Aquarius DRIVE
As part of Aquarius’ commitment to providing training and awareness raising to the wider community, we deliver alcohol education courses for people convicted of drink-drive offences.
Aquarius DRIVE is one of the West Midlands providers for the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Drink Drive Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS).
Please note, we can only accept referrals from the Courts. If you want information and training without a conviction, read more about our training offer through Aquarius Life.
How does Aquarius DRIVE work?
Magistrates may offer convicted drink-drivers the option of attending a Drink Drive Rehabilitation (DDR) course to reduce their driving ban.
All first-time offenders should be offered the option to participate in the Drink Drive Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS). Repeat offenders are not specifically excluded, but will be at the discretion of Magistrates.
If the course if offered, the court will give a completion date, meaning the course must be completed in full before that date.
If the course is offered, note that it will be in addition to any fine or disqualification, and does not replace supervised probation alcohol education.
Upon completion of the course, participants are entitled to have their driving ban reduced by up to 25%. Although it is important to know that high risk offenders (HRO) do not automatically get their driving licence back, they have to complete a medical before their licence is re-issued.
What is a high risk offender (HRO)?
A HRO is someone who was either:
- Disqualified for driving whilst 2.1/2 times or more over the legal limit.
- Disqualified twice within a ten year period for drink-drive offences.
- Disqualified for failing, without reasonable cause, to provide a specimen for analysis (DR30).
Anyone within these categories will have to demonstrate that they have either recovered from, or do not have an alcohol problem before their licence is re-issued and thus have to undergo a medical assessment.
The medical assessment includes: a blood test (CDT test), a physical examination and a questionnaire about their medical history and use of alcohol.
What is the purpose of Aquarius DRIVE?
The Aquarius DRIVE course aims to reduce reoffending by educating people convicted of drink-driving about alcohol.
How much will I have to pay for the course?
The fee for the course is £150, and we require a £50 deposit prior to secure a place. The balance can be paid in instalments, but must be paid before starting the course.
Some concessionary fees are available for weekday courses.
How is the course taught?
Courses are delivered one day per week, over three weeks and participants must attend all 3 sessions. A minimum of 16 hours attendance (not including breaks) is required.
Teaching methods include discussion, group work, formal lectures, DVDs, handouts, and home assignments.
When and where are the courses held?
Weekday and Saturday courses are available.
To make our courses accessible, we offer courses at a variety of venues with good public transport access. Our courses are offered in the following areas:
- Central Birmingham
- Solihull
- Stourbridge
- Sutton Coldfield
- West Bromwich
- Wolverhampton
What is covered in an Aquarius DRIVE course?
- Reviewing individual offences – causes, consequences and alternatives to drinking and driving
- Alcohol and the law: the offence of drink-driving
- Effects of alcohol on performance, especially driving skills
- Links between alcohol and road safety
- Personal attitudes towards drinking and drink-driving
- The concept of ‘units’ as a measure of alcohol
- How alcohol accumulates in and is eliminated by the body
- Effects of alcohol on health and behaviour
- Individual drinking patterns
- Practical ways to separate drinking and driving
What happens at the end of the course?
On successful completion, participants are issued with a Certificate of Completion. Aquarius DRIVE will notify the court at which you were sentenced regarding your completion and they will, in turn, notify the DVLA of the reduced disqualification period.
If you do not complete the course, you will be issued with a Notice of Non-Completion by Aquarius.
DRIVE Terms and Conditions
These are the core conditions of the DDRS course – you will be required to sign a copy indicating that you understand and accept these conditions.
- You must be the rightful person to attend the course. Photographic ID will be required.
- All course fees should be paid in full before the start of the course and, where appropriate, evidence of receipt of benefits, etc will be required in advance of the course in order to qualify for a concessionary rate (concessions only available on weekday courses). Please note if you have attended a course and failed to make the full payment you have not met the requirements of the DVSA for completing the course. A Notice of Non-Completion Certificate will therefore be issued to the Court
- You must arrive on time for each session of the course. You will be excluded if you arrive more than 15 minutes late for the first session or 5 minutes late for any subsequent sessions.
- You must arrive drug and alcohol-free. During the course, including break times, you must not consume alcohol or drugs. Any participant doing so will be excluded from the session – this will be classed as non-attendance.
- You must complete all sessions, in sequence. Requests to arrive late or leave early will be denied.
- You must comply fully with any reasonable instructions or requests from the trainer.
- Mobile phones must be switched off.
- You must participate in each course session and complete all tasks that you are required to carry out between sessions.
- You must respect and keep confidences shared on the course.
- Do not use language or behaviour which other people may find offensive. Equal opportunity principles must be respected.
- Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the premises. If you choose to smoke during the breaks provided then please move right away from the building.
- Disqualified drivers caught driving to or from a course will be excluded, reported to the police and a notice of non-completion will be issued.
- Please note that you cannot resume driving until you have received your driving licence back from DVLA and a HRO (High Risk Offender) will need to complete a medical before the licence is re-issued.
- Data Protection: Aquarius has been given information about you by the Courts. We use this information to contact you via phone, post, email or text and to prepare your certificate. The information is also used to provide statistics to the Drive Vehicle Standards Association (DVSA) and to the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA).
We will keep your data securely for seven years and then destroy it. We will not share information about you with anyone else unless you give your consent. However, there are certain circumstances when we may need to share your personal information without your permission. This would be when you or someone else (eg a child) is at risk of serious harm or death.
Contact / referral details
Our office is open Monday-Thursday/Friday, 9am-5/4.30pm.
DRIVE FAQ
I have just agreed in Court to attend a DDRS Course with Aquarius DRIVE. Do I have to contact you or will you contact me?
We will write to you, usually within 2-3 weeks of your Court appearance.
I committed my offence outside the West Midlands but would prefer to attend a course in this area, is that possible?
Yes, you can ask in Court for a course in your area.
The Magistrates did not mention these courses at the time I was sentenced but I would like to have been offered the chance to attend a course. Is this possible?
You can only get referred for a course and get a reduction in your driving ban if the course was offered as part of your sentence in Court. We do deliver an educational course called In Roads, which provides knowledge around drinking and driving but it is not part of the DDRS and thus you will not be entitled to any reduction in the period of your disqualification. Please see Aquarius Life for more details.
How can I pay for my course?
You can pay by card, cheque or pay cash direct into our bank account using a personalised paying-in slip we provide. You can spread the fee by instalments as long as the booking is made early enough to allow this. The fee must always be paid in full before your course starts.
Is there an exam at the end of the course?
No, but there are Conditions of Attendance which must be adhered to, e.g. you must attend all the sessions on time.
My drink-drive offence was a one-off occurrence in circumstances that will never happen again so do I have to attend the course?
You don’t have to attend the course if you don’t want to but it will give you the education, information and tools you need to avoid any repetition of your offence.
I do not have a drink problem, why am I being sent on this course?
The course is not aimed at people with a drink problem. It is designed to help everyone, even occasional drinkers, to plan how they can separate their drinking from driving.
Will I have to undergo a medical to get my licence back?
In some cases, whether or not you attend a DDRS course, the DVLA may require you to have a medical if you are in the High Risk Offender Category. You will be classed as a High Risk Offender (HRO) if you…
- … are more than 2.5 times over the legal limit (88 in Breath and 200 in Blood)
- … have been disqualified for the 2nd time in 10 years
- … have failed to provide a sample for analysis
Will I have to retake my driving test?
Only if it was ordered by the Court as part of your sentence.
Will attending the course help with Insurance?
There are Insurance companies who recognise the course and can offer preferential rates on presentation of a Certificate of Completion. Contact numbers are given on the course.
How can I make a comment, compliment or complaint:
We welcome your feedback and would love to hear what you think, so please get in touch at drive@aquarius.org.uk or on 0121 622 6913.
Aquarius is the operating name of Aquarius Action Projects, a company limited by guarantee registered in England, No: 2427100, and a registered charity, No: 1014305.
Registered office: 236 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7SL. Aquarius is part of the Recovery Focus Group, Inspiring Recovery Together.
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