Drink Driving Laws

[POD]

after reading wiggie' thread about drink driving, it reminded me of something i heard on the radio a few days ago.

They were talking about changing the drink driving laws for under 25's, so that the legal limit would be 1 drink.

Now surely if they are trying to cut down the amount of accidents that resulted from drink driving, then there should be a zero tolerance policy across the board, not just for the under 25.

Now i know that they decided in the end not to change the laws, but does anyone else think that they should change them to a zero tolerance policy???

 

[tim]

zero tolerance

 

[Nicky]

^^^ I'll agree with Tim Nice, But Dim on this 1...

ZERO Tolerance...

 

[B A Baracus]

Drink affects different people in different ways what is safe for one isn't always safe for another ie someone who drinks regularly or the "odd one pint wonder". Personally I don't drink even a bottle or pint when I'm driving.

 

[DaddyCC]

I think it should be 1 pint... Does no harm really...

N dont see how they can make it under 25's just... Anytime im in pubs its usually well older ones than that gettin steamin n drivin... Again i think its just yet more typical bad publicity just cause of ur age...

Yes it happens, i'll admit i used to do it a fair bit back in the days of the fiesta... Not to the point where i was strugglin to stand, but fairly pissed... Always stuck to the backroads but never had any problems but had to wise up before i did... N it was only cause i was too lazy to wait or pay for a taxi home n to get the car in the mornin

 

[Boydie]

absolute zero tolerance - ill never have a drink, not even a sip if im driving

i very rarely drink anyway and 1 pint would affect me more than a regular drinker

so zero tolerance!

 

[Graham]

zero !

 

[wingnut]

If I'm driving I wouldnt touch a drink, although I wouldn't nessisarily say a complete zero alcohol policy....

You've had a few drinks the night before and need to drive relatively early in the morning. You wake up and feel fine and set off driving. You get pulled over at the side of the road for a random breath test and it proves positive.

Are those personal breath testers much use?

 

[Boydie]

good point wingnut - didnt think of that

a colleague of my dads was involved in an accident where someone drove into him, he was on the booze the night before and tested positive on the breathaliser and got done!

 

[Porter]

zero dirnks = driving,

1 drink in my mind should evcen be banned,

different drinks have different effects on different people, make it zero drink, then theres no excuses ' why am i over the limit i only had 1 pint etc etc '

 

[RMS_CLK]

2 pint limit for blokes i thinks fair.

 

[tim]

2 pint limit for blokes i thinks fair.

yes probbaly is, but then you get king **** who thinks he's a bigger lad and can take 3... etc.. and therefore people will always be tempted to have one more... 2 pints affects everyone differently so its not a fair limit.

zero tolerance.

 

[pablo]

1pint gets my vote. 2 is a little much you do start to feel it after 2.

 

[B A Baracus]

You've had a few drinks the night before and need to drive relatively early in the morning. You wake up and feel fine and set off driving. You get pulled over at the side of the road for a random breath test and it proves positive.

Are those personal breath testers much use?

Yeah has anyone any feedback on these testers?

 

[Chris Mac]

im slightly hypocritical on this matter, i love going out for a lunch of food with the g/f or the lads, and having a pint, but only one and driving home. i think nothing of it cause iv had a good lot of food, and its one pint being drunk with food over an hour or so, but i then believe it should be zero tollerence, and a lengthy ban, big fine and short prison sentence for people caught over the limit.

 

[m00k]

generally i wudnt drink at all if i was to drive altho sometimes if out for a meal i wud have a wee cider but i'd only ever take a half pint and generally wud avoid drivin for a good while after it

 

[RMS_CLK]

1pint gets my vote. 2 is a little much you do start to feel it after 2.

See I dont normally, unless i have an empty stomach or im on medication or something, but if i was out at the bar driving, bit of pub-grub and 2 stella's and i'd be grand. But this is where all the ambiguity comes in because people do have different tolerances and metabolisms. Zero tolerance is extreme as hell though, the amount of bans would go through the roof with ppl maybe having alchohol left in their blood from the night before etc.

 

[m00k]

well the mornins after are the killers but u ave a point, 1 drink or unit or watever the measure is will allow for those who have been out the nite before an still processin a bit even after a good rest etc

 

[wingnut]

Is that true about sucking a two pence?

 

[tim]

wtf? were did that come from wingnut?

 

[Barry]

I reckon zero tolerance for sure, know of someone who lost the books after drinking just 2 pints.

 

[avo5021]

Ha something i can actually speak on from experience..
1. Wingnut.. answer is definately no it don't work, its been tried many times and failed miserably.

2. Seen people be well over even after 2 drinks.. as mentioned its all to do with your body mass, metablolism, physique etc etc.. no one can actually say "your are allowed 2 drinks before being over the limit" because its all down to each individual.

3. Morning after..!! again from experience i have seen lots of people go out on the tear on sat nights for example, stop drinking in the early hours and drive after a few hours kip.. not worth it.. i have seen the results of this and its not nice, you may feel sober enough to jump into the car but you still have well in excess of the legal limit in your system..

4. B.A - I wouldnt trust one of the wee devices you can buy over the counter one bit... they arent calibrated and i think there is normallly a disclaimer on them anyway stating that they arent accurate..

The bottom line here folks is that it just isnt worth it, i have on too many occasions had to pull people from cars both dead and alive and believe me its not a nice experience.

Its usually the cars where the person that is pi**ed behind the wheel is relaxed from the effects of the alcohol and in a collision they are the ones that normally walk away from it, the casualties are usually the innocent ones.

Sorry if thats a wee bit longwinded but i thought i should have my input into it from my side of the fence..

Cheers

Avo

 

[metro1800]

Well put Avo. Zero tolerance is the only way for sure

 

[wingnut]

Avo I assume you are in Traffic?

Is there any way at all the average joe can check thier alcohol level? My main worry is always that if I've had a few drinks the night before and feel OK, but I might still be over the limit. Nowadays I tend not to take the car out until the following evening just to make sure.

 

[tim]

obviously there cannot be a absolute zero tolerance as things like mouth mashs and certain foods have alcohol content's, but the level should be about 50% of the alcohol that is in 1 Unit, what ever that works out, ie a slight limit but nothing in the region where you should be able to have 1 and get away with it.

otherwise i'll lose me license for my minty fresh breath!