RAC worried about Drunk Drivers
Two thirds of drunk drivers don't expect to get caught
Young, male, on the way home from work via the pub and well versed in the dangers and penalties if caught. That's the profile of a typical drink driver according to a Fife Police survey carried out last year.
Now the RAC Foundation is questioning current education and enforcement methods used to combat drinking and driving.
More than seven out of ten of the drink drivers who took part in the study admitted that they had seen or heard publicity campaigns within the previous six months - but offended anyway - while more than half were also aware of the correct penalties for the crime. Two thirds said they did not expect to get caught.
The study questioned those who failed or refused a breath test or those who returned a borderline amber reading. It showed that the majority of drivers were male (85 per cent), almost half were between the ages of 17 and 30 and the majority were in employment and had consumed alcohol in licensed premises. The most popular journey was returning home and 87 per cent indicated that they had not intended to drink and drive – still leaving 13 per cent who intended to drink and drive from the outset!
Four out of five of the offenders said that they were not worried about the danger of an accident on the way home and the most common reasons for getting behind the wheel were not realising they had consumed too much, arguments with partners, problems getting taxis home or going out for food or cigarettes.
Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said:
"Many young drivers seem to consider themselves above the law. They do it because they think that they will get away with it and the perception appears to be that road safety enforcement is carried out by camera and concentrates on speeding.
"The facts show that we have a growing problem with drinking and driving in the UK and that there is a need to understand why, despite years of campaigning, the problem still exists to this extent. "
It was this day in 1965 that the drink drive limit was introduced: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/18/newsid_2562000/2562711.stm |
Even if caught by Camera, they will only get prosecuted for speeeding.
They have no idea as to just how dangerous they are on the road and will probably keep chancing it until they kill or badly injure someone.
No sympathy with drunk and/or drugged drivers and would welcome random stop checks personally.
Davel said:A report on the Radio 2 news this afternoon about the guy in Kendal fined for giving a Scamera the Vs claimed that speed cameras had helped secure convictions for many offences including drink driving. They are just trying to throw as much bullshit at the entire speed camera reliance in the hope that enough sticks.
Even if caught by Camera, they will only get prosecuted for speeeding.
LexSport said:Ah! These wil be the new generation cameras that sample the air as the vehicle passes and (a) detect the presence of alcohol and (b) check the CO emissions from the vehicle itself.
Even if caught by Camera, they will only get prosecuted for speeeding.
A report on the Radio 2 news this afternoon about the guy in Kendal fined for giving a Scamera the Vs claimed that speed cameras had helped secure convictions for many offences including drink driving.
An amazing feat of technology, the cameras also determine whether the driver is wearing a seat belt, if the MOT is current and the vehicle is taxed and insured, if the driver is paying full attention, how close they are to the vehicle in front, whether all the lights work (day or night, it makes no difference to these cameras), if the driver is holding their cellular telephone and whether the washer bottle is topped up. As a public service, it then checks the level of oil in the engine, gearbox and differential.
It also makes toast!
Of course, if the driver isn't speeding, the camera doesn't take a photograph!
Streaky
streaky said:
Davel said:
Even if caught by Camera, they will only get prosecuted for speeeding.
A report on the Radio 2 news this afternoon about the guy in Kendal fined for giving a Scamera the Vs claimed that speed cameras had helped secure convictions for many offences including drink driving.
Ah! These wil be the new generation cameras that sample the air as the vehicle passes and (a) detect the presence of alcohol and (b) check the CO emissions from the vehicle itself.
An amazing feat of technology, the cameras also determine whether the driver is wearing a seat belt, if the MOT is current and the vehicle is taxed and insured, if the driver is paying full attention, how close they are to the vehicle in front, whether all the lights work (day or night, it makes no difference to these cameras), if the driver is holding their cellular telephone and whether the washer bottle is topped up. As a public service, it then checks the level of oil in the engine, gearbox and differential.
It also makes toast!
Of course, if the driver isn't speeding, the camera doesn't take a photograph!
Streaky
Do I detect a little sarcasm in your post Streaky??
streaky said:Streaky.........you wasted here. Suggest you send your CV to Gatso.
Davel said:
Even if caught by Camera, they will only get prosecuted for speeeding.
A report on the Radio 2 news this afternoon about the guy in Kendal fined for giving a Scamera the Vs claimed that speed cameras had helped secure convictions for many offences including drink driving.
Ah! These wil be the new generation cameras that sample the air as the vehicle passes and (a) detect the presence of alcohol and (b) check the CO emissions from the vehicle itself.
Blood* hell Streaky........you should be in government!!
Suggest you send your CV to Gatso
An amazing feat of technology, the cameras also determine whether the driver is wearing a seat belt, if the MOT is current and the vehicle is taxed and insured, if the driver is paying full attention, how close they are to the vehicle in front, whether all the lights work (day or night, it makes no difference to these cameras), if the driver is holding their cellular telephone and whether the washer bottle is topped up. As a public service, it then checks the level of oil in the engine, gearbox and differential.
It also makes toast!
Of course, if the driver isn't speeding, the camera doesn't take a photograph!
Streaky
mmm... toast and marmite... 
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Interestingly enough it has recently been reported in both the Guardian and the Times newspapers that British children, in comparison with those from other nations, have an appalling record of alcohol abuse. It seems that there is fast becoming a ‘drink’ culture among the teenage population, which has on many occasions produced teenage alcoholics.
Among the most alarming findings were the levels of alcohol drunk by British schoolchildren, particularly girls, according to Candace Currie, the director of the Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit at the University of Edinburgh. Of the 35 countries, England and Wales both came in the top three for the percentage of 11, 13 and 15-year-olds drinking at least one alcoholic drink a week.
The league table looks like this.
Percentage of 15-year-olds who drink alcohol in a week
TOP SIX
(highest first)
Wales 56
England 52
The Netherlands 51.4
Malta 47.8
Denmark 46.6
Scotland 43.1
BOTTOM SIX
(lowest first)
Portugal 15.7
US 16.4
France 16.9
Finland 16.8
Latvia 17
Ireland 17.9
My personal concern is that these kids, by getting into this alcohol abuse culture at such a young age, they will look upon it as being a ‘normal’ way of life. So what happens when they reach the age where they drive a car?
The Drink Drive campaign that started so strongly a good few years ago eventually lead to a big change in the Drink Drive culture of this country, but once it had reached what seemed to be regarded as a more acceptable level, the message all but disappeared. The result of this is that drink drive related incidents on our roads are rising again, but the anti-drink driving message is not being shouted loudly enough. Given that in the usual run of things these problems have got well underway by the time anyone takes any real notice I suspect that many of our boozy youth have now got a bit older, found a source of income, passed their driving tests and are out there on the roads amongst us. I can foresee that we are going to see the Drinking and Driving statistics soar through the roof before long and we will have to start all over again in trying to change the culture back again, but this time it will be twice as difficult to achieve.
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