Susan Difford

Being convicted of being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drugs can be confusing and frightening. You may not have been driving at all - perhaps you were sitting in your car, or nearby with the keys in your pocket. If prescribed medication was involved, the conviction can feel especially unjust.

DR90 records a conviction for being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drugs under Section 4(2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Unlike DR80, which requires you to have been driving, DR90 applies when you were in charge but not behind the wheel. It carries 10 penalty points and a discretionary ban.

The endorsement stays on your licence for 4 years. Drug-related codes are treated seriously by insurers, and some standard insurers may decline to quote. However, specialist brokers understand which insurers assess DR90 individually and which ones can offer cover at a fair price.

A drug driving conviction carries a stigma that goes beyond the legal penalties. Whether the drugs were prescribed medication, a one-off mistake, or something you are working to put behind you, the label can feel impossible to shake. But it does not make you uninsurable.

DR80 relates to driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drugs under Section 4(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. It carries 3 to 11 penalty points and stays on your licence for 11 years from the date of conviction. The court must impose a minimum 12-month driving ban, rising to at least 3 years for a second offence within 10 years.

Drug driving prosecutions in England and Wales have risen since roadside drug testing was introduced in 2015. Insurers view DR80 seriously because it combines drug impairment with actual driving. Standard insurers often decline, but specialist brokers know which insurers assess drug-drive convictions individually rather than issuing automatic refusals.

The 11-year endorsement period is long, but each clean year you build could help. Specialist brokers who handle convicted drivers every day understand how pricing changes as the conviction ages.

DD80 records a conviction for causing death by dangerous driving under Section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. It is one of the most serious motoring offences in UK law, carrying penalties that reflect the gravity of the outcome.

The maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving was increased to life imprisonment by Section 86 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, up from the previous maximum of 14 years. The obligatory driving ban is a minimum of 2 years, and a compulsory extended driving retest must be passed before the licence is restored.

DD60 is the most serious endorsement code a driver can carry. It records a conviction for manslaughter or culpable homicide while driving a vehicle - charged under common law, not the Road Traffic Act 1988. This is an important legal distinction: the prosecution considered the conduct so serious that it went beyond dangerous driving into manslaughter.

The penalties reflect this severity. DD60 carries 3 to 11 penalty points, an obligatory disqualification of at least 2 years, a compulsory extended driving retest, and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Unlike DD80 (causing death by dangerous driving), which is a statutory RTA offence, DD60 is triable on indictment only, meaning it can only be heard in the Crown Court.

Failing to co-operate with a roadside test can happen in a moment of panic or confusion. Perhaps you did not understand the instructions, or the situation felt intimidating. Whatever the reason, a DR70 on your licence now affects your insurance - even though it says nothing about whether you were actually over the limit.

DR70 relates to failing to co-operate with a preliminary test - that could be a roadside breath test, an impairment test, or a drug screening. It carries 4 penalty points and stays on your licence for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Despite being the lightest code in the DR range, insurers still treat DR70 as drink-drive related. Your quotes could rise, and some standard insurers may decline to cover you. That can feel out of proportion for an offence that carries just 4 points.

Specialist brokers understand that a DR70 does not mean you were drink driving. They know which insurers price it proportionately and which ones treat it as a red flag regardless.