Rural drink-driving
Discussion
Plymo said:
biggbn said:
Speed addicted said:
Ankh87 said:
I personally think there should be a zero tolerance to alcohol and drugs when driving. I don't care if it doesn't effect you, you still aren't in 100% control of you mind or body.
Issue is there's no way to enforce it unless there's a police officer at every pub or at the end of every street checking people which is impossible.
I don't think rural areas are any worse than urban. I think you notice it more because there's less people or you actually associate with people. When you're in a city you probably don't even know who's driving and who isn't. Whereas the local rural pub you'll know if they are driving or not because it'll be the only car in the car park.
If you're not 100% in control then the substance is affecting you. Issue with zero tolerance is that you could have some trifle or anything else that would cause issues, have a small amount of alcohol in your blood that doesn't change anything and get done. I think it's a sensible tolerance.Issue is there's no way to enforce it unless there's a police officer at every pub or at the end of every street checking people which is impossible.
I don't think rural areas are any worse than urban. I think you notice it more because there's less people or you actually associate with people. When you're in a city you probably don't even know who's driving and who isn't. Whereas the local rural pub you'll know if they are driving or not because it'll be the only car in the car park.
As for the only car in the car park, rural pub car parks are often packed.
I don't drink and drive at all. The Scottish limit is half the English one so you do need to be quite careful, and to me it's just not worth the risk for one pint (obviously 9 pints is also a bad idea).
.
And it didn't stop someone I know getting banned for being 4x the limit recently...
I think the idea was to make it clear that even one drink was too much, but to be honest I'm not sure it's had any effect,
Speed addicted said:
Plymo said:
biggbn said:
Speed addicted said:
Ankh87 said:
I personally think there should be a zero tolerance to alcohol and drugs when driving. I don't care if it doesn't effect you, you still aren't in 100% control of you mind or body.
Issue is there's no way to enforce it unless there's a police officer at every pub or at the end of every street checking people which is impossible.
I don't think rural areas are any worse than urban. I think you notice it more because there's less people or you actually associate with people. When you're in a city you probably don't even know who's driving and who isn't. Whereas the local rural pub you'll know if they are driving or not because it'll be the only car in the car park.
If you're not 100% in control then the substance is affecting you. Issue with zero tolerance is that you could have some trifle or anything else that would cause issues, have a small amount of alcohol in your blood that doesn't change anything and get done. I think it's a sensible tolerance.Issue is there's no way to enforce it unless there's a police officer at every pub or at the end of every street checking people which is impossible.
I don't think rural areas are any worse than urban. I think you notice it more because there's less people or you actually associate with people. When you're in a city you probably don't even know who's driving and who isn't. Whereas the local rural pub you'll know if they are driving or not because it'll be the only car in the car park.
As for the only car in the car park, rural pub car parks are often packed.
I don't drink and drive at all. The Scottish limit is half the English one so you do need to be quite careful, and to me it's just not worth the risk for one pint (obviously 9 pints is also a bad idea).
.
And it didn't stop someone I know getting banned for being 4x the limit recently...
I think the idea was to make it clear that even one drink was too much, but to be honest I'm not sure it's had any effect,
Back in the 70s lived in rural Northants. Regularly used a very minor country lane to get home from a pub in the next village. Was stopped by police road block one night. Expecting to have to blow in the bag I was surpised when they asked me to open the boot. They were looking for sheep rustlers and quickly waved me on!
This scares me now I look back on it, but in the 70's my dad used to go from London to Wales and back for the Rugby and drive back well over the limit.
His excuse? His passenger was an international rugby referee and he was just the driver
In rural Wales nobody would get checked and was rare to be pulled on the M4 unless you couldn't keep it in a straight line
RIP dad (not drink or car related) and I guess they repaired the Severn bridge toll barrier that you destroyed when you couldn't brake in time with me as a 10 year old in the back s
tting myself
His excuse? His passenger was an international rugby referee and he was just the driver
In rural Wales nobody would get checked and was rare to be pulled on the M4 unless you couldn't keep it in a straight line
RIP dad (not drink or car related) and I guess they repaired the Severn bridge toll barrier that you destroyed when you couldn't brake in time with me as a 10 year old in the back s
tting myselfI never drink drive, for me the consequences are too severe and it’s irresponsible.
However, I know people who do not consider that the rule against it even exists.
In 15 years and approx 150,000 miles of driving I have been stopped only twice (hot hatches and youth) and had a major accident and I have never been breath tested.
Unless you are st faced I’d say the chances of being caught are tiny with the few police around.
When I had my accident five police cars turned up (no road police admittedly), albeit it was a Wednesday morning at 6am and drink was not mentioned.
The lovely police lady who drove me home told me in a town with a population of 180,000 (St Helens, Merseyside) there are two police cars on a night shift.
Imagine the chances of bumping into a copper in the countryside?
However, I know people who do not consider that the rule against it even exists.
In 15 years and approx 150,000 miles of driving I have been stopped only twice (hot hatches and youth) and had a major accident and I have never been breath tested.
Unless you are s
t faced I’d say the chances of being caught are tiny with the few police around.When I had my accident five police cars turned up (no road police admittedly), albeit it was a Wednesday morning at 6am and drink was not mentioned.
The lovely police lady who drove me home told me in a town with a population of 180,000 (St Helens, Merseyside) there are two police cars on a night shift.
Imagine the chances of bumping into a copper in the countryside?
deckster said:
ingenieur said:
No, I'm arguing that there isn't any evidence to prove it either way. I'm not making that claim but neither am I accepting the opposite without some evidence.
Pretty sure you're trolling. But just in case...there is a huge amount of research. It's absolutely beyond question. https://www.google.com/search?q=does+alcohol+affec...It's far from scientific but there was an episode of 5th gear once where Quentin Wilson and Tiff Needell tested drink driving v.s. tired driving and found drink driving to be a bit of a laugh but tired driving to be horrendously dangerous.
ingenieur said:
No, they would have to back-2-back test the same driver facing the same challenges with the only difference being their alcohol consumption. i.e. not coincidently suffering from tiredness after a long week at work, etc.
It's far from scientific but there was an episode of 5th gear once where Quentin Wilson and Tiff Needell tested drink driving v.s. tired driving and found drink driving to be a bit of a laugh but tired driving to be horrendously dangerous.
So ideally don’t do either? It's far from scientific but there was an episode of 5th gear once where Quentin Wilson and Tiff Needell tested drink driving v.s. tired driving and found drink driving to be a bit of a laugh but tired driving to be horrendously dangerous.
I was working away for a week on the island of Orkney, it was summer time so I’d taken a hire car from Inverness and driven up and taken the ferry.
I mostly stayed around Kirkwall in the evening but one night I drove across the islands and to a restaurant which had great reviews for its fish. I had a glass of white whilst I thumbed the menu and the waitress came over and offered me another.
‘No thanks I’m driving’ I said as I proceeded to order my dinner. She then pointed over to the corner and said ‘see that wee fella in the corner getting pished with his wife, that’s the local Bobby. You can have the rest of the bottle and still drive home if ye like, he won’t be going anywhere fo’ oors’
I had another glass to be polite then had an hours wander around the bay after dinner.
I mostly stayed around Kirkwall in the evening but one night I drove across the islands and to a restaurant which had great reviews for its fish. I had a glass of white whilst I thumbed the menu and the waitress came over and offered me another.
‘No thanks I’m driving’ I said as I proceeded to order my dinner. She then pointed over to the corner and said ‘see that wee fella in the corner getting pished with his wife, that’s the local Bobby. You can have the rest of the bottle and still drive home if ye like, he won’t be going anywhere fo’ oors’
I had another glass to be polite then had an hours wander around the bay after dinner.
Teddy Lop said:
Gecko1978 said:
Driver101 said:
Pistom said:
Clearly alcohol must have some impairment but the risk of getting caught is virtually none, the liklihood of causing an accident virtually none so should anyone care?
In 2019 there was 8000 people killed or injured due to drink driving crashes. It dropped to 6500 in 2020. Pubs were closed and people covering less miles. The true figure of the amount of crashes, bumps and scrapes will be massively higher. Alcohol heavily affects people's reactions and ability. A few drinks and they feel more confident, but don't realise they are impaired. Head along to an A&E department on a weekend evening. The place is full of people having alcohol related accidents.
I don't agree that there is virtually no likelihood of causing an accident.
Given the pubs were shut most of the year - and driving itself restricted for many - the fact that by his figures the casualty rate dropped less than 20% is interesting.
Clearly it's a lot of people and sad if it could have been avoided had drink not been involved but we just don't have the detail to really know.
What is missing here is nuanced thinking as is evidenced elsewhere when people talk about drivers being 2,3 or 4 times over the limit. Just one point over the limit will put you in the position of not being permitted to drive but that doesn't make the driver unsafe - simply more impaired. I find it hard to imagine anyone over the limit 3 times as not being seriously impaired so why use that as an argument?
In any case, arguing that it's OK to drink and drive will never be supported no matter how much evidence is presented as society has gone too far down the road of "if it saves only one life" type thinking, regardless of the impact it has on social freedoms.
Generally speaking, the law seems to be sensibly administered unlike say speeding laws.
I used to drive around quite often after pulling bongs all night.
I was higher than Robin Gibbs voice & can’t believe I was so stupid, but I’ve never been drunk & driven.
Slightly OT but Cannabis driving is not as impairing as drink driving IMO. Still needs cracking down on though which I’m glad to see is happening.
I was higher than Robin Gibbs voice & can’t believe I was so stupid, but I’ve never been drunk & driven.
Slightly OT but Cannabis driving is not as impairing as drink driving IMO. Still needs cracking down on though which I’m glad to see is happening.
In the early 90s I lived and worked in Co Wicklow.
There was a pub where the Gards drank through their night shift then drove back to the station in their squad cars, not drunk but certainly over the limit.
Back then a lot of them had radios in their cars and couldn't be contacted if they weren't in them. If something kicked off (some old farmer thumping his wife or a drunk crashing into a black cow on a dark road sort of kicking off) the sergeant used to phone the pub.
I'm assuming that sort of thing is long over and done with over there. Even out in the country.
There was a pub where the Gards drank through their night shift then drove back to the station in their squad cars, not drunk but certainly over the limit.
Back then a lot of them had radios in their cars and couldn't be contacted if they weren't in them. If something kicked off (some old farmer thumping his wife or a drunk crashing into a black cow on a dark road sort of kicking off) the sergeant used to phone the pub.
I'm assuming that sort of thing is long over and done with over there. Even out in the country.
Tannedbaldhead said:
In the early 90s I lived and worked in Co Wicklow.
There was a pub where the Gards drank through their night shift then drove back to the station in their squad cars, not drunk but certainly over the limit.
Back then a lot of them had radios in their cars and couldn't be contacted if they weren't in them. If something kicked off (some old farmer thumping his wife or a drunk crashing into a black cow on a dark road sort of kicking off) the sergeant used to phone the pub.
I'm assuming that sort of thing is long over and done with over there. Even out in the country.
Lived in Co. Monaghan from 2014-2020 and whilst I didn’t see the Garda at it we would have late nights/early mornings in the local and the daughter of the owner would be sent out just before closing to check the local roads for checkpoints before everyone merrily drove home…There was a pub where the Gards drank through their night shift then drove back to the station in their squad cars, not drunk but certainly over the limit.
Back then a lot of them had radios in their cars and couldn't be contacted if they weren't in them. If something kicked off (some old farmer thumping his wife or a drunk crashing into a black cow on a dark road sort of kicking off) the sergeant used to phone the pub.
I'm assuming that sort of thing is long over and done with over there. Even out in the country.
Only place I have lived where the pub attire is a his vis vest and a torch…
Dr Interceptor said:
J4CKO said:
Its all good fun until you come off the road and end up with a fence pole in your ribcage for your trouble, as someone I know did. He survived, more or less. He wasnt pissed but was definitely over and wasnt even his fault really, another car came onto his side of the road at speed.
Yup, and if you come off the road in the middle of nowhere, it can be hours before you're found. Anyway. One Sunday morning a bloke down the road, knocked on out the door and paid me the asking price without a test drive.
Turned out his son had taken his car to a pub in the middle of nowhere, with 4 mates and all of them.got pissed, and on the way back the car ended up on top of a dry stone wall. They walked home about 4 miles. The farmer was a fair minded man, and it was agreed, that he could weigh the BX in, and the five lads, would be taught to dry stone wall, and fix that wall and spend another 2 days fixing other dry stone walls.
Apparently one of the lads, enjoyed dry stone walling so much that he set up in business and started to make a decent living from it.
Portofino said:
I used to drive around quite often after pulling bongs all night.
I was higher than Robin Gibbs voice & can’t believe I was so stupid, but I’ve never been drunk & driven.
Slightly OT but Cannabis driving is not as impairing as drink driving IMO. Still needs cracking down on though which I’m glad to see is happening.
It's hard to quantify. Let's start by stating the obvious that neither are good, just in case someone freaks. Out here we have plenty of drink driving but by far the most common type of car crash is either the elderly person or the usual thicko who cuts a blind bend. I was higher than Robin Gibbs voice & can’t believe I was so stupid, but I’ve never been drunk & driven.
Slightly OT but Cannabis driving is not as impairing as drink driving IMO. Still needs cracking down on though which I’m glad to see is happening.
Every Saturday and Sunday morning there will be hatchbacks in hedges and it's 50:50 as to whether it an old person on prescription meds or a young person on non prescription meds. The poss heads in their larger cars seem to always make it home.
Drink driving isn't acceptable but I do suspect there are more incidents now involving legal and illegal drugs than alcohol.
Pistom said:
Teddy Lop said:
Gecko1978 said:
Driver101 said:
Pistom said:
Clearly alcohol must have some impairment but the risk of getting caught is virtually none, the liklihood of causing an accident virtually none so should anyone care?
In 2019 there was 8000 people killed or injured due to drink driving crashes. It dropped to 6500 in 2020. Pubs were closed and people covering less miles. The true figure of the amount of crashes, bumps and scrapes will be massively higher. Alcohol heavily affects people's reactions and ability. A few drinks and they feel more confident, but don't realise they are impaired. Head along to an A&E department on a weekend evening. The place is full of people having alcohol related accidents.
I don't agree that there is virtually no likelihood of causing an accident.
Given the pubs were shut most of the year - and driving itself restricted for many - the fact that by his figures the casualty rate dropped less than 20% is interesting.
Clearly it's a lot of people and sad if it could have been avoided had drink not been involved but we just don't have the detail to really know.
What is missing here is nuanced thinking as is evidenced elsewhere when people talk about drivers being 2,3 or 4 times over the limit. Just one point over the limit will put you in the position of not being permitted to drive but that doesn't make the driver unsafe - simply more impaired. I find it hard to imagine anyone over the limit 3 times as not being seriously impaired so why use that as an argument?
In any case, arguing that it's OK to drink and drive will never be supported no matter how much evidence is presented as society has gone too far down the road of "if it saves only one life" type thinking, regardless of the impact it has on social freedoms.
Generally speaking, the law seems to be sensibly administered unlike say speeding laws.
Having lived in a village in the middle of nowhere in Cornwall, where a farm labourer ran his mate over driving home from the social club I've seen what can happen. They really should crack down it big time. There really is no excuse for drink and drug driving and it should not at all be socially acceptable, ever.
Scabutz said:
Years and years ago I worked in a restaurant that was in a rural location. It was part of a zoo, but at Christmas it would have quite decent parties for the local well to do people. Most of them would come, get stfaced, and drive home.
It wasn't the Fenn Bell Inn was it? I've seen people in some real states attempt to get in cars from there. tfaced, and drive home.Just here to say, shame on you for those defending this behaviour. If someone fancies drink then it’s on them to work out a way of getting home that doesn’t risk taking out an innocent party.
I see a lot of this in the villages around my way. Smacks of arrogance. Impaired is impaired. You don’t get to choose how the law applies to you as and when it suits you.
I see a lot of this in the villages around my way. Smacks of arrogance. Impaired is impaired. You don’t get to choose how the law applies to you as and when it suits you.
rockandrollmark said:
Just here to say, shame on you for those defending this behaviour. If someone fancies drink then it’s on them to work out a way of getting home that doesn’t risk taking out an innocent party.
I see a lot of this in the villages around my way. Smacks of arrogance. Impaired is impaired. You don’t get to choose how the law applies to you as and when it suits you.
completely agree, drink drivers are selfish aI see a lot of this in the villages around my way. Smacks of arrogance. Impaired is impaired. You don’t get to choose how the law applies to you as and when it suits you.
holes that deserve to lose their licences, same for all drug drivers too, even if it is only a couple of spliffs, knobsGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff