[News] Drink driving - why?

[pauli cee]

I have not read through the whole thread but I see it this way.
There should be no limit, you should not drink and drive, zero tolerance, and if you do and get caught the punishment should be far tougher than they are now, possibly losing your licence for good.
But today, you are allowed to drink and drive and its tricky to know your limits, while you can drink and drive everybody should carry a breathalyser in the car.
And lastly, and I am not forgiving anyone but a lot of people caught are alcoholics, if anybody has had or still an addiction then you will know that it totally takes over any reasoning I think that if you are an alcoholic or a drug addict somehow you should have your license and vehicle removed until you can prove you have beaten your addiction.
Far too many deaths especially young deaths in the road due to alcohol and drugs.
I do realise how difficult this is to implement but I think we need to get very tough on drink drivers, it's insane that you are allowed to drink and then drive.

Having worked with the alcohol dependence group in West Sussex, (cgl), anyone coming in is required to sign a form stating they will notify the DVLA of their problem, and will be willing to hand in their licence, purely a matter of box ticking tho', and can't believe many people actually do this.

On a separate thing, regarding being over the limit the morning, it is quite interesting how different peoples bodies will respond to this.
For example a very very heavy drinker, (alcoholic?) can drink 3 bottles of wine in an evening and blow zero by 10 the next morning, due to the fact their body is actually allergic ed to alcohol and processes it in a different way, and does everything it can to rid the body of it, hence the need for another drink

 

[GT49er]

Is that not what drink drivers think irrespective of the amount consumed, I am still a better driver p....d than you or most other people sober.

No it isn't. Please check what I wrote; I wasn't talking about what drivers, drunk or not, think subjectively. I'm talking objectively - some drivers are better than others; that's a fact. Some drivers, even with (a legal amount of) alcohol inside them, may still be better drivers than others who are bad drivers even without any alcohol.

 

[BensGrandad]

No it isn't. Please check what I wrote; I wasn't talking about what drivers, drunk or not, think subjectively. I'm talking objectively - some drivers are better than others; that's a fact. Some drivers, even with (a legal amount of) alcohol inside them, may still be better drivers than others who are bad drivers even without any alcohol.

Was not having a pop at you but quoting what many people I have heard say when in the pub.

 

[Wardy's twin]

The real question is about being fit to drive and alcohol is one of several reasons why a person might not be fit to drive there are many others e.g drugs, poor eyesight, poor attention, too nervous , not cautious , poor co-ordination.

 

[Buzzer]

I do not know the stats on this but would think that the worst offenders are the 50- 65 age group as we have always done it and I have been driving 40 years syndrome.

Studies in Sweden suggest that you're wrong. Sweden used to have the toughest licensing laws in Western Europe and consequently extremely low drink-related deaths on the roads. As the licensing laws have been relaxed the number of drink-related deaths has increased and acutely so in the younger driver age bands.

http://www.ias.org.uk/What-we-do/Pu...004/Towards-alcohol-free-roads-in-Europe.aspx

I think that also the fact that neither Ant (or Dec) and Gibson are in the 50-65 age group shows that it's not necessarily down to old habits.

 

[dazzer6666]

just stating the laws that are here now. My brother was breathalysed coming out of a pub after drinking 2 pints of Stella. He was in the amber but passed.

Exactly........right on the edge of getting busted (was he pleased with himself I wonder and does he now think that 2 pints of wife-beater is ‘ok to drive on’ ?) but without doubt driving with impaired judgement/reflexes.

 

[kevo]

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.

It does create another problem though. How long does it take for alcohol to leave the bloodstream? People potentially above zero driving to work in the morning after drinking the night before.

 

[Creaky]

Are you a taxi driver touting for business? I wonder how many people drink at The Amex on a Saturday and then drive on Sunday afternoon or drive to work Monday after a Sunday game.

Set up a road block outside the car parks and P&R after a match - what proportion of drivers will have had at least a pint - I would guess it would be very high.

 

[dangull]

Exactly........right on the edge of getting busted (was he pleased with himself I wonder and does he now think that 2 pints of wife-beater is ‘ok to drive on’ ?) but without doubt driving with impaired judgement/reflexes.

He's never had a serious accident and has had a couple of pints many times before. He also would never have a third. As another person said, being elderly, poor eye sight ect can be more dangerous. The law of 35mg in the blood is because the experts believe it is safe for people to drive with that in their system.

 

[Birdie Boy]

He's never had a serious accident and has had a couple of pints many times before. He also would never have a third. As another person said, being elderly, poor eye sight ect can be more dangerous. The law of 35mg in the blood is because the experts believe it is safe for people to drive with that in their system.

That is a good point and probably one that will get shot down in flames. Obviously we don't know whether 1 pint or 2 pints will put us on 35 or 36mg but the fact is that if it is 35g or under it is legal.

I got breathalyzed after 2 pints almost immediately after drinking the last one and past it. I did brick it and my wife drove the rest of the way. This was 20 years ago, what would happen now? Get taken to the cop shop for blood specimen even though I am under? Let go and followed but stopped again 5 minutes later even though I am not driving? Nothing? Or something else?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

He's never had a serious accident and has had a couple of pints many times before. He also would never have a third. As another person said, being elderly, poor eye sight ect can be more dangerous. The law of 35mg in the blood is because the experts believe it is safe for people to drive with that in their system.

Or, to look at the other side of it: the experts (many years ago) believe it is unsafe to drive with 36ug in their system. Do you think that 1ug difference will keep you- or your brother, or anybody else who crosses your/his path- safe?

 

[Doonhamer7]

England should follow Scotland and reduce the amount. When I’m back home it’s made a huge cultural difference, my friends / relatives dont even have a single pint and drive. It has taken out the culture of you can have two pints and your probably ok, everyone knows a pint at 5% is too much so drivers don’t drink

 

[dazzer6666]

Or, to look at the other side of it: the experts (many years ago) believe it is unsafe to drive with 36ug in their system. Do you think that 1ug difference will keep you- or your brother, or anybody else who crosses your/his path- safe?

England should follow Scotland and reduce the amount. When I’m back home it’s made a huge cultural difference, my friends / relatives dont even have a single pint and drive. It has taken out the culture of you can have two pints and your probably ok, everyone knows a pint at 5% is too much so drivers don’t drink

Both of these.........

 

[Bob!]

...

 

[crookie]

Quick question. Coming back from Gatwick early hours last night along the A264 from East Grinstead. Car in front, driving slowly, repeatedly breaking unnecessarily, drfiting onto the other side of the road, fortunately nothing ever came past on the other side. Followed them all the way back to T wells, so maybe 12 miles or so of doing this, have to think they were drunk. Who would you call ? Not really a 999. If you dialled 101, by the time they got someone to intercept they may have turned off. We did nothing as we were both shattered and just wanted to get home. Who should we have called ? Ironically passed a police car just after they turned off.

 

[The Camel]

6 weeks in prison and life ban from driving for anyone caught drink driving.

How many would risk it then?

 

[Weststander]

Quick question. Coming back from Gatwick early hours last night along the A264 from East Grinstead. Car in front, driving slowly, repeatedly breaking unnecessarily, drfiting onto the other side of the road, fortunately nothing ever came past on the other side. Followed them all the way back to T wells, so maybe 12 miles or so of doing this, have to think they were drunk. Who would you call ? Not really a 999. If you dialled 101, by the time they got someone to intercept they may have turned off. We did nothing as we were both shattered and just wanted to get home. Who should we have called ? Ironically passed a police car just after they turned off.

Ring 999 next time. I and other people I know have, in similar circumstances, the police act immediately and seem to appear from no where. Led to successful prosecutions. They won't criticise you for wasting their time if your hunch is wrong.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Has anyone else said this?

I live in a place that overlooks the local pub car park. It’s usually packed. Surely a police presence with a breathalyser would stop a lot of folk with a couple of pints or whatever in them attempting to drive off?

 

[Weststander]

Has anyone else said this?

I live in a place that overlooks the local pub car park. It’s usually packed. Surely a police presence with a breathalyser would stop a lot of folk with a couple of pints or whatever in them attempting to drive off?

Have the Police got the resources for that at a single pub location out of 1000's, when calls are coming in all the time about a multitude of crime and accidents?

 

[Baker lite]

6 weeks in prison and life ban from driving for anyone caught drink driving.

How many would risk it then?

I’d go further,life in prison with no parole,would certainly stop repeat offenders.
If you get in a car pissed then that is the consequences if you’re caught.


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