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I have no problem with them stopping people randomly, as long as it is random. Anyone remember the Not The Nine O'Clock News sketch, invovling PC Savage and his arresting a man for having thick lips, curly hair and dark skin? The irony is that some police officers of that era were far worse than PC Savage. Perhaps the modern equivalent is "Speaking with a posh accent, and being a member of the Tory party". ;)
We had a lecture at work a few years ago. We were told a pint of beer is about 2 units, roughly 4 units gets you to the limit and you burn roughly 1 unit an hour. I'll drink a pint of beer before a meal, and then 2 hours later drive. I would not feel safe driving having drunk 2 pints, so the limit seems reasonable. I would not drive soon after driking a pint either.
To those who say the DD limit is silly because it equates to the same state as being tired, as others have said, it is not possibly to measure tiredness, and if you do cause a crash due to tiredness, you can be prosecuted.
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I grew up in NI when RUC checkpoints were absolutly routine, both for security and alcohol.
So from I larned to drive I never got into that apparent English habit of drinking and driving.
When "running" to the discos I took it week about with a cousin, one drove, tother drank.
I then attempted to larn to drink sans automobile as a student.
Then got married and back into the turn about schedule.
Now at 53 I will have a pint, generally with food, or sitting for an hours banter and then drive home, why should I not?.
The only time I have 2 or exceptionally 3 pints the wife or weans drive.
I tend to be too sensible for my own good, but cannot stand scantiminous and possibly hyprocrital posturing and twaddle.
I could consider one of those £50.00 alcoholmeters, but then would perhaps be tempted to attemt to cut it too fine.
The Frence are very sensible with the recent mandatory 2 breathtest devices to be carried in der car.
But then the French always had a more pragmatic attitude to drinking and driving, from personal observation on driving holidays 20 year ago.
Edited by dieseldogg on 24/12/2012 at 19:47
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The Frence are very sensible with the recent mandatory 2 breathtest devices to be carried in der car.
But then the French always had a more pragmatic attitude to drinking and driving, from personal observation on driving holidays 20 year ago.
They appear to be withdrawing that legislation - it seems that only Brit visitors were bothering to buy the kits !
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The Frence are very sensible with the recent mandatory 2 breathtest devices to be carried in der car.
But then the French always had a more pragmatic attitude to drinking and driving, from personal observation on driving holidays 20 year ago.
They appear to be withdrawing that legislation - it seems that only Brit visitors were bothering to buy the kits !
Now why am I not surprised? They do have a reputation for loving EU legislation, then ignoring it, whilst the rest of Europe (well, us) follow it. A few years ago I worked for a French company. They adored regulations, even sending instructions as to how we should park our cars in the car park.
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Using a mobile phone while driving does not appear to be given the same level of seriousness as driving under the influence. Why? This is without a doubt as dangerous as drink driving. Drink driving, driving under the influence of drugs, driving with iced up windows and using a mobile while driving can all cause death and injury but are all given very different punishments. Obviously some are deemed more acceptable than others!
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Obviously some are deemed more acceptable than others!
The majority of people do not drink and drive, said majority therefore wrings hands.
The majority of people do drive after not getting enough sleep, not noticing the toast is still plastered to their face as they drive with bloodshot eyes. Said majority will not support 3 points for being tired.
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Obviously some are deemed more acceptable than others!
The majority of people do not drink and drive, said majority therefore wrings hands.
The majority of people do drive after not getting enough sleep, not noticing the toast is still plastered to their face as they drive with bloodshot eyes. Said majority will not support 3 points for being tired.
I will support any legislation that makes the road safer. But how on earth are you going to measure how tired a driver is.
HGV divers have the spy in the cab but that does not prove they have slept for a given time before driving.
This topic stated as a discussion about random breath tests and has been changed into a discussion about other factors that can affect your safety behind the wheel. Happy to see them become law when there is a quantifiable way of determining them.
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This is part of the "problem" with modern traffic law - some offences, like speeding and drink-driving are straightforward to test/check but others go unpunished because there's no technology, yet, to detect them - eg careless or dangerous driving.
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Driving down the M6 earlier this week down the inside lane at about 65mph. Few trucks and came across a doing about 60mph and weaving around. Couldn't overtake for a short while as there was cars coming past in the middle lane. Eventually I got past and saw the driver texting on a smartphone (not easy without buttons at the best of times) resting the phone on the wheel and using both hands!
Wish the Police had come past then. Drivers age - at least 60.
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We had a lecture at work a few years ago. We were told a pint of beer is about 2 units, roughly 4 units gets you to the limit and you burn roughly 1 unit an hour. I'll drink a pint of beer before a meal, and then 2 hours later drive. I would not feel safe driving having drunk 2 pints, so the limit seems reasonable. I would not drive soon after driking a pint either.
To those who say the DD limit is silly because it equates to the same state as being tired, as others have said, it is not possibly to measure tiredness, and if you do cause a crash due to tiredness, you can be prosecuted.
One needs to be very careful about converting drinks to units.
The pint that equals two units is a pint of 'quaffing' bitter; say 3.5% abv. Modern beers and continental lagers can be 5% upwards making a pint more than three units.
Wine is even more difficult. The glass that equals one is sometihng around 80cl ans the wine around 10% abv. A standard pub glass is 125ml and 250ml ( third of a bottle for goodness sake) is common. Add in Ozzy Shiraz at 13/14% abv and you're playing Russian Roulette with your licence before you've downed a glassfull.
Spirits are fairly safe provided you drink single pub measures and avoid the Glenfarclas 105!!
And units > BAC is another minefield where the variables include weight/build, gender, stomach contents, drink taken with food etc etc.
Abstinence is the only safw way.
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I got breathalysed a while ago for no reason whatsoever, and it still rancours with me.
Needless to say I was sober.
I think I'll go against the drift of this thread from you politically correct, PC compliant, lot, and tell you that it was a gross invasion of my privacy, not to mention a huge loss of dignity, to be ordered around by two spotty kids in a fast car.
I think you will find it has less to do with saving lives than meeting targets, it's a filler-in job they do when otherwise workless.
The police really must get their act together if they wish to engender rather than alienate, public trust.
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"Huge loss of dignity" ???
Would you have been prouder if you'd failed ?
I don't hold with politically correct for anything - but random checks are perfectly reasonable - the innocent have nothing to fear - and the guilty shouldn't profit from reluctance to accept random testing.
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I quite p***ed off a cheeky wee Minx of a WPC in the spring of the year.
travelling in der freshly MOT'd Steyr Puch van at about 23:30 just outside a village on route to Larne to catch a boat.
Road very quite, no other traffic to be seen in either direction.
Plenty of time in hand, dootering along straddling the white line.
Saw headlights coming up behind, so held well in and slowed up to let them proceed.
Woo Wooo Woo, they flashed me in.
I instantly knew why and was highly amused.
I got out and wandered back, to be ordered back into my vehicle by madame.
Who was disgusted that I WAS NOT DRUNK, per her erronous preceptions.
She then proceeded to give me a lecture on my driving.
The wee snig!
me, who had seen them approaching from the rear, in plenty of time, and pulled over!
get a grip dear, and while you are at it, dry behind your ears.
i.e. perhaps consider extending some common courtsey to innocent drivers wrongly ( but reasonably) presumed guilty.
Edited by dieseldogg on 28/12/2012 at 08:58
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Yes, similarly, the wee laddie wanted to know why I was travelling at 29 mph.
When I told him that I had clearly observed through my wing mirror, a police car behind me with no flashing lights as we came round the bend, he was visibly deflated.
I do appreciate that there is a lot of crime and the police have a difficult job.
Perhaps better training could help. Perhaps more IQ and less testosterone, they do have a dilemma.
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I think I'll go against the drift of this thread from you politically correct, PC compliant, lot, and tell you that it was a gross invasion of my privacy, not to mention a huge loss of dignity, to be ordered around by two spotty kids in a fast car.
Its a miracle you can get into a car with a chip on your shoulder that size.
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I think I'll go against the drift of this thread from you politically correct, PC compliant, lot, and tell you that it was a gross invasion of my privacy, not to mention a huge loss of dignity, to be ordered around by two spotty kids in a fast car.
Its a miracle you can get into a car with a chip on your shoulder that size.
Or perfectly balanced - a huge chip on each shoulder.
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I think I'll go against the drift of this thread from you politically correct, PC compliant, lot, and tell you that it was a gross invasion of my privacy, not to mention a huge loss of dignity, to be ordered around by two spotty kids in a fast car.
You really need to work hard at growing and having a more adult view of life.
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I got breathalysed a while ago for no reason whatsoever, and it still rancours with me.
Needless to say I was sober.
I think I'll go against the drift of this thread from you politically correct, PC compliant, lot, and tell you that it was a gross invasion of my privacy, not to mention a huge loss of dignity, to be ordered around by two spotty kids in a fast car.
I think you will find it has less to do with saving lives than meeting targets, it's a filler-in job they do when otherwise workless.
The police really must get their act together if they wish to engender rather than alienate, public trust.
Maybe 1litregolfeater's attitude had a bearing on the way he was treated, as others say he does appear to have a have a bit of an issue with our friends in blue.
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Sounds like 1litregolfeater is one of those who's feeling very old because 'the policemen look so young these days.'
Random checks in some ways are a bit silly. Theres signs of drunkeness you can pick up on without stopping cars randomly. For instance the vast majority of drunks forget to turn their lights on.
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Sounds like 1litregolfeater is one of those who's feeling very old because 'the policemen look so young these days.'
That is the second agist remark from you over the last few days.
Random checks in some ways are a bit silly. Theres signs of drunkeness you can pick up on without stopping cars randomly. For instance the vast majority of drunks forget to turn their lights on.
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Sounds like 1litregolfeater is one of those who's feeling very old because 'the policemen look so young these days.'
Random checks in some ways are a bit silly. Theres signs of drunkeness you can pick up on without stopping cars randomly. For instance the vast majority of drunks forget to turn their lights on.
I've thought that policemen looked so young since I was in my mid-30's.
You're only old when you can't remember why you're looking at young girls - women never admit to going past 39, even to themselves.
Edited by RT on 28/12/2012 at 17:29
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I got breathalysed a while ago for no reason whatsoever, and it still rancours with me.
Needless to say I was sober.
I think I'll go against the drift of this thread from you politically correct, PC compliant, lot, and tell you that it was a gross invasion of my privacy, not to mention a huge loss of dignity, to be ordered around by two spotty kids in a fast car.
I think you will find it has less to do with saving lives than meeting targets, it's a filler-in job they do when otherwise workless.
The police really must get their act together if they wish to engender rather than alienate, public trust.
Disgraceful, stopping someone so important as you. I'm unimportant me. I'm rather happy to see them doing something potentially useful.
As an aside, I was chatting with my neighbour, who is a font of stories. Decades ago he used to drive a bus, and one day a car pulled out from a side road, and he was unable to brake in time, and totalled the car. Not much damage to the bus though, they were big in those days. The driver got out, and was clearly pie eyed. Soon after the local police pulled up in their car, got out, and then seeing the drunk driver one exclaimed, "Christ, it's the boss". It was the chief constable of Reading (allegedly). Needless to say the bus driver was told he was lucky and would not be prosecuted. The drunk driver suffered no reprimand of any kind. As I say, this was a long time ago, when the police were known to be completely corrupt.
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One needs to be very careful about converting drinks to units.
The pint that equals two units is a pint of 'quaffing' bitter; say 3.5% abv. Modern beers and continental lagers can be 5% upwards making a pint more than three units.
Of course. I stick to the 4%, which often has more flavour anyway. I make sure I am nowhere near the legal limit, for moral and legal reasons.
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