Will I lose my license?

[Crata]

Got pulled for driving uninsured. I currently have six point for SP30 speeding x2. Am I going to lose my license?

I made some poor decisions. I am going to have to be accountable to the incoming consequences. I am interested to know the general opinion as to whether or not I am going to lose my license and if and how long any ban will likely be.

I had a tough month with a few unexpected bills. I ran out of money. My insurance renewal was due. I faffed about and couldn't find the money to renew my policy or buy a new one. The premium had increased wildly after picking up 2x speeding fines and with a couple of claims in the last few years. I stopped all but essential travel, commuting 5mins to work each weekday and not using the vehicle on the weekend. My policy expired on the 16th of the month, I need the money from payday, 27th, to renew it. Best quoted £125/month to insure. I had an argument with the other half and historically my coping strategies, due to various anger management and mental issues, have been to go for a walk in the hills and allow myself time to calm down and process things rather than react in the heat of the moment. Cue a 0245 departure from home to drive to the highlands and avoid detrimentally impacting a relationship I have spent the last few years working very hard to improve. Passed a sitting traffic car just before the slip road to the motorway and immediately knew what was about to unravel. Got up to speed on the motorway and shortly thereafter saw a set of headlights catch up swiftly before dropping in behind me and tracking me until just before the next junction. Blues and twos and pulled off the motorway and stopped.

I was sober and committed no speeding or driving offences beyond the lack of insurance. Car seized and impounded. Me walking home 20+miles. Officer stated that it would normally be 6points and £300 fine. However as I already have 6 points then it would be referred to court and I would receive a summons in due course.

So....I now await the summons and am worried to lose my license and be banned and potentially worse. I need my license for my work. I am already broke and if I lose my employment and my ability to use my current strategies for managing my mental wellbeing I am worried about where that leaves me. Any advice or opinions welcomed.

[Crata]

Thanks for the engagement from everyone on this. Appreciate the input from you all.

I am not posting on here looking for absolution for my poor decision making and life admin, merely for a bit of discussion and opinion regarding most likely sentencing in my situation. I have made many better decisions and also many worse(probably best not to go into those right now). I was actually on a good roll in life this year and tripping over my own mental health recently has been aggravating to say the least. No excuses; just my reality. There was a time when I was embroiled so deeply in my trauma and inability to make sense of it that my dissociative personality led me to be committed to the psych ward more than once. I put in tons of effort and have been on top of it all for a while now. The positives for my relationship and family are tangible and soo rewarding. I have triggers and noticing them and actioning strategies to manage my responses are key to this. Key to protecting those I love from a side of me that I still do not fully command. Thus I walk. Not in the urban environment in which I reside, but in open nature. The instinctive actioning of this strategy has avoided me imploding my relationship, family and career more than a few times. My mind was in this plane when I drove uninsured onto the motorway, not present with the reality of my lack of insurance and right to be on the road but in a state of self preservation.

I probably ought to fill you lot in on a few things that have been raised in this thread for clarity;

-I am based in Scotland. Thank you for the reference to AGT and I am sure there will be similar people working to Scottish law that I can tap into.

-My garage on here is more of a wish list than a reality. My current vehicle is an e91 335d touring. Now for sale!

-I was left to walk home from the incident in the middle of the night. This was at my volition rather than the police abandoning me where they seized the vehicle. I was offered a lift to the nearest train station. I did indeed get my steps in albeit not with the anticipated views, just the low road this time.

-I have held a clean license for the previous 10 years and then received 2x SP30 within 3months.
They were for, 72 in a 60 on the A9 northbound(dual carriageway) after Aviemore and 80 in a 70 on the A9 southbound at Auchterarder. I have driven a lot faster and more recklessly in times past. I was definitely due some comeuppance.

-My claims x2 were both on rural roads and involved only myself and deer. The dangers of driving at dusk and dawn in remote areas of the highlands. On the first occasion I swerved to avoid a red stag on the road and damaged the rims and suspension on the roadside lay-by kerb. On the second occasion a small roe deer ran out in front of me and hit the offside corner, damaging the bumper, headlight and bonnet. I could have been driving slower and the probability of these incidents occurring would have been reduced. Without some thermal imaging or a big ass set of bull bars it is hard to fully mitigate against this scenario.

-Average annual mileage on my personal vehicle over the last 5 years ~ 37k

-My financial issues are probably rooted in my choice of career, I am a climbing arborist(tree surgeon). Mainly due to the physical demands and the open air environment, the problem solving and the adrenaline of the work. It keeps me physically tired and engaged to some extent mentally. I struggle with confined work spaces and this work gives great freedom and satisfaction. I am good at what I do. As a trade however it is undervalued comparative to other trades with a daily maximum rate for a subcontractor being around £200/day with all kit/saws and skills to take on big dismantles etc. This limits my financial freedom but is required/beneficial for my mental wellness. I am 38yr old and still live pay check to pay check with no savings. boo-fkin-hoo That month I had a £1400 bill to get the Beemer through its MOT and an initial payment for my daughters music trip, that was all that it took to tip the balance. Living beyond my means....probably aye.

-I did get my car back from the impound lot. My partner, bless her soul, lent me £300 to cover the expenses. I still owe that back to her.

-Driving is not the main component of my work but I do use various vehicles to perform my role day to day. These consist of tractor w crane and trailer, unimog with front mounted chipper, rear hiab and trailer, pickup with trailer or tipping chip truck with tow behind chipper. I reckon the first two are open for debate as they are technically agri and don't require a license even. Probably do need one for insurance purposes though. Grey area. The others obviously require standard license etc. Thinking as I type but probably can't use any as they all are part of the insurance policy which won't accept me if I am without license for a period of time.

-My 5minute commute is more like a 15-20m commute really. I was making light of it for whatever reason. I could use public transport, circa 90-120mins to do the same journey. I could cycle, if I have the energy, It would take 90m+ either way, probably be good for my cardio. Less good on wet days and I'd need to take a change as the thought of cycling with my chainsaw breeks on is madness.

2Btoo said:

the OP really needs to have a long hard look at himself if even half of what he has written on here is true.

Too true. The days when I can look into the mirror and accept the human looking back at me are too few and far between to live with the confidence and positivity I aspire to. I try to live with compassion and care for others but I do not do so without acknowledging the internal battles present as the swing of the pendulum carries me through the darkness.


Action taken at this stage - The car is up for sale. Get in touch if interested in a high mileage M57 engine in a well used touring body Pending result of my conviction I am looking at a wee K11 Micra or similar to jot about in. I do really enjoy driving and the flow of taking a well set up car along a nice B road is a true pleasure but the cost of maintaining and insuring something like the 335d on my income is not viable(something it has taken me too long to accept).