with van in the lower insurance groups being cheaper to insure.

Adding an experienced, responsible driver to your van insurance policy may help to reduce the cost of your premium.

Drink Driving Limits

The maximum BAC (blood alcohol content) limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is:

  • 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath; or
  • 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or
  • 107 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine

The maximum BAC (blood alcohol content) limit in Scotland is:

  • 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath; or
  • 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or
  • 67 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine

More Information

If you’re looking to get back on the road after a drink driving offence, contact our team as we may be able to help. Otherwise, if you would like further information, advice and support, see Unlock, an independent charity that helps people with convictions. Also see Drink Driving forum.