[News] Drink Driving

[The Clamp]

Your only possible defence is either distance drove (eg to the end of your driveway) or you were helping someone who's life was in immediate danger. That or something like the police breathalyzer was ****ed.
If you've got nothing like that, you'd be a massive fool to plead not guilty.

Neither of which would be effective as any kind of defence or mitigating circumstance.

Doesn’t matter if you’re only driving a few feet. If you are over the limit and are in charge of a vehicle, that can include being near the car with possession of the keys, you will get convicted of drunk driving or being drunk in charge of a vehicle.

Again, saying someone’s life was in danger wouldn’t cut it at all. You are likely to cause more harm to life by driving drunk.

So no, neither of those would butter any parsnips.

 

[Creaky]

Just as dangerous as speeding:

1. Driving a 1.5 tonne missile whilst myopic and refusing to wear corrective glasses/contacts.

2. Ditto, but staring at and tapping away at a mobile.

3. Driving whilst drunk or on drugs.

4. Driving without ever passed a driving test. Also meaning they’re uninsured.

I agree but far more people speed than do any of the above.

 

[Creaky]

Because more people speed.

Of course that is why there are more - it is also a good reason to target speeding.

Until speeding becomes socially unacceptable very little will change. It wasn’t enforcement that reduced the number of drink drivers, it was a seed change in how people viewed drink driving that has brought about the change.

 

[Garage_Doors]

It seems though that it is socially acceptable to speed in just the same way that it was acceptable to drink and drive when I first passed my test.

.

It may have been in you circle of friends, but i'm not sure it was ever universally acceptable to ever drink and drive.

 

[Creaky]

It may have been in you circle of friends, but i'm not sure it was ever universally acceptable to ever drink and drive.

Certainly was in the 60s - nobody batted an eyelid about going to a party, drinking 3 or 4 pints and then driving home.

https://www.lookers.co.uk/news/drink-driving-campaign/

 

[BensGrandad]

It was still an offence but many prior to breathalyser 50s & 60s went out for a drive on a Sunday evening having a couple then driving home. Among the favourites were Black Rabbit at Arundel, The Gun Findon and most of the pubs in Arundel

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Certainly was in the 60s - nobody batted an eyelid about going to a party, drinking 3 or 4 pints and then driving home.

https://www.lookers.co.uk/news/drink-driving-campaign/

Not just that nobody batted an eyelid, more that there was actually support for drink driving. I went to a talk by Barbara Castle in the early 90s and she spoke about the drink driving laws she brought in and how unpopular the legislation was and how folk challenged her about it.

 

[GT49er]

Certainly was in the 60s - nobody batted an eyelid about going to a party, drinking 3 or 4 pints and then driving home.

Yes, but three or four pints was a lot less alcohol back then - in a pub there was none of your 4-5-6% stuff like there is these days.

I remember the public information broadcasts when the breathalyser was first introduced - three pints was about the limit for an average man back then, or so the public information broadcasts said. Also, back in the 70s, 80s and even the 90s the attitude was different - drunk driving was never acceptable, but much more emphasis was on 'do you feel OK to drive?' - and most of the time most of us answered that question with common sense and most of us never killed - or even hurt - anyone. It's different now, yes I do realise that, before somebody wants to jump down my throat.

Also, back ten there was much less awareness of the morning after effect. We had a drink, went to bed, and 'slept it off'. In the morning ..... hangover? Stay in bed and phone in sick (God knows how many dodgy curries were served up in Indian restaurants in those days!) No hangover? Fine, get up, drink a quick cup of coffee and drive to work. Again, most of us commuters did that without mishap time and time again.

Times change. Nowt wrong with that (in this case anyway). Just don't get all arsey and judge actions taken in good faith thirty or forty years ago by the norms of today.

 

[Creaky]

Times change. Nowt wrong with that (in this case anyway). Just don't get all arsey and judge actions taken in good faith thirty or forty years ago by the norms of today.

I am doing it the other way around - I’m judging today by the actions of yesterday - it has been the change in attitude towards drink driving as much as legislation that has made drink driving less common and less acceptable than it was. In my opinion we need that same change to occur with regards to speeding.

 

[Mental Lental]

Certainly was in the 60s - nobody batted an eyelid about going to a party, drinking 3 or 4 pints and then driving home.

https://www.lookers.co.uk/news/drink-driving-campaign/

It certainly didn't bother Mungo Jerry during the summer holidays.