Scottish Government to lower drink drive limit

Scottish Government to lower drink drive limit

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Discussion

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

243 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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oldsoak said:
Big deal...no one bothers when they lower a speed limit (until they get nabbed exceeding it that is) so why should anyone bother about lowering a different limit ....until of course they get nabbed exceeding it...
Sixty squid and three points is just a tad different from a mandatory ban and unaffordable insurance for the next ten years.

roachcoach

3,975 posts

154 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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Anyone know what the new limit is in real money?

There are guidelines for quantities/durations and driving the following day....would be nice to see these for any new limit.

GreigM

6,726 posts

248 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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This is simply a case of the SNP getting new powers and feeling they "have" to use them...rather than thinking "you know what, it ain't broke so lets leave it alone"....stupidly bad politics if you ask me and they are now tinkering with laws to support their Yes campaign - "oh look, we made Scotland safer by lowering the DD limit, imagine what we could do if we had total power" - idiots!

agtlaw

6,680 posts

205 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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roachcoach said:
Anyone know what the new limit is in real money?
As mentioned above, the proposed limit is approximately equal to 22 in breath.

10 Pence Short

32,880 posts

216 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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If the limit is going to be lowered, I'd support the notion of lesser penalties being brought in to support offences where the the limit is below the existing one. A 12 month disqualification for the relatively low limits suggested would in my view be disproportionate to the offence.

roachcoach

3,975 posts

154 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
agtlaw said:
roachcoach said:
Anyone know what the new limit is in real money?
As mentioned above, the proposed limit is approximately equal to 22 in breath.
Well, to be more specific a unit consumption/dissipation guideline. What was it before....10 units, stopping before 2200, driving at 0800 is ok?

agtlaw

6,680 posts

205 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
roachcoach said:
Well, to be more specific a unit consumption/dissipation guideline. What was it before....10 units, stopping before 2200, driving at 0800 is ok?
Nb it hasn't changed yet.

Depends on the person. Are you a 22 stone darts player or a 6 stone legal secretary?

Corpulent Tosser

5,459 posts

244 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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Another reason to vote NO! when SNP hold the referendum on independence.


oldsoak

5,618 posts

201 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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Einion Yrth said:
Sixty squid and three points is just a tad different from a mandatory ban and unaffordable insurance for the next ten years.
Of course it is...never said it wasn't...the point (and I'm sure you knew it really)was that people take no notice of numbers until it directly affects them personally...It doesn't matter if it's a speed limit or the percentage of booze you are allowed in your system when driving. Lowering speed limits or drink drive limits isn't a panacea that will make those things disappear forever.


Jamie VTS

1,238 posts

146 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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Does anybody have any information on how this will transalte into ammount of drink(s). (I know it varies massively from person to person)

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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Jamie VTS said:
Does anybody have any information on how this will transalte into ammount of drink(s). (I know it varies massively from person to person)
The intent is to make it low enough that sensible people who need to drive that day or the next are too afraid of losing their licence to consume any alcohol at all. Those who scoff at the current law will continue to do so. Idiotic.

jith

2,752 posts

214 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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GreigM said:
This is simply a case of the SNP getting new powers and feeling they "have" to use them...rather than thinking "you know what, it ain't broke so lets leave it alone"....stupidly bad politics if you ask me and they are now tinkering with laws to support their Yes campaign - "oh look, we made Scotland safer by lowering the DD limit, imagine what we could do if we had total power" - idiots!
Thanks for the blatant insult Greig. I happen to be one of those "idiots". Before you attack the SNP let me suggest you get yourself appropriately educated.

I am totally opposed to lowering the DD limit, depsite being a party member, as are some other members. I have expressed my thoughts on drunk driving many times on here, and we will never stop this problem unless we stop treating it as a driving offence and realise the problem is alcohol abuse.

Any lowering of the current limit does nothing, absolutely nothing to address this problem. What it will do is prosecute those who are completely capable of driving with very low limits of alcohol in their bloodstream: a completely pointless exercise.

As far as the Scottish Government are concerned, the DD limit is part of the attempt at bringing alcoholism in general under control because this is a serious problem in many parts of this country. Alcohol abuse is rife and has to be addressed. It has absolutely nothing whatever to do with the YES campaign. It has to do with bringing Scotland into line with European limits.

The beauty about being a member of the SNP as opposed to other parties is that you can actually express an opinion that is in opposition to party policy and live to tell the tale!

By the way Greig, I see you spend half your time in New York. Do you actually do anything there to support your own country, i.e. Scotland?

J

TPS

1,860 posts

212 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
oldsoak said:
Big deal...no one bothers when they lower a speed limit (until they get nabbed exceeding it that is) so why should anyone bother about lowering a different limit ....until of course they get nabbed exceeding it...
oldsoak said:
Of course it is...never said it wasn't...the point (and I'm sure you knew it really)was that people take no notice of numbers until it directly affects them personally...It doesn't matter if it's a speed limit or the percentage of booze you are allowed in your system when driving. Lowering speed limits or drink drive limits isn't a panacea that will make those things disappear forever.
Sorry oldsoak but I think your talking nonsense while trying to make a point.

The offence/punishment of drink driving is far more severe than going slightly over the speed limit.

I am sure there are many people who may exceed the speed limit by 10 or 20 mph on the motorway but would never dream of drink driving.

I do agree that the problem will nerver go away though.

driver67

976 posts

164 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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jith said:
Thanks for the blatant insult Greig. I happen to be one of those "idiots". Before you attack the SNP let me suggest you get yourself appropriately educated

J
I used to think independence would be good for Scotland but certainly not under the SNP left wing socialists.

They don't even want an independent Scotland but to be part of the EU and the Euro. What a joke you and your party are.

Lockerbie bomber release prompted me never to vote SNP. Bunch of tools.

roachcoach

3,975 posts

154 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
agtlaw said:
roachcoach said:
Well, to be more specific a unit consumption/dissipation guideline. What was it before....10 units, stopping before 2200, driving at 0800 is ok?
Nb it hasn't changed yet.

Depends on the person. Are you a 22 stone darts player or a 6 stone legal secretary?
I know, but guidelines are just that, guidelines wink

All well and good saying don't drink and drive, but how long after drinking can one think about driving? We don't all have home testing kits so in lieu of that there are guidelines biggrin

GreigM

6,726 posts

248 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
jith said:
By the way Greig, I see you spend half your time in New York. Do you actually do anything there to support your own country, i.e. Scotland?
I own a company which is an exporter from the UK to the US. We represent Scotland at Tartan Week every year. We were recognised by Mayor Bloomberg as a good example of the bond between Scotland and New York - is that good enough for you?

As for the "idiots" comment - on this issue I stand by it, the SNP have a new shiny thing in terms of laws and are playing with it for the benefit of political posturing rather than the benefit of the people. I was previously a supporter of the SNP in terms that I believe they are (and have proven to be) a better government for Scotland than Labour as they are focused somewhat on the needs of Scotland rather than Westminster.

Gaining a majority has been a bad thing for the SNP - they have lost focus on what is good for the day to day running of the country and what the people of Scotland want and are singularly focused on the independence vote, and policies like this are a good example of why that is a bad thing - you seem to agree. So yes, on this point I will call the SNP government idiots and their push on independence has lost my vote.

I look forward to the day the SNP lose the independence vote and can re-focus as being a good government who can fight for Scotland within the UK (rather than the Westminster controlled lackies which are Labour).

Just because I don't support independence doesn't make me anti-Scottish as your bile seems to suggest. Contrary to your view you can be Scottish and passionate about Scotland, without agreeing with independence - and in fact most of Scotland agrees with this point. Having an opinion which doesn't line up with yours doesn't make someone else uneducated.

Triumph Man

8,670 posts

167 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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Just out of interest, what is the leeway over the limit? Surely you wouldn't be banned for blowing a 36?

agtlaw

6,680 posts

205 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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As mentioned on page 1:

The present English limit is 35 in breath but you would not be charged or required to give blood if your lowest evidential breath test is under 40.

Triumph Man

8,670 posts

167 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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Ah sorry, didn't see that!

simoid

19,772 posts

157 months

Monday 28th May 2012
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Derek Smith said:
The suggestion of one pint putting you over the limit is a bit of a stretch of the truth. Come to that, so was the two pints for the 80mg limit.

There is a great deal of variation from person to person but I don't think anyone other than a dwarf female under 5 stone would get even near the limit.
I know of a large gentleman, of around 5 ft 11 and 16 stone, who had 2 pints of a light ale (3.5% ABV) and failed a breathalyser.

I reckon a large number of people would be over the limit on a pint of lager.








In general, I think bad idea. If lowering the limit was a solution to a problem, the limit would be 0 alcohol in the system.