DRIVE provides courses for drivers convicted of drink driving as part of the Department of Transport's rehabilitation scheme.
Who's DRIVE for?
Aquarius DRIVE is the main course provider in the West Midlands for the Department for Transport's Drink Drive Scheme. As such we run alcohol education courses for people convicted of drink-drive offences and referred by Magistrates' Courts in Birmingham, Dudley, Stourbridge and Halesowen, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Warley and West Bromwich. Magistrates may offer convicted drink-drivers the option of attending a course, completion of which then entitles participants to have their driving ban reduced by up to a quarter.
The fee for the course is £175 payable in advance by the participants (this can be paid in instalments). Some concessionary fees are available. The courses are very popular, so early booking is strongly recommended.
The 18-hour course consists of either:
- 8 x 2¼ hour sessions held once a week for 8 consecutive weeks, or
- 4 x 4½ hour sessions held once a week for 4 consecutive weeks
- there are some limited weekend options.
How DRIVE works:
The course aim is to help people to separate their drinking from their driving in the future, through education about alcohol and its effects. Each group contains on average 14 people. Drink-drive courses are monitored at a national level by the Transport Research Laboratory. Their research shows that people who have successfully completed a course are almost three times less likely to re-offend than those who do not attend a course.
DRIVE venues:
Courses are run at a variety of venues, in order to allow participants to attend a course within reasonable distance of their home or work, and with good public transport access. These currently include central Birmingham, Edgbaston, Brierley Hill, West Bromwich, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield. Wherever possible we use venues that provide access for people with disabilities, including wheelchair users, and people requiring hearing loops. Please note that the course is only delivered in English. Specific details for each venue are available on request.
CONTACT DRIVE
Aquarius DRIVE
2nd Floor
16 Kent Street
Birmingham
B5 6RD
Telephone: 0121 622 6913
Fax: 0121 622 8189
Email: drive@aquarius.org.uk
Please note that the office is not staffed full-time, so please telephone before visiting in person.
Frequently Asked Questions about DRIVE:
Q. I have just agreed in Court to attend a DRIVE course. Do I have to contact you, or do you contact me?
A. We will write to you - usually within 2-3 weeks of your Court appearance.
Q. I committed my offence outside the West Midlands, but I would prefer to attend a course in this area. Is that possible?
A. Yes. You can ask the Court to refer you direct to us.
Q. The Magistrates didn't mention these courses at the time I was sentenced, but I would like to have been offered the chance to attend one. Can I?
A. You can only get a reduction in your driving ban if the course was offered as part of your sentence in Court. Otherwise, you can attend but would not be entitled to have your ban reduced.
Q. How can I pay for my course?
A. You can send a cheque or pay cash direct to our bank account (we provide a personalised paying in slip). You can spread the fee by instalments so long as the booking is made early enough to permit this. No matter what payment method you choose, the fee must always be paid in full before your course starts.
Q. Is there an exam at the end of the course?
A. No, but there are conditions of attendance; for example, you must attend all the sessions on time.
Q. My drink-drive offence was a one-off occurrence in circumstances that will never happen again. Do I have to come on the course?
A. You don't have to attend the course if you don't want to, but it will give you the information and 'tools' to help you ensure that it does never happen again.
Q. I don't have a drink problem. Why am I being sent on this course?
A. The course is not aimed at people with a drink problem. It is designed to help everyone - even occasional drinkers - to plan how to separate drinking from driving.
Q. Will I have to have to undergo a medical to get my licence back?
A. In some cases, whether or not you attend a DRIVE course DVLA may require you to have a medical, if you:
- Are more than 2 times over the limit
- Have been disqualified twice within 10 years
- Failed to provide a sample for analysis.
Q. Will I have to retake my driving test?
A. Only if it was ordered by the Court as part of your sentence; or if you have accrued more than 6 points within 2 years of passing your test.
Q. Will attending the course help with insurance?
A. There are insurance companies who recognise the course and can offer preferential rates. Contact numbers are given at the course.
