Dervhead
RMS Regular
Drink driving: More than 550 have road ban reduced
The punishment for driving under the influence of alcohol is usually a minimum 12-month ban.
www.bbc.co.uk
Drink driving: More than 550 have road ban reduced
- Thread starter Dervhead
- Start date
stevieturbo
RMS Regular
If it is a proper and legitimate education course, then nothing wrong with it.
Education should be the solution to most road safety issues.
Of course interesting the article quotes this....
"Road users also need be aware of pedestrians who may have been drinking, in built-up areas where they may suddenly step or fall into your path, or who may be walking along unlit, rural roads during the hours of darkness."
Pedestrians ARE road users too, they too should be held accountable, as should the authorities when they fail to push for tough legislation and penalties to make these vulnerable road users safer.
Their lack of action is a large part of the reason so many vulnerable road users will die on those rural unlit roads in the hours of darkness. More often than not with those pedestrians etc wearing all dark clothing, making themselves almost invisible.
Education should be the solution to most road safety issues.
Of course interesting the article quotes this....
"Road users also need be aware of pedestrians who may have been drinking, in built-up areas where they may suddenly step or fall into your path, or who may be walking along unlit, rural roads during the hours of darkness."
Pedestrians ARE road users too, they too should be held accountable, as should the authorities when they fail to push for tough legislation and penalties to make these vulnerable road users safer.
Their lack of action is a large part of the reason so many vulnerable road users will die on those rural unlit roads in the hours of darkness. More often than not with those pedestrians etc wearing all dark clothing, making themselves almost invisible.
Antoin
RMS Regular
Serious amount of random checkpoints around portstewart/ coleraine at the minute.
Mother in law, my da and a mate have all been breathalysed. The mate got breathalysed twice in the one journey.
Mother in law, my da and a mate have all been breathalysed. The mate got breathalysed twice in the one journey.
Dervhead
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #5
Are random breath tests a thing? I always thought (but don’t really know) that random breath tests were not allowed. Always thought there had to be a traffic offence committed before they could breathalyse you. I have been breathalysed twice, one time after speeding and once for waving over the lines on the M2 trying to work the cruise on a new to me car. (Early hours of the morning, very light traffic only the feds behind me lol).
blocked both times btw.....
Ghost
RMS Regular
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Only a good thing for the law abiding.
Legislation came in a while ago. Ra dom tests can be carried out as long as authorised by an inspector.
Ghost
RMS Regular
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Specific.
brocks
RMS Regular
Technically they are not random breath tests.... they are pre authorised roadside breath testing checkpoints.... locations are notified and authorised for a prescripted time frame at a specific location, during the time, any vehicle can be stopped and the driver required to provide a roadside test. It falls under different legislation than the normal preliminary breath testing but failure to provide carries the same penalty ......
FYI this is NOT restricted to Xmas these can be authorised all year round as the legislation does not carry a calendar restriction
FYI this is NOT restricted to Xmas these can be authorised all year round as the legislation does not carry a calendar restriction
stevieturbo
RMS Regular
In all the years I've been driving....I really can't remember if I've ever been breathalysed.
Nicky
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Too drunk to recall, or just not been tested?
I’m all for heavier driving bans for drink drivers, especially those caught the next morning. My sister got banned for a year which was reduced to 9 months after sitting a course which is absolutely ridiculous IMO. She should have been banned for 3 years and fined heavily as she was well over the limit when she was caught driving home from the Carrickdale last year.
mayweather
RMS Regular
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I’ve met 4 checkpoints so far this December but haven’t been breathalysed at any of them.
Big Pimp
RMS Trader
gcon45
RMS Regular
This lad got off with 3 points:
436 of 558 were between 25 and 65. 97 between 17 and 24
It's really not the young'uns
Dave..
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I got stopped on the Hillhall road yesterday and breathalysed, first time ever.
Glad to see more random checks being done. The less drink-drivers on the road, the better.
I've been breathalyzed twice in my life, passed both times but it certainly puts a bit of fear into you even if you know you've not had any drink recently. "What if that pint I had 5 nights ago shows up......?!"
Would like to see more people buying the home breathalyser kits you can get in Boots etc, they may not be as specific as what the PSNI use but at least it would give people an indication if they can drive during those flaky times (usually the morning or noon of the day after) when they are still on or over the limit but think they feel ok to drive.
I've been breathalyzed twice in my life, passed both times but it certainly puts a bit of fear into you even if you know you've not had any drink recently. "What if that pint I had 5 nights ago shows up......?!"
Would like to see more people buying the home breathalyser kits you can get in Boots etc, they may not be as specific as what the PSNI use but at least it would give people an indication if they can drive during those flaky times (usually the morning or noon of the day after) when they are still on or over the limit but think they feel ok to drive.
stevieturbo
RMS Regular
If there is a genuine education course where the offender may learn....then how can that be a bad thing ?
Unlike those stupid speed awareness courses, which are a mockery given to people who usually have barely been speeding in the first place. And from what people have said to me when they've been on the course....it was largely a complete and utter waste of time, and from an education standpoint....it wasnt.
Education has to be the way forward. If your child did something wrong, would you just slap them or fine them and leave them to figure out a different way, or would you try and educate them ?
It really is as basic as that, if the education is not there, then you can never expect people to learn a better way.
And as Nicky has alluded. "Drink drive" means little. Sadly the law just throws everyone into that same banner, whether at 36mg, or 360mg. And the two are in no way whatsoever even similar. It needs a massive overhaul, and those massively "unfit" from whatever means....should automatically face much tougher penalties. AND Always to undertake some sort of proper education course.
But as always....there are thousands of "unfit" sober drivers on the roads too, causing crashes and carnage daily.
Education courses are massively lacking in all areas of road safety....because lets face it. There are none
But if in any way whatsoever you feel a home breath kit is needed.....then chances are you're over the limit. And doubtful you could ever trust their accuracy.
A chance that someone might learn isn't really good enough though is it? If you haven't learned that drink driving is naughty by the time you're applying for a provisional, are you really capable of being a road user?
Having read an article (I can't find now) on a driver caught 3 times well over limit and pleading hardship/loss of job + and loss ability to care for his mother.
I don't mean buying one of the cuff because you feel a bit woozy, I mean having one permanently in your house so you can be 100% sure you're not over the limit after a night's drinking even if you feel fine.
Some of the Alcosense models sold by Halfords for example have a blood alcohol content reading accuracy of within 0.02%, which has been tested and verified by many third party reviewers - more accurate than you'd ever need.
A chance that someone might learn isn't really good enough though is it? If you haven't learned that drink driving is naughty by the time you're applying for a provisional, are you really capable of being a road user?
Having read an article (I can't find now) on a driver caught 3 times well over limit and pleading hardship/loss of job + and loss ability to care for his mother.
Couldn't agree more. If you need 'educated' to know that drink driving is (1) illegal, and (2) idiotic, you shouldn't be on the road in the first place.