[News] Drink driving - why?

Buzzer · Mar 19, 2018

Ant (or Dec) arrested for drink driving after hitting another car and hospitalising a young child in it. Footballer Darren Gibson writing off his Merc at the weekend and all those other selfish c-words who get into their car after a skinful every day of the week. I'm not a big one for grassing people up to the police but I've absolutely no qualms about doing it in the case of drink-driving.

I was under the impression, quite possibly wrong, that we've some of the strictest drink laws in the world. I don't get why people still do it and is there any more we could do to deter people from putting the rest of us at risk? Longer bans? Bigger penalties?

Springal · Mar 19, 2018

Buzzer said:
Ant (or Dec) arrested for drink driving after hitting another car and hospitalising a young child in it. Footballer Darren Gibson writing off his Merc at the weekend and all those other selfish c-words who get into their car after a skinful every day of the week. I'm not a big one for grassing people up to the police but I've absolutely no qualms about doing it in the case of drink-driving.

I was under the impression, quite possibly wrong, that we've some of the strictest drink laws in the world. I don't get why people still do it and is there any more we could do to deter people from putting the rest of us at risk? Longer bans? Bigger penalties?

Pretty strict but still not enough of a deterrent. Our older generation still have a really shitty attitude to it too, many see no problems with 2 big glasses or wine or a few pints and then driving back from a country pub. There really is no excuse for it and baffling that many don't appreciate how reckless it is.

Normal Rob · Mar 19, 2018

Entitlement. Some people think that they are above the rest of us.

Buzzer · Mar 19, 2018

Springal said:
Pretty strict but still not enough of a deterrent. Our older generation still have a really shitty attitude to it too, many see no problems with 2 big glasses or wine or a few pints and then driving back from a country pub. There really is no excuse for it and baffling that many don't appreciate how reckless it is.

Trouble is that Ant (or Dec) and Darren Gibson are not exactly older generation though. I'd agree with your general argument though.

dazzer6666 · Mar 19, 2018

Think Ant maybe has MH issues which whilst not justifying it at all may go some way at least to explaining it (and no doubt will be used in his defence if he's charged with anything). Possibly needs help as well as punishment.

More generally, the allowable % limit in bloodstream should be reduced and penalties increased in my opinion.

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Springal · Mar 19, 2018

Buzzer said:
Trouble is that Ant (or Dec) and Darren Gibson are not exactly older generation though. I'd agree with your general argument though.

Yeah agreed. Especially in Ants case no excuse, he probably even has the ITV Addison Lee account on tap to be able to get a taxi from where ever, whenever. Odd thing was his mum was in the car so 2 massive errors of judgement

The Clamp · Mar 19, 2018

Shoule be zero %. Cuts out any ambiguity then. Can I get away with one more pint? I did last time....

Zero % would not stop it all together but would leave people in no doubt that NO, it is NOT okay to drive.

I can never really understand why people want to have one drink and then go driving. For me a drink is something to enjoy when all the commitments of the day are over. A couple of pints at lunchtime is basically ensuring I'm pissing for the next two hours and have a mild headache at 3pm. What's the point?

RandyWanger · Mar 19, 2018

Why is there a limit? Why not zero tolerance? Surely that'll cut out a lot of the grey area where people think they are fine to drive. Beaten to it.

Buzzer · Mar 19, 2018

dazzer6666 said:
Think Ant maybe has MH issues which whilst not justifying it at all may go some way at least to explaining it (and no doubt will be used in his defence if he's charged with anything). Possibly needs help as well as punishment.

More generally, the allowable % limit in bloodstream should be reduced and penalties increased in my opinion.

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I've every sympathy with anyone with mental health issues. I've zero sympathy with anyone using that as an excuse for drink-driving. If he uses that as an excuse then he does a disservice to everyone else with MH problems and damages all the hard work trying to get mental health problems better understood. (In my opinion)

Greg Bobkin · Mar 19, 2018

Yeah, but at least they didn't SPIT at anyone. Then there would be OUTRAGE...

The Gem · Mar 19, 2018

Buzzer said:
Ant (or Dec) arrested for drink driving after hitting another car and hospitalising a young child in it. Footballer Darren Gibson writing off his Merc at the weekend and all those other selfish c-words who get into their car after a skinful every day of the week. I'm not a big one for grassing people up to the police but I've absolutely no qualms about doing it in the case of drink-driving.

I was under the impression, quite possibly wrong, that we've some of the strictest drink laws in the world. I don't get why people still do it and is there any more we could do to deter people from putting the rest of us at risk? Longer bans? Bigger penalties?

Life ban simple, same as drug driving and killing whilst driving.

dazzer6666 · Mar 19, 2018

Buzzer said:
I've every sympathy with anyone with mental health issues. I've zero sympathy with anyone using that as an excuse for drink-driving. If he uses that as an excuse then he does a disservice to everyone else with MH problems and damages all the hard work trying to get mental health problems better understood. (In my opinion)

Agree with you.....but won't be surprised if it happens...

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mejonaNO12 aka riskit · Mar 19, 2018

The issue with 0% is you then get into the murky area where people will COMPLETELY innocently get in their car hours and hours after 1 pint and still register the SMALLEST of %'s ....and get nicked for it.

You need leeway on a law like this otherwise it is unsustainable in real life situations.

My understanding is alcohol can be detected on the breath test or swab for up to 24 hours sometimes but I may be completely wrong on this.

If someone is getting in their car and driving drunk, they won't give two hoots if its 0% or the current benchmark. The limit is there to stop people getting nicked when they've actually only had a very minimal amount in the time before driving.

Westdene Seagull · Mar 19, 2018

Buzzer said:
Ant (or Dec) arrested for drink driving after hitting another car and hospitalising a young child in it. Footballer Darren Gibson writing off his Merc at the weekend and all those other selfish c-words who get into their car after a skinful every day of the week. I'm not a big one for grassing people up to the police but I've absolutely no qualms about doing it in the case of drink-driving.

I was under the impression, quite possibly wrong, that we've some of the strictest drink laws in the world. I don't get why people still do it and is there any more we could do to deter people from putting the rest of us at risk? Longer bans? Bigger penalties?

Car engines that won't start without a breath sample would help stop it. Obviously someone else could start the car but I would imagine most people wouldn't dream of helping someone to D&D. It would need legislation obviously but then seat belts needed legislation to persuade car manufacturers to put them in.

marcos3263 · Mar 19, 2018

It annoys me that these people in particular are incredibly wealthy and could easily afford the cab fare, or a driver for the night or any number of other options. There is simply no excuse. They are just so arrogant or stupid.

Thunder Bolt · Mar 19, 2018

Greg Bobkin said:
Yeah, but at least they didn't SPIT at anyone. Then there would be OUTRAGE...

Strange comment. I've read about loads of outrage today, especially when a three year old had to go to hospital as a precaution.

The Clamp · Mar 19, 2018

mejonaNO12 aka riskit said:
The issue with 0% is you then get into the murky area where people will COMPLETELY innocently get in their car hours and hours after 1 pint and still register the SMALLEST of %'s ....and get nicked for it.

You need leeway on a law like this otherwise it is unsustainable in real life situations.

My understanding is alcohol can be detected on the breath test or swab for up to 24 hours sometimes but I may be completely wrong on this.

If someone is getting in their car and driving drunk, they won't give two hoots if its 0% or the current benchmark. The limit is there to stop people getting nicked when they've actually only had a very minimal amount in the time before driving.

Well yes, not zero but a clear line so it's obvious if they have had a drink within the last two hours?

Bozza · Mar 19, 2018

I think part of the problem is that it strikes me that people think the risk of drink driving is getting caught not killing others and/or themselves.

"I can't drive - I might get caught" rather than "I can't drive - I might kill someone".

It's because of this that, presumably, the "Don't drink drive" ads seem to have become more and more graphic over recent years, trying to really force home the reason why it's a ridiculously stupid thing to do.

wellquickwoody · Mar 19, 2018

Buzzer said:
Ant (or Dec) arrested for drink driving after hitting another car and hospitalising a young child in it. Footballer Darren Gibson writing off his Merc at the weekend and all those other selfish c-words who get into their car after a skinful every day of the week. I'm not a big one for grassing people up to the police but I've absolutely no qualms about doing it in the case of drink-driving.

I was under the impression, quite possibly wrong, that we've some of the strictest drink laws in the world. I don't get why people still do it and is there any more we could do to deter people from putting the rest of us at risk? Longer bans? Bigger penalties?

Because when they do it, people actually believe that they are OK to drive, and that if they are careful they will not get caught. No one does it when thinking sensibly. The way to avoid it happening at all is to somehow stop people taking their car to a drinking venue, how is that done? No idea.

mejonaNO12 aka riskit · Mar 19, 2018

The Clamp said:
Well yes, not zero but a clear line so it's obvious if they have had a drink within the last two hours?

Difficult to prove unfortunately. The limit is the line.

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