Stricter Drink Driving Limits for Scotland - Should Eng, Wales & NI follow suit?

[halbpro]

Hmm, not sure about that. What about a tirimisu?

Oooo I quite want tiramisu now.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Oooo I quite want tiramisu now.

Any normal person always wants tiramisu. I've even had thoughts of a tiramisusage sandwich, a delicacy yet untried for the most part, I reckon.

 

[BensGrandad]

When it first came out I went to a police seminar for it to be intoduced and at that the offcer answering questions said that the amount of alcohol in any cooked or dessert dish required to fail the test would have to be so great that the dish would never sell. That included things like coq au vin steak in red wine sherry trifle etc and anybody using that as a defence against DD would have it thrown out as a defence immediately. Somebody will have obviously tried it.

 

[Bry Nylon]

When it first came out I went to a police seminar for it be intoduced and at that the offcer answering questions said that the amount of alcohol in any cooked or dessert dish requured to fail the test would have to be so great that the dish would never sell. That included things like coq au vin steak in red wine sherry trifle etc and anybody using that as a defence against DD would have it thrown out as a defence.

Similarly even if you failed a roadside test because of this, and were arrested as a result, I pretty sure you wouldn't fail the 2nd test at the police station or a blood test, which is required for a prosecution to go ahead. It's dead easy really: if you're driving, don't drink. If you have to drive the next morning, don't go overboard the night before.

 

[BensGrandad]

That unfortunately is a problem that can only be overcome with a built in breatherlyser required to start a car. The argument against that is a person could get their 5 year old to blow in it. This breatherlyser would not be admisssable evidence but a guide to drivers and if I get my granddaughter to blow in it. I deserve to be prosecuted if over the limit.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

You won't say that after you lose your licence from being over just from gargling mouthwash before you head to work.

That won't happen, for reasons I can't be arsed to go into.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Step too far. Are people that currently pass the test, too drunk to drive? I think not.

That bit is fine, but what about the morning after a few beers? Not on the occasions when you're still drunk, but when you feel fine (and are safe), but your levels may fail the new tests?

You may well feel fine, but your judgement and reaction time etc will still be affected.

 

[BensGrandad]

The problem is that if we had a few too many beers the night before, we could well be over the limit the next day, despite being able to competently drive.

Zero tolerance pretty much means that it's a massive risk having a drink in the evenings, as you could find yourself in prison if you drive the following morning.

How many will think of that driving to the game Boxing Day?

 

[Bry Nylon]

Drinking driving accounts for only 16% of accidents on the road

Glad you think that is an acceptable percentage.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I wonder how many people (especially those like myself you commute to London early each morning) are over the limit from the night before?

I nicked two people yesterday morning before 10am. On a Thursday, FFS, so not even a weekend. One of them was doing the school run with the child in the back seat. This morning I stopped somebody at 7:40am who smelled like a brewery & just passed a test, by the skin of her teeth. The previous weekend I picked somebody up at about eleven am, over three times the limit.

Does that answer the question?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Like when you're tired, or thinking about what you watched on TV last night, or chatting to your friend in the passenger seat.

I think you'll find that if you fall asleep at the wheel & injure or kill someone, the law caters for that quite comfortably in its current format. Same as if you're chatting to your mate, or on the phone, or adjusting the sat nav and distracted by that.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't go for a zero limit myself. But I do think it should be lowered. We have one of the highest limits on Europe. It does seem odd that they're not standardised.

 

[BensGrandad]

That unfortunately is a problem that can only be overcome with a built in breatherlyser required to start a car. The argument against that is a person could get their 5 year old to blow in it. This breatherlyser would not be admisssable evidence but a guide to drivers and if I get my granddaughter to blow in it. I deserve to be prosecuted if over the limit.

Edna that has been suggested do you think it will ever come about. You say you do not agree with zero limit but would it not let people know exactly where they stand rather than the present system which says you could have 1, 2 or even 3 drinks and 1 person be ok but another not on 1 drink very confusing

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Edna that has been suggested do you think it will ever come about.

I'd imagine the cost would be the main impediment to that.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I remember queuing for a pie at the Amex and a kid unashamedly asking his Dad "are you getting another pint, you've already had 5 and you're driving!" to which the Dad attempted to subtlety shush the boy.

Would be interesting to see what would happen if the police conducted random breath tests on drivers leaving the park and ride car parks / university car parks post match. I reckon there would be fair few casualties.

 

[BensGrandad]

Most modern cars have a ECU computer system could it not be incorporated into that?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Would be interesting to see what would happen if the police conducted random breath tests on drivers leaving the park and ride car parks / university car parks post match. I reckon there would be fair few casualties.

Probably, yes.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I think you'll find that if you fall asleep at the wheel & injure or kill someone, the law caters for that quite comfortably in its current format. Same as if you're chatting to your mate, or on the phone, or adjusting the sat nav and distracted by that.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't go for a zero limit myself. But I do think it should be lowered. We have one of the highest limits on Europe. It does seem odd that they're not standardised.

Yup. It's a pretty good answer

 

[Triggaaar]

You may well feel fine, but your judgement and reaction time etc will still be affected.

So are you saying that there is conclusive evidence that you can pass our current levels, but you're judgement and reaction time are negatively effected to a point that puts others at risk?

 

[Skint Gull]

Any reference to the rest of the EU is total BS until such time as the punishments across the EU are also standardised. My mates ex was from Murcia in Spain and over there although the legal limit is lower the deterrent is absolutely negligable; she was pulled over for DD and got a 500 euro fine.

Pay the fine, carry on driving!

I think our standard limits are correct; if you get done for drink driving with the current UK limit everyone knows you had too many, it wasn't just unlucky. You make the limit too low the stigma that is currently associated with drink drivers for the vast majority of normal people will be lost and therefore another deterrent reduced.

 

[GT49er]

The trouble with a zero limit is that effectively it means you have to make a life-style choice, either to be a driver and a teetotaller or have a drink and forget about driving or having a car.

If you need the car to go to work, you can't drink in the week in case you test fractionally positive in the morning. If you have a drink on a Friday night, you can't take the missis shopping on Saturday mornings, or set out to drive to away matches. OK, have a drink on Saturday night then? No chance, not if you want to be a good Dad and take the kids out on Sunday.