Drink Driving At Christmas.

[andy-hughes]

http://www.motoring.co.uk/car-news/drink-driving-at-xmas-750-000-expect-to-drive-while-over-limit_67071?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=motoring-161215-b


It appears that our culture of accepting arrest for drink-driving as an occupational hazard is not disappearing as quickly as we might hope.

My views on drink driving are very simple - zero tolerance, lifetime ban.

Any thoughts?

[Baldric]

///with zero tolerance' there is no 'over the limit'///

Of course there is, you are either under or over, are you suggesting they have different limits depending on the type of medicine, when you took the last dose etc, and how would you prove it?

[Bazile]

Why are pub car parks full over ( and other times) christmas ?

[andy-hughes]

retrocop - //A little more publicity about driving under the influence of certain prescribed medication as well as recreational drugs wouldn't go amiss either. //

Indeed.

If some medications contain alcohol which may adversely affect a breathalyser, then the individual should be made aware, and not be allowed to drive.

We seem to be looking for ways to avoid inconveniencing people, instead of looking for ways to save lives lost to impaired drivers.

[retrocop]

Lol. Good for you.

[Retrochic]

Andy - I'm not condoning getting behind a wheel 'under the influence' . Even after a small drink there could be traces of alcohol in your blood 8 hours afterwards. A small 'leeway' -perhaps 50% less than the legal limit at the moment -would be better in my opinion than an all out zero.

[andy-hughes]

Bazile - //Why are pub car parks full over ( and other times) christmas ? //

Because we live in an alcohol-tolerant society.l

[retrocop]

Elected drivers??
//Why are pub car parks full over ( and other times) christmas ?//

[Baldric]

///Why are pub car parks full over ( and other times) christmas ?///

Maybe people do as we do, if we have guests and take them for a meal/drink at our local, one of us does not drink alcohol, simples!

[Zacs-Master]

What on earth is an 'alcoholic tollerant society'?

[andy-hughes]

Sqad - //A-H.....no, I disagree.

The punishment has to be blood level of alcohol, related and also the past history of the offender has to be taken into consideration. //

Again that infers that there is some sort of sliding scale for not being caught previously.

I believe people should only be caught once - after all, most people only kill someone with a car once.

[Retrochic]

Andy - I disagree. Many people have changed their attitudes, that is one reason why rural pubs are closing - people dare not take the risk of driving home after a few pints. Getting 'done' at 9am for having a few milligrams of alcohol in your blood from last nights dinner is not the same as getting behind the wheel of a car after consuming 10 pints - and surely can't be given the same penalties.

[andy-hughes]

Zacs - //What on earth is an 'alcoholic tollerant society'? //

I have no idea - where have you seen that phrase?

[Retrochic]

We are having our works do at a pub - the 'Lads' are all going to the pub straght after work for a tipple - they will all leave their cars in the car park and will be driven home in the mini bus provided . Cars in pub car parks do not mean drunks are driving them home.

[cactusdriver]

@andy-hughes

Let me get this straight, are you saying that it should be illegal to have ANY amount of alcohol in one's blood?

[Retrochic]

yes that is what he is saying -thats what zero tolerance means

[andy-hughes]

Retrochic - //Andy - I disagree. Many people have changed their attitudes, that is one reason why rural pubs are closing - people dare not take the risk of driving home after a few pints. //

I would argue that the lack of popularity in rural pubs is connected to fear of being caught drink-driving.

Drinking habits have changed out of all recognition in the space of two generations.

The generation who would drive out to a comfy country pub and have a drink and drive home is gone - replaced by people who drink cheap supermarket alcohol at home before adjourning to late-opening town pubs to drink to excess.

//Getting 'done' at 9am for having a few milligrams of alcohol in your blood from last nights dinner is not the same as getting behind the wheel of a car after consuming 10 pints - and surely can't be given the same penalties. //

In the sense of driving when you are aware of alcohol in your system - it is exactly the same.

Your argument supports the notion that we should have a limit, and then aim to drink as near to it as possible, without going over.

That bears no relation to the effect of alcohol on the individual based on endless factors - tolerance, tiredness, weight, gender, and yes, medication.

It's not difficult - if you cannot drive because you may have alcohol in your system, then you don't drive.

[Baldric]

///Getting 'done' at 9am for having a few milligrams of alcohol in your blood from last nights dinner is not the same as getting behind the wheel of a car after consuming 10 pints///

Why not? if you have enough milligrams in your blood to get 'done' you are driving over the limit and deserve to be dealt with accordingly.

[furrypusscat]

I entirely agree with zero tolerance and lifetime ban. No mitigating circumstances like well I would lose my job as a driver. Tough, you know the penalty, it is up to you to decide to risk it or not but if you do drink and drive then you lose your job. There are too many soft magistrates/judges who fall for such excuses.

[Retrochic]

A zero tolerance policy imposes automatic punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct. Zero-tolerance policies forbid persons in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are required to impose a pre-determined punishment regardless of individual culpability, extenuating circumstances, or history. This pre-determined punishment need not be severe, but it is always meted out.

In other words if you get behind a wheel in full knowledge you've downed a huge amount of alcohol, if coaught you will get the same punishment as if you are cauhgt on the school run with a tiny amount of alcohol in your blood from the two glasses of wine you had with your meal the night before.

[andy-hughes]

cactusdrive - //Let me get this straight, are you saying that it should be illegal to have ANY amount of alcohol in one's blood? //

Yes that is exactly what I am saying.

I suffer from sleep apnoea - and I was assessed in terms of my fitness to drive.

Fortunately, I was judged not to have the condition seriously enough to impair my driving, but if I had, my licence would have been revoked.

Not - you can drive if you don't feel sleepy, or if you get ten hours a night, or any other get-outs, I would never have been allowed to drive again.

And I have no problem with that at all.

I wouldn't *** about it being unfair, or having no choice, I would accept the rule for the safety of everyone else.

Driving a car is a dangerous business - allowing people to indulge themselves and make it more dangerous is unacceptable.