[News] Drink driving - why?

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

The breathaliser to start your car always seemed like a good idea. Yeah you could get a sober person to do it for you but frankly if that sober person is then willing to let you drive then they are also an idiot.

 

[spring hall convert]

It's also got to do with all drivers thinking they are the best drivers in the world.

 

[glasfryn]

To the ju gle and leave himthere

 

[ROSM]

I've every sympathy with anyone with mental health issues. I've zero sympathy with anyone using that as an excuse for drink-driving. If he uses that as an excuse then he does a disservice to everyone else with MH problems and damages all the hard work trying to get mental health problems better understood. (In my opinion)

Also, these people can afford cabs. Its not like they couldnt have just left the car somewhere and got home safely.

Im all for people getting mullered during the day. I have even been known to do it myself once or twice but getting a bus or cab after a good wazzing is one of life's great adventures

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Strange comment. I've read about loads of outrage today, especially when a three year old had to go to hospital as a precaution.

It was a throwaway comment meant partly in jest and I'll admit I HAVEN'T seen lots of outrage, although I haven't gone looking for it. My immediate reaction when I heard about it was that I guessed he wouldn't get suspended from his job for it...

 

[Notters]

Shoule be zero %. Cuts out any ambiguity then. Can I get away with one more pint? I did last time....

Zero % would not stop it all together but would leave people in no doubt that NO, it is NOT okay to drive.

I can never really understand why people want to have one drink and then go driving. For me a drink is something to enjoy when all the commitments of the day are over. A couple of pints at lunchtime is basically ensuring I'm pissing for the next two hours and have a mild headache at 3pm. What's the point?

Why is there a limit? Why not zero tolerance? Surely that'll cut out a lot of the grey area where people think they are fine to drive. Beaten to it.

I never understand why people think it should be 0%.

This would see people who, for example, had a bit of Christmas cake which they didn't even know had brandy in it, and people who had one pint the night before, get banned from driving, criminal records and lose their jobs for nothing. The current limit is fine it just needs enforcing.

When ever I'm out driving or cycling in Sussex on a Sunday afternoon half the people on the road seem to be pissed. Let's sort out the ones that are breaking the current law first eh?

 

[Buzzer]

The current limit is fine it just needs enforcing.

Genuine question - does that comment mean that you think it is not enforced as rigorously as it could be? I would say that it's one of the things that the British police are absolutely determined to enforce and with a zero tolerance approach.

 

[Triggaaar]

More generally, the allowable % limit in bloodstream should be reduced

Is there evidence that people are driving dangerously when they've had alcohol but are under the limit?

Shoule be zero %. Cuts out any ambiguity then. Can I get away with one more pint? I did last time....

Zero % would not stop it all together but would leave people in no doubt that NO, it is NOT okay to drive.

What about the morning after? You'd be in doubt then.

I can never really understand why people want to have one drink and then go driving. For me a drink is something to enjoy when all the commitments of the day are over. A couple of pints at lunchtime is basically ensuring I'm pissing for the next two hours and have a mild headache at 3pm. What's the point?

That's what it's like for you, not what it's like for everyone. I like to have a glass of wine with my Sunday lunch. It doesn't cause a problem with my commitments for the day and I don't get a headache etc.

 

[lawros left foot]

Genuine question - does that comment mean that you think it is not enforced as rigorously as it could be? I would say that it's one of the things that the British police are absolutely determined to enforce and with a zero tolerance approach.

It would probably help if dedicated traffic police hadn’t been cut by 30% in the last 10 years.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Strange comment. I've read about loads of outrage today, especially when a three year old had to go to hospital as a precaution.

I think that [MENTION=24635]Greg Bobkin[/MENTION]'s point was that there is insufficient outrage at this D&D episode, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I never understand why people think it should be 0%.

This would see people who, for example, had a bit of Christmas cake which they didn't even know had brandy in it, and people who had one pint the night before, get banned from driving, criminal records and lose their jobs for nothing. The current limit is fine it just needs enforcing.

No it wouldn’t. As I understand it the process is you have the breathalyser screen, if you fail a blood test is then taken. The conviction is on the blood test. Recently eaten Xmas cake alcohol on your breath will not be in your blood. Neither will a pint from the night before.

 

[The Clamp]

Is there evidence that people are driving dangerously when they've had alcohol but are under the limit?
What about the morning after? You'd be in doubt then.

That's what it's like for you, not what it's like for everyone. I like to have a glass of wine with my Sunday lunch. It doesn't cause a problem with my commitments for the day and I don't get a headache etc.

Well, you wouldn't would you, because you'd know if you get pulled over and are over the limit, you get done. So you get the bus to work. It's a very common thing for people to still be over the limit the next day. Even if you are under the limit, driving with a hangover is very dangerous too.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I think that [MENTION=24635]Greg Bobkin[/MENTION]'s point was that there is insufficient outrage at this D&D episode, correct me if I'm wrong.

Pretty much, although I'll admit to not seeing much about it on the various forms of media over in the past day or so (maybe that says something anyway?). I'm not necessarily defending JC, but if he was getting pelters for spitting at someone, I'd expect Ant to be getting double or triple the amount of criticism/coverage/condemnation that Jamie went through.

I see ITV have made no comment about it (as far as I can tell...)

 

[Gwylan]

It's also got to do with all drivers thinking they are the best drivers in the world.

Ain't that the truth? Every day, I some shockingly bad driving and yet 99.9% of drivers will swear they're good drivers and it's the other people who are idiots.

It's a bit like sex: just like very few will admit being a terrible lover, very few will admit to be being a terrible driver.

 

[alfredmizen]

Ant (or Dec) arrested for drink driving after hitting another car and hospitalising a young child in it. Footballer Darren Gibson writing off his Merc at the weekend and all those other selfish c-words who get into their car after a skinful every day of the week. I'm not a big one for grassing people up to the police but I've absolutely no qualms about doing it in the case of drink-driving.

I was under the impression, quite possibly wrong, that we've some of the strictest drink laws in the world. I don't get why people still do it and is there any more we could do to deter people from putting the rest of us at risk? Longer bans? Bigger penalties?

selfish ********

 

[alfredmizen]

No it wouldn’t. As I understand it the process is you have the breathalyser screen, if you fail a blood test is then taken. The conviction is on the blood test. Recently eaten Xmas cake alcohol on your breath will not be in your blood. Neither will a pint from the night before.

it would be if it was a pint of asbach

 

[Triggaaar]

Well, you wouldn't would you, because you'd know if you get pulled over and are over the limit, you get done. So you get the bus to work. It's a very common thing for people to still be over the limit the next day. Even if you are under the limit, driving with a hangover is very dangerous too.

So what if you didn't have too much the night before and you don't have a hangover and you're perfectly fine to drive? Tough, you might have a little alcohol in your blood still so The Clamp says you can't drive.

I doesn't make sense. There's no evidence to say your driving is affected, so banning it just because you don't like to drink until your day's commitments are over is daft.

 

[Triggaaar]

No it wouldn’t. As I understand it the process is you have the breathalyser screen, if you fail a blood test is then taken. The conviction is on the blood test. Recently eaten Xmas cake alcohol on your breath will not be in your blood.

It's cake with alcohol in it, why wouldn't it be in your blood? It would.

 

[GT49er]

I never understand why people think it should be 0%.

This would see people who, for example, had a bit of Christmas cake which they didn't even know had brandy in it, and people who had one pint the night before, get banned from driving, criminal records and lose their jobs for nothing. The current limit is fine it just needs enforcing.

Absolutely this. Zero tolerance would require most people to make a complete lifestyle decision: either you drink, or you drive. If you need to drive for work or to get to work, you can't have a drink in the week. Ever.
Drink(s) on Friday evening? Not if you want to do your weekly shopping trip to the supermarket, or drive to follow your football team, you can't.
OK then, a few drinks on a Saturday night then? That should be OK, shouldn't it? Well OK, you'll jut have to explain to the kids why daddy can't take them out for the day, or why you can't make family visits.

I think the % of alcohol in the blood allowed here is actually higher than a lot of places (including Scotland); I think it is quite low enough, though - the police just need to catch more of the real nuts, the ones who ar stupid enough to think it doesn't affect them, or even drive better with a few pints inside them!

 

[Bodian]

It would help if other drinks were a bit cheaper. When pubs charge £2 for half a pint of cheap lemonade it's not exactly an incentive. And if you want anything with a bit of flavour such as pineapple juice (for instance) then it'll be more than a pint of ale.