Calls to Lower Drink Drive Limit
Discussion
Its reported on the BBC website <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4153213.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4153213.stm</a> that there are calls to reduce the drink drive limit.
The reason for this is that there hasn't been a drop in the percentage of people failing the breath test. So how is reducing the limit going to help?
Ah I forgot that reducing speed limits has reduced the numbers done for speeding! :-D
In my opinion in many cases those caught drink driving are habitual offenders who think I won't be caught as I haven't been caught yet. These people need targeting somehow.
Edit: Whoops can't change the heading!
>>> Edited by chrisgr31 on Friday 7th January 14:04
The reason for this is that there hasn't been a drop in the percentage of people failing the breath test. So how is reducing the limit going to help?
Ah I forgot that reducing speed limits has reduced the numbers done for speeding! :-D
In my opinion in many cases those caught drink driving are habitual offenders who think I won't be caught as I haven't been caught yet. These people need targeting somehow.
Edit: Whoops can't change the heading!
>>> Edited by chrisgr31 on Friday 7th January 14:04
Can't say I think doing this will make a blind bit of difference.
Questions that need to be answered are:
How many people, involved in collisions, were over 50mg and under 80mg as a percentage of total drivers involved in collisions.
I'll bet its really low..and therefore not worth bothering with.
Why?
There will always be those who choose to get pissed and drive. These people are already being caught by the 80mg limit.
There are those who choose not to drink at all.
There are those who choose to drink a pint of beer and possibly a half on a Friday before going home. A British tradition and enjoyed perfectly responsibly by millions of people.
Nearly all these people will NOT be involved in a collision. Those that are may be between 50 and 80....maybe...
Questions that need to be answered are:
How many people, involved in collisions, were over 50mg and under 80mg as a percentage of total drivers involved in collisions.
I'll bet its really low..and therefore not worth bothering with.
Why?
There will always be those who choose to get pissed and drive. These people are already being caught by the 80mg limit.
There are those who choose not to drink at all.
There are those who choose to drink a pint of beer and possibly a half on a Friday before going home. A British tradition and enjoyed perfectly responsibly by millions of people.
Nearly all these people will NOT be involved in a collision. Those that are may be between 50 and 80....maybe...
Don said:
Can't say I think doing this will make a blind bit of difference.
Questions that need to be answered are:
How many people, involved in collisions, were over 50mg and under 80mg as a percentage of total drivers involved in collisions.
I'll bet its really low..and therefore not worth bothering with.
Why?
There will always be those who choose to get pissed and drive. These people are already being caught by the 80mg limit.
There are those who choose not to drink at all.
There are those who choose to drink a pint of beer and possibly a half on a Friday before going home. A British tradition and enjoyed perfectly responsibly by millions of people.
Nearly all these people will NOT be involved in a collision. Those that are may be between 50 and 80....maybe...
I'd agree with you. Most people are responsible and will have nothing to drink, or depending on the circumstances may have 1 or 1 1/2 pints.
I usually only have a pint to drink if I am out relatively locally and know I won't be driving home after my usual bedtime. Alternatively if out for a meal I'll have a single glass of wine.
If at a party when I know I will be driving home late, and therefore potenially tired I won't add to that by having a drink, and also if some way from home I won;t have a drink either.
on the streets. Human nature is such that people know there are less police about and are more likely to chance it.Well I do not see any justification for reducing the limit. It would be much more helpful to catch the people who drive while seriously over the existing limit, but you would need a very smart camera to do that!
I appreciate that many of you operate a 'no drinking at all if you're going to be driving' policy, and if you feel that is right approach, so be it.
For my own purposes I am quite happy to drink a pint or two before driving, and I do not feel that this appreciably reduces my ability to drive safely.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
I appreciate that many of you operate a 'no drinking at all if you're going to be driving' policy, and if you feel that is right approach, so be it.
For my own purposes I am quite happy to drink a pint or two before driving, and I do not feel that this appreciably reduces my ability to drive safely.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Some Halfords stores have the old fashioned blow in the bag breathalysers on the checkout - £3.99 and accurate if you're worried about the morning after a boozy night.
It's not worth risking losing your licemse even though it's easier to not get caught these days with the lack of TrafPol! If you have an accident that wasn't your gault you may be breathalysed!
It's not worth risking losing your licemse even though it's easier to not get caught these days with the lack of TrafPol! If you have an accident that wasn't your gault you may be breathalysed!
The only people penalised by the drink driving laws are the moderate majority. The alcoholics went out and got drunk then drove home before the breath test and they still do. Fewer traffic police means less chance of prosecution the limit is irrelavent and small ammounts of alcohol around that which a lower limit would prosecute actually improve driver safety anyway. Best limit reduction needed is a limit to how much silly legislation the political idiots are allowed to pass lets say 3 bits per parliament.
wolf1 said:
How many actual units is it supposed to be now. I was under the immpression that all you could have was 1unit of alcohol, which is about 2/3rds of a bottle of Bud.
It really does depend. My wife would be over the limit (she's not very big) on a large glass of wine, whereas I could do a pint and half of Stella and not be.
Personally I try to avoid drinking and driving. On a Friday night I may have that pint and half with my colleagues before driving the short distance home. I am certain I am not over the limit or I would not do that. My concience can live with that behaviour.
Having said that I am going to have an experiment shortly and (whilst AT HOME) have a go with some of these breathalyser bags and work out when I get over the limit.
I'll post back. It will be interesting to see whether or not for all these years I've been operating a sensible, responsible policy or whether I am, in fact, a nutter who'll have to mend his ways.
I'll let you all know.
Carole Whittingham a campaigner said:
"The solution is easy - have a zero limit."
And, dear Carol, you would be the first to complain when that couple of glasses of wine you had last night comes back to haunt you when you are stopped the following morning, or when you have had some of that alcohol-containing medicine for your chesty cough before setting off for work.....
And in both West and North Yorkshire, the % of drivers failing breath tests is up from last year (c. 15% in WY, I believe)
http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=15050966&method=full&siteid=50060&headline=police-arrest-28-for-drink-driving-name_page.html
www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=914178
And I just happened to be following what I believe to be an OPL driver on my way home this evening. Phoned in to police (hands-free, of course...) 10mph through green-light junctions, weaving all over the road. Of course, he wouldn't get caught by any scameras so was driving perfectly safely.
>> Edited by Alice Cupra on Friday 7th January 23:24
Alice Cupra said:
"The solution is easy - have a zero limit."
And, dear Carol, you would be the first to complain when that couple of glasses of wine you had last night comes back to haunt you when you are stopped the following morning, or when you have had some of that alcohol-containing medicine for your chesty cough before setting off for work.....
And in both West and North Yorkshire, the % of drivers failing breath tests is up from last year (c. 15% in WY, I believe)
<a href="http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=15050966&method=full&siteid=50060&headline=police-arrest-28-for-drink-driving-name_page.html">http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=15050966&method=full&siteid=50060&headline=police-arrest-28-for-drink-driving-name_page.html</a>
<a href="http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=914178">www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=914178</a>
And I just happened to be following what I believe to be an OPL driver on my way home this evening. Phoned in to police (hands-free, of course...) 10mph through green-light junctions, weaving all over the road. Of course, he wouldn't get caught by any scameras so was driving perfectly safely.
>> Edited by Alice Cupra on Friday 7th January 23:24
Yeah this is where the cops can really scope some public support by stopping
wits like this. Morons abound in the UK it seems Alice Cupra said:
"The solution is easy - have a zero limit."
And, dear Carol, you would be the first to complain when that couple of glasses of wine you had last night comes back to haunt you when you are stopped the following morning, or when you have had some of that alcohol-containing medicine for your chesty cough before setting off for work.....
Does she drive? Most of those campaiging on these subjects appear not to drive, or if they do drive, only drive at weekends, and probably do about 1,000 miles a year.
After all anyone who can say that public transport is a good alternative to the car has to be an idiot. Yes Public Transport is good if it goes from your starting point to your destination, is frequent, reliable, you know when you are travelling and of course you have no luggage/shopping.
Alice Cupra said:
Carole Whittingham a campaigner said:
"The solution is easy - have a zero limit."
And, dear Carol, you would be the first to complain when that couple of glasses of wine you had last night comes back to haunt you when you are stopped the following morning, or when you have had some of that alcohol-containing medicine for your chesty cough before setting off for work.....
Do not have one drink if intend to driver personally. But.. body contains very small amount of alchohol normally in any case. This occurs when some normal foodstuffs are broken down in some people's digestive system.
Lot of off counter products do contain a small of alcohol - und cough medicines are notorious forthis. Lot of people do take double the dose - and this has been known to show in the screening test.
Also - certain mouth washes contain alcohol and traces of this, cough medicine and the strong pickles person had with their fish and chips the night before would show up on inital screening if a zero level was "the law" und they would probably not have zero alcohol in their system anyway because of normal behaviour.
Hence you could not reasonably expect a nil amount of alcohol in a person's system.
So .. some would be accused of this und may even just be marginal. Normally those counries mit the lower limit warn, but do not prosecute - they normally start to prosecute at 80 mg/100mls upwards.
chrisg31 said:
Does she drive? Most of those campaiging on these subjects appear not to drive, or if they do drive, only drive at weekends, and probably do about 1,000 miles a year.
After all anyone who can say that public transport is a good alternative to the car has to be an idiot. Yes Public Transport is good if it goes from your starting point to your destination, is frequent, reliable, you know when you are travelling and of course you have no luggage/shopping.
Anyone mit young kittens knows you never know when you will be travelling - someone needs toilet at last minute or throws a grizzly.
Und you have no idea how big and cumbersome a pram is until you try luggng it on a bus. Then you find another Mama on bus - und these prams are not that easy to fold when you are holding a wriggling and wailing kitten either. Und the buses these days have not been built to accommodate prams either. Und the same would apply to trains as well.... und probably those trams in Manchester... It ist ridiculous ...
These people really have no idea.
WildCat said:
...body contains very small amount of alchohol normally in any case. This occurs when some normal foodstuffs are broken down in some people's digestive system.
Lot of off counter products do contain a small of alcohol - und cough medicines are notorious forthis. Lot of people do take double the dose - and this has been known to show in the screening test.
Also - certain mouth washes contain alcohol and traces of this, cough medicine and the strong pickles person had with their fish and chips the night before would show up on inital screening if a zero level was "the law" und they would probably not have zero alcohol in their system anyway because of normal behaviour.
Hence you could not reasonably expect a nil amount of alcohol in a person's system.
So .. some would be accused of this and may even just be marginal. Normally those countries with the lower limit warn, but do not prosecute - they normally start to prosecute at 80 mg/100mls upwards.
There you are then, a zero limit would be unworkable, so leave the limit as it is but enforce it sensibly.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
True Dave.
Neither Wildy nor self would even think of driving after having one drink - but that is our personal stance. We appreciate that two mild beers or a glass of wine with a meal is not going to impair most people. We just make a decision when we o out regrding driving or taxis. Taxi usually wins -as that means we can snog in the back!
But ... average human body can never show a zero booze level. Heck - if I'd run a blood test on our youngest last week - she'd have shown an alcohol content as Wildy's mince pies would have entered her system from Wildy's milk.
Much as I am against the idea of driving after just one drink from my own subjective point of view, I would argue that if this lower level were introduced to bring us in line with EU, then all traffic law should be upgraded to EU standards. This means prosecution levels should be uniform - and prosecutions for drink driving would thus remain at current levels and warning issued for the 50-80mg/100mls rate. Also - penalty points would not be issued for up to 10 mph above speed limit and m/way limits would be increased t0 81.25 mph.
Neither Wildy nor self would even think of driving after having one drink - but that is our personal stance. We appreciate that two mild beers or a glass of wine with a meal is not going to impair most people. We just make a decision when we o out regrding driving or taxis. Taxi usually wins -as that means we can snog in the back!
But ... average human body can never show a zero booze level. Heck - if I'd run a blood test on our youngest last week - she'd have shown an alcohol content as Wildy's mince pies would have entered her system from Wildy's milk.
Much as I am against the idea of driving after just one drink from my own subjective point of view, I would argue that if this lower level were introduced to bring us in line with EU, then all traffic law should be upgraded to EU standards. This means prosecution levels should be uniform - and prosecutions for drink driving would thus remain at current levels and warning issued for the 50-80mg/100mls rate. Also - penalty points would not be issued for up to 10 mph above speed limit and m/way limits would be increased t0 81.25 mph.
Have only just read this post, (been away for the weekend), so Sorry, for throwing it up again. 
It makes me wonder, because I can't see the need for this move. Is the stage being set to find work for the speedfinder General when he runs out of speeders?
BiB's, It's your job they're taking (on the cheap) I'd be interested in your views.
>> Edited by 8Pack on Monday 10th January 01:45
It makes me wonder, because I can't see the need for this move. Is the stage being set to find work for the speedfinder General when he runs out of speeders?
BiB's, It's your job they're taking (on the cheap) I'd be interested in your views.
>> Edited by 8Pack on Monday 10th January 01:45
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