Drink Driving

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6699387.stm

Drink driving is at its highest for 10 years. The official figures are the tip of the iceberg! Noone seems to pay a blind bit of notice to the law(all age groups and all walks of life). Mainly because they have no fear of getting caught and secondly the punishments lack bite.

I would have zero tolerance alcohol levels and life ban if caught drink driving. That would lower the figures.

Thoughts ?

I remember visiting Budapest in the early nineties and being picked up by our host club at the train station in a load of trabants and skodas, we were all hammered (I had been sick on the Orient Express even, classy I know), anyway when we got to our accomodation we wanted to thank them with drinks however all of them had coke because of the zero tolerance policy in force, this was not what we expected from an only relatively recent member of the communist bloc but certainl zero tolerance seemed to have some effect there and I would like it here as well.

My only real concern with zero tolerance would be the risk of getting caught the next day due to alcohol being in the system still.

I myself have a zero tolerance rule when it comes to driving; I will not drink anything if I am driving, and to be honest I like being the driver when we go out.

I dont think it needs a zero tolerance limit myself.

Not that I ever go out and take the car and drink (or indeed ever go out...drink or otherwise!!)

I thought the penalties were quite steep myself...I couldn't imagine what it is like to lose a licence, I would lose my job, and therefore my home and everything I have ever worked for etc...and I imagine most people are in the same position. also the ability to get future car insurance comes at a steep price, so I cannot imagine people take it that lightly (although they may not always think of the consequences once they have a drink in them..!)

Funny though, different attitudes - in Australia it was considered "Bad luck matey" if you were caught drinking and driving, however if you were caught speeding your colleagues would probably suggest hanging was too good for you (not that I am advocating speeding is safer than drink driving but it was interesting to see a marked difference in attitude)

Yes, but they do have bottle-o's over there!!

(drive through off sales to those not in the know)

I know...drink driving is no shame among one peers (well in my experience anyway - I would hate to generalise) ...whereas here it is (for most of us anyway...there will always be the neds who are banned and still go out in a car having drunk too much..but no law will change that - as people think they won't get caught...)

helencbradshaw wrote:

I thought the penalties were quite steep myself...I couldn't imagine what it is like to lose a licence, I would lose my job, and therefore my home and everything I have ever worked for etc...and I imagine most people are in the same position. also the ability to get future car insurance comes at a steep price, so I cannot imagine people take it that lightly (although they may not always think of the consequences once they have a drink in them..!)

Well You'd have thought so but obviously not as the drink driving figures are the highest for 10 years.

People, a lot of people, are taking no notice of the law. Its an epidemic, from all ages and from all backgrounds. Ignoring it is not an option. Something has to be done.

Have you got a link? The only story I found that is new is a Sun article on line..but the stats and headline are misleading on that one!

Oh...doh, you gave one...!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007240699,00.html (YES YES SO IT MUST BE TRUE..!!!)

but interesting...as this article is clearly written from similar press releases as the BBC one (same Police forces are mentioned) ...but there is no evidence in this one to say it is worse...(as deaths are lower than in 1996...albeit they seem to be on the increase)

Furthermore they refer to sentences having increased...that doesnt mean more drink drivers..that means we are getting tougher on the ones that do..

Breath tests are of course down, which is a worry.

But I don't know, from having read these two articles (and no otherS) whether the results are better or worse.

I am not advocating it, I am not saying we need to be tough, as we do...I just don't know what the FACTS are!!

Life bans would make people think before drink driving. The current 1 - 2 year ban isn't strong enough to dissuade people. I believe it would make a big difference.

I doubt a life ban would make much of a difference, frankly.

People who commit crimes think they are invincable.

Drunks, especially so.

A guy in Newcastle was last week handed his 30th (yes, thirtieth) driving ban - he has NEVER had a driving licence.

I work with thirteen year olds that have a five year ban - and thirteen years olds aren't even supposed to drive!

I don't think life bans would make a difference even though the concept seems a natural one.

helencbradshaw wrote:

I doubt a life ban would make much of a difference, frankly.

People who commit crimes think they are invincable.

Drunks, especially so.

It's not just drunks that are drink driving. It's a broad spectrum of society. Your not going to stop everyone but I'd bet money it would stop a lot.

The line in the sand would be crystal clear. Why do we even allow a limit. Why is it ok to drink 1-2 units but 3 is unacceptable ?

I meant people who have had too much to drink...

lose their common sense...wouldnt matter if there was a ban...people ignore it as they think they won't get caught.

I would think it is ok to drink 1-2 units as most of us are still in full control of our reactions etc at that level (of course, we are all different)

helencbradshaw wrote:

I meant people who have had too much to drink...

lose their common sense...wouldnt matter if there was a ban...people ignore it as they think they won't get caught.

I would think it is ok to drink 1-2 units as most of us are still in full control of our reactions etc at that level (of course, we are all different)

Yes that is part of the problem, people don't think they will be caught.

I think some peoples reactions are affected after 1 unit and that is a reason to have zero tolerance in itself. Another reason is that people wont drink in the first place whereas at the moment people don't stop - they drink 1-2 and then carry on.