Bans will be ignored and replacement cars bought/borrowed/stolen.

I'd make a second offence punishable by imprisonment.

10 years sounds like a nice round number.

 

I know we car owners are responsible, but this is a warning to be careful about drink driving as after all it's New Years Eve.
A couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends after work. One thing lead to another and I had a few too many pints and then topped it off with a couple of jaegerbombs. Not a good idea. Knowing full well I was over the limit, I did something I've never done before...
I left my car in town and took a taxi home. Sure enough, I passed a police checkpoint where they were pulling over drivers and performing breathalizer tests. Because I was in a taxi they just waved it past. I arrived home safely and without incident, which was a real surprise..
I've never driven a taxi before and I am not even sure where I got it from...

 

I seems fairly obvious that the higher the level of alcohol in the system, the more impaired the driving. That said, I am not for a zero limit... that brandy soaked Christmas cake, or accidentally swallowed mouthwash and you should be banned...?

Numerous studies have shown that driving whilst texting, or turning around to shout at kids in the back are far more dangerous than a pint of lager. So, all of them should be punishable with a massive fine and lengthy ban? Poor driving decisions are solely on drink driving, so we cannot treat just one thing.

 

I agree, a zero tolerance should be enforced.

You drink or drive not drink and drive.

 

I agree zero, if ot really does mean zero can not be judged by any human. I would never drink and then drive not even a half, yet the .orning after a few pints i may feel 100% yet have 5mG of alcohol in my blood still and whilst ompletely capable of driving how would i know and so should i be banned?

 

Dennis, if you were drinking the night before, and need to drive in the morning you are responsible for your actions/ condition, so get yourself one of those self test kits. If you are over, and drive, then a ban it is

 

It's all about decision making.

If you drive to the pub for a family meal, have a soft drink or pay for transport home.

If you go out on the beer but have to be at work the next day, don't drink too much or pay for transport to work the next day.

If you aren't sure if the alcohol is ot of your system, play it safe and don't drive or use a breathalyser test kit (as mentioned above).

Granted, the mouthwash thing and some medicines may make it tricky to enforce, but you can get alcohol free mouthwash, and a tiny amount on a 5ml serving of medicine probably wouldn't register on a breath test anyway.

If you remove all confusion (how many units are in a drink, so what is the safe limit?) then it becomes far easier to work out if you are risking your licence/job/home. No drinks= no risk. Simple.

 

I seems fairly obvious that the higher the level of alcohol in the system, the more impaired the driving. That said, I am not for a zero limit... that brandy soaked Christmas cake, or accidentally swallowed mouthwash and you should be banned...?

Numerous studies have shown that driving whilst texting, or turning around to shout at kids in the back are far more dangerous than a pint of lager. So, all of them should be punishable with a massive fine and lengthy ban? Poor driving decisions are solely on drink driving, so we cannot treat just one thing.

There are lots of distractions faced by drivers every day, some are unavoidable and some are avoidable.

Texting at the wheel is illegal (due to those studies), so yes you should be banned. A text is never that important that it can't be dealt with when the vehicle has stopped, and if you have a smart phone and can't use the smart features to read out the text or reply via voice, then learn how to.

Talking to passengers is not illegal, and therefore you would not be banned.

 

I think the uk should have followed Scotland when they reduced their limit. It means you can't actually have a drink because you'd immediately be over but if you're on cough medicine/mouthwash/Christmas (brandy) cake then you're still covered.

If I know I'm going for something to eat with family or friends I opt to drive as I won't touch a drop where as some would gladly have 2 glasses of wine and then get in a car which I don't agree with and don't find safe so wouldn't put myself in that position.

 

I agree on zero tolerance but the limit can't practically be zero.
It does need to be considerably lower, but even deodorant can pass a small amount of alcohol in to your bloodstream.

I never drink anything if I'm going to be driving, but they need to find a level at which people who haven't drunk anything still don't set it off from other sources.

 

Assuming the limit gets lowered (which it should) and people are only picked up for the actual Drink drive offence, what should happen when the offence is repeated (as per the BBC article)?

The punishment obviously doesn't deter people enough from doing it once, let alone twice.

 

Leave the drink driving limit on alcohol as is, and throw the book at people with drugs in there system. Now that swabs are been used.

 

In Finland it's possible to court to take your car if you repeatedly drink and drive but sadly it's not used enough. We have a limit but in my mind it's too big as it allows you to have a drink or even two before you are over the limit. It should be half from what it is just to make it impossible to have a drink and drive legally. We have way too many back roads and small towns where its possible to go to a bar and drive home without anybody noticing.

 

It can't be zero, everybody has a natural level of alcohol in their bloodstream. It varies from person to person.

Leave the drink driving limit on alcohol as is, and throw the book at people with drugs in there system. Now that swabs are been used.

I would be fine with this if sensible levels were determined. Punishing somebody for the joint they smoked 4 days ago seems a little silly to me seeing as it would clearly not have an effect anymore. And let's not forget that the government studies into smoking cannabis and driving showed up results that nobody was expecting (i.e. It didn't seem to affect people's driving)

Fifth gear did a video a few years back also looking at the effects

 

Dennis, if you were drinking the night before, and need to drive in the morning you are responsible for your actions/ condition, so get yourself one of those self test kits. If you are over, and drive, then a ban it is

Sorry but what a load of tosh, I am responsible, you can see from my post above I never drink and drive but say I have 4 pints one night at the pub quiz and then drive to work at 8 the next morning, yes I should be completely clear of any alcohol, I feel fine, but how do I know for sure as even the slightest amount of alcohol is fail?

Remember home testers are not 100% even the police roadside ones aren't, and I can't afford to have a calibrated intoximeter at home

 

Sorry but what a load of tosh, I am responsible, you can see from my post above I never drink and drive but say I have 4 pints one night at the pub quiz and then drive to work at 8 the next morning, yes I should be completely clear of any alcohol, I feel fine, but how do I know for sure as even the slightest amount of alcohol is fail?

Remember home testers are not 100% even the police roadside ones aren't, and I can't afford to have a calibrated intoximeter at home

You don't have to, you reduce the risk by simply not drinking any amount.

This isn't a personal attack, so please don't take it that way, but there is NO excuse for driving under the influence. If you drank last night but don't have a way of checking you are ok, don't get behind the wheel.

 

It can't be zero, everybody has a natural level of alcohol in their bloodstream. It varies from person to person.

True, this is a factor but it can be accounted for.

Don't forget, the roadside test is for breath not for blood. You should be fine with natural levels in your system, it's elevated levels (that you can normally smell on someones breath) that are the issue.

 

Sorry but what a load of tosh, I am responsible, you can see from my post above I never drink and drive but say I have 4 pints one night at the pub quiz and then drive to work at 8 the next morning, yes I should be completely clear of any alcohol, I feel fine, but how do I know for sure as even the slightest amount of alcohol is fail?
Remember home testers are not 100% even the police roadside ones aren't, and I can't afford to have a calibrated intoximeter at home

i see where your coming from Dennis but surely that's the point if the level is zero and you've had a couple the night before it's your choice you could leave the car at home it would be a level playing field same for all

 

You don't have to, you reduce the risk by simply not drinking any amount.

This isn't a personal attack, so please don't take it that way, but there is NO excuse for driving under the influence. If you drank last night but don't have a way of checking you are ok, don't get behind the wheel.

Sorry, I did think you were questioning my morals etc.

The point is how can anyone be 100% certain they can't other than siting 24 or even 48 hours from when they last consumed alcohol before driving.

I recall many years ago, I went out with work, I had 1 pint of shandy, 4 hours later I got pulled (young lad driving after 11pm etc, they gave me a breath test and despite being certain I would be clear, I was still worried.

A number of years later, I had a couple the night before probably 4 pints over an extended period, the following afternoon I had a bump and the police breath liked me, again I could not be 100% certain their would be zero remind to in my blood.

Obviously on both occasions I was clear but I could not be 100% certain I had zero alcohol in my blood, think f it do you know exactly what your heart beat or blood pressure is now without testing, you assume it is ok but do you really know?

 

i see where your coming from Dennis but surely that's the point if the level is zero and you've had a couple the night before it's your choice you could leave the car at home it would be a level playing field same for all

But then simply make it the law you can drive the day after having a beer lol

It is fine saying all this but no one can be 100% certain even if they had one pint the night before they have 0 alcohol in their blood, yes it is unlikely, hence why we drive the next day but there is still a chance for some freak reason you still have some in there

 

That is the whole point.

If you need to drive tomorrow, you don't risk losing your licence by drinking the night before.

You can think of a million reasons why you may fail a breath test after only consuming a small amount several hours earlier, but if you have zero units of alcohol, you won't have the worry about failing or losing your licence.

The whole 'I'll be fine' mentality is the exact issue. You drink and then get into a car with impaired judgement believing you are ok, when you never really know unless you haven't drank for approx 24 hours.

Don't risk it.

The way I look at it is simple.

If I drink and drive, what could be the outcome?

An accident where I kill or injure myself/others. I lose control and damage my car and other property. I get pulled over and fail a breath test losing my licence. I lose my licence and can't get to work, so lose my job. I can get to work, but have to use a Train/Bus/Taxi/Bike/Walk in all weather at greater expense. I have to pay to retake my test and then fork out for higher insurance premiums.

All of those scenarios (and there are others) come with an increased cost of my daily living, or removal of my freedom.

For the sake of drinking a soft drink or paying for a cab home, I think the choice is a 'no-brainer' and anyone choosing to risk driving after a drink is a complete idiot. Nobody is forced to drink. Anyone that can't resist a drink should know in advance to leave the car home. No excuses. Ever.

 

So you will never ever have a drink and then go to work the next morning (assuming you are not T total?

If that is the case then so be it but if that is what is going to be forced upon everyone then the pub industry is gone completely!

I do meet my mates at the pub and will have a drink (we take it in turns to be a designated driver) and then I will drive the next morning, if that makes me saiten and my licence should be taken from me then God help us, let's just roll up an die as the nanny state removes even more of our civil liberties

 

Or just leave the level the same and change the penalties.
As Dennis is saying if you've been out the night before for a couple of beers general socialising not on a bender and drive to work in the morning and feel ok how do you tell your over the limit or not?

So say for example the scenario above and you were over the limit you looking at what an 18 month ban and points providing nothing else happened of course.

This could be a genuine made by loads of people the difference should be that if it happens again then there should be a higher penalty again just getting caught over no crash or anything like that just random checks.

 

So you will never ever have a drink and then go to work the next morning (assuming you are not T total?

If that is the case then so be it but if that is what is going to be forced upon everyone then the pub industry is gone completely!

I do meet my mates at the pub and will have a drink (we take it in turns to be a designated driver) and then I will drive the next morning, if that makes me waited and my licence should be taken from me then God help us

I don't need to drive to work, so I wouldn't have an issue anyway BUT:

1) If I did need to drive to work, I wouldn't drink the night before.

2) If i was uncertain in anyway, I would find alternative transport.

3) Yes, if you drive the morning after and are found to be over the limit, you DO deserve to lose your licence because A) You knew the night before that you were going to be driving and could have reduced your intake, and B) You decided to risk it anyway and put other people in potential danger.

The point is being missed here. Not knowing if you are over the limit is EXACTLY why you shouldn't get in the car and drive. By not drinking, OR not driving there is no risk of being caught for this offence regardless of whether or not it is deliberate.

 

Or just leave the level the same and change the penalties.
As Dennis is saying if you've been out the night before for a couple of beers general socialising not on a bender and drive to work in the morning and feel ok how do you tell your over the limit or not?

So say for example the scenario above and you were over the limit you looking at what an 18 month ban and points providing nothing else happened of course.

This could be a genuine made by loads of people the difference should be that if it happens again then there should be a higher penalty again just getting caught over no crash or anything like that just random checks.

But it's not a MISTAKE. It's a conscious decision to drink the night before, and a conscious decision to drive the day after.

That cannot be deemed as a mistake, it's deemed as a gamble.

By having ZERO drink in your system you can be 100% sure you are not going to break the law. It doesn't get any simpler.