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?

[Bazile]

Well it's good to know that all the drivers are not drinking or not over the limit

[Retrochic]

Balsric - you could have a few milligrams of Alcohol in your system by taking a dose of certain cough medicines - zero tolerance means you would get 'done' for taking the cough medicine

[Baldric]

I see 'Zero tolerance' as not being 'no alcohol' at all but no tolerance of anyone over the limit, or there is no point in having a limit.

[Zacs-Master]

Fairly clear what I meant Andy. I slightly misspelt your comment. Could you clarify what an 'Alcohol tolerant society' is now?

[cactusdriver]

@Retrochic

Not always - zero tolerance can mean no ifs or buts if you are caught driving over the limit and I wanted to be sure andy-hughes was really advocating a no alcohol limit.

[andy-hughes]

Retochic - //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. //

Again, you appear to be pleading the case for the 'moderate' drink driver.

There is no such thing. If you have alcohol in your system, your driving is impaired. Never mind if you acknowledge that or not, or even if you care, and plenty do not.

If you are going to drive a car, don't drink alcohol.

So make the rule, make people aware, and enforce it.

I really fail to see where the problem or argument comes from.

[Retrochic]

I thought 'Zero Tolerance' meant there was no limit -the limit was no alcohol in your blood at all while driving

[andy-hughes]

Zacs - //Fairly clear what I meant Andy. I slightly misspelt your comment. Could you clarify what an 'Alcohol tolerant society' is now? //

It is a society which has grown up and developed with alcohol as a central part of its recreational activity.

Therefore, concepts like driving, which arrived after alcohol, have been made to fit around it, instead of the other way around.

We allow people to drink and drive because it has been seen as acceptable - less so now, but still acceptable.

Being caught drinking and driving is perceived as bad luck, not gross irresponsibility - and I believe it is time to change that perception.

[andy-hughes]

Retrochic - //Balsric - you could have a few milligrams of Alcohol in your system by taking a dose of certain cough medicines - zero tolerance means you would get 'done' for taking the cough medicine //

Then buy an alcohol-free product, or refrain from driving - what's the issue?

[Copacetic]

the simple answer is to befriend a teetotaller who has a driving license

[Retrochic]

andy - there is no issue -its been resolved for me by a bit of research -zero tolerance will have a limit of 20mg/100ml blood as opposed to the 80mg of alcohol per 100ml we have at the moment -that was the 'leeway' I was talking about.

[retrocop]

I always believed that zero tolerance is No alcohol mh per ml blood whatsoever. When we talk of limits it is like an allowance. You are allowed to have up to the limit of ? mg/100ml before a prosecution ensues. ?

[ummmm]

Andy...you won't win this argument. Zero limit will never happen while medicines contain alcohol.

I agree it should be lowered to the minimum medicines contain.

[Zacs-Master]

Andy, I fundamentally disagree with your perception that we tollerate / allow (?) drink driving and that it's considered bad luck to get caught. Please don't forget that it's only 18% of drivers. The vast majority don't intend to drink / drive.

[ummmm]

Trace...that's what they call it.

[jackthehat]

Being caught drink driving should result in a lifetime ban.
However, having a miniscule amount of alcohol in your system which whilst present causes no impairment should NOT trigger a 'positive' result in terms of being over the limit.

The limit should be set at the maximum amount any medication, etc. can be expected to cause...

[Retrochic]

I think the 20mg takes into account any 'innocent' alcohol that may be in your blood -its a very small amount and 75% less than the legal limit at the moment so around a quarter of a pint of beer or about two tablespoons ( 30 ml) of wine that amount would'nt even make a nun squiffy.

[cactusdriver]

http://etsc.eu/blood-alcohol-content-bac-drink-driving-limits-across-europe/

It would seem that we in England have the highest drink- drive limit in Europe with only Slovakia having a no- alcohol policy. We could argue for ever about what the limit should be - I'd go for 50mg/100ml for a start.