This is about the consequences of drink driving

[Incy]

Tony,
So sorry to hear what you are going through. I lived in France for 7 years and a large part of my family still live there.
I was always shocked at how readily people will get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. Part of it is due to the lack of alternative transport over there, particularly in rural areas, and for the young folks the clubs are generally out of town with no public transport available.
Things have improved there but not enough......
I never drink and drive and we always either walk, take a taxi or leave the car and get a taxi home if we are out and there is drink involved.
I have no problem refusing a lift from someone who has been drinking and have even insisted a friend leaves their car keys here when they wanted to drive after drinking too much.
I'm happy to give a friend the taxi money if they're short on cash and even collect them the next day to pick up the car if needed. But I won't willingly allow someone to put themselves and others at risk.
You can't be too careful and if someone takes offence they probably are not worthy of being on your friend's list as they are prepared to put lives at risk for their own convenience.

[Matt.]

I echo Bubblewraps point that its not just the night but the morning after.

[Finedon.Dandy]

In a bit of a rush but just HAD to comment.

I passed my driving test (3rd time lucky) when 7 months pregnant with Bluebelle. When she was still just a few weeks old, hubby got held up in train problems and was too late to get bus home so I went and picked him up, leaving Bluebelle with a close neighbour. I felt in a bit of a daze as I set out and put it down to "new Mum" tirdness. I had totally forgotten I had had a glass of wine several hours ago (just the one as I was still breastfeeding) and only remembered 2/3 of the way to the station. As soon as I remembered, I felt sooo guilty for being on the road and quite panicky at what might happen. Even though I was most definately well under the limit, the feeling that I wasnt TOTALY in control, due to tiredness made worse by alchohol, was so frightening. I was so glad to get to the station and made hubbie drive us home. That night I learnt a valuable lesson and have NEVER had any alchohol if I am driving and have had to appologise to hubby on 2 or 3 occasions that I cannot come and rescue him as I have had a drink.

Big hugs to you Tony and all the families who were affected on that awful night.

P.S. I was also so so thankfull I hadnt taken Bluebelle with me in case of what might have happened.....

[winolover]

i totally agree.. people who drink and drive are stupid! most of the time they never get hurt it's always the passengers and the poor on coming drivers!
i too dont understand why people feel the need to drive even within the drink drive limit!
i dont drink at all if i am driving, i stick to soda water and lime and nice drink. and still have a good time with my friends, if i do drink i always get a taxi or even walk ifs it at the local.
i have known so many people good friends that have died drinking and driving. and when i have been prooven right! i feel sick..
the law should be if you drive no drink ! your not going to die not having a drink for 1 night! but you might if you do.!

and if i am driving in the morning i always make sure it's just a couple. or i just dont drink.

[maytreefrannie]

Thinking of you, TonyF - and thanks for reminding us of the drink-drive question. While we all know it, we need to keep it in mind.

I feel that sometimes, with the best of intentions, a few (or many) drinks leads people to think they're OK - hence the insistence sometimes on driving by those who should get a taxi home. So those who wouldn't advocate it if they were sober, get behind the wheel convinced they're in control when they should clearly NOT be driving.

I don't drive if I'm going out somewhere where there will be drinking, but some evenings I have a couple of glasses of wine at home and I identify with Finedon Dandy - thankfully I don't usually have to pick anyone up at night (unless the grown kids have arranged it with me), but there's also the issue of an unexpected need to drive, which maybe I will in future keep in mind and make sure OH or someone is around when I want a glass, just in case.

[miffy]

Last year we came back from our holidays in the early morning about 1.00am unloaded the cars and went to bed about an hour later our son came into our room and said he had heard a really loud bang.
We went out onto the road outside our house in our jim jams and i couldn't believe what i was looking at, a drunk driver had driven at speed into the front of my beloved mini totally destroying the front end of it, bounced off and mounted the pavement and hit the telegraph pole with such force he ripped down all our phone lines, he then went back onto the road and came to a stop and had got out of the car according to on lookers, been sick and then ran away.
The keys were still in the ignition, his licence and passport in the footwell and also a summons to appear in court that week for driving without due care and attention!! However because the police did not catch him at the scene and he didn't answer the door when they called round they couldn't do him, he claimed the car had been stolen!
This caused us months of paper work, and upset, plus loss of no claims, however none of us were hurt or thank fully the people having a wedding party in the pub opposite our house, it doesn't bare thinking about if we had returned an hour later or he had been coming down the road when we were unloading the car.
I have NEVER had a drink when driving and think that it should be BANNED TOTALLY. If you get behind the wheel you should not have had one single drop.
My brother is a fire fighter and has been to horrendous crashes which were the result of drinking.
As to the question of whether you dob someone into the police i have done that when i knew someone was unfit to drive and they wouldn't listen to reason because it would be on my head if i had knowingly turned a blind eye.

[Two_Sheds]

However because the police did not catch him at the scene and he didn't answer the door when they called round they couldn't do him, he claimed the car had been stolen!

but there were eye witnesses who saw him leaving the scene.
And he was sick at the scene ... why on earth didn't they DNA the vomit or have I been watching too much CSI?

That's ludicrous. Useless lazy plods.... it's like letting off a driver who hits an oncoming cyclists because he "didn't see" her.

[Hilary B]

but there were eye witnesses who saw him leaving the scene.
And he was sick at the scene ... why on earth didn't they DNA the vomit or have I been watching too much CSI?

That's ludicrous. Useless lazy plods.... it's like letting off a driver who hits an oncoming cyclists because he "didn't see" her.

I think the police have been given orders to 'stop persecuting the motorist', unless it is fully automated (ie speed cameras). Maybe there WILL be an election this year......

[SlugLobber]

but there were eye witnesses who saw him leaving the scene. And he was sick at the scene ... why on earth didn't they DNA the vomit or have I been watching too much CSI? That's ludicrous. Useless lazy plods.... it's like letting off a driver who hits an oncoming cyclists because he "didn't see" her.

V.similar case here. Many of us watched him reverse into a car and phone box, then drive 200yrds home. They did take it to court, but changed the date 2 days before. When we said we couldn't make it, they threw the case out rather than adjourn. Don't need reminding about the dangers. My friend's fiance was killed by one of these low lifes two months before their wedding. She still has pinned legs. It's absolutely rife in rural Surrey, but thepolice here don't seem to make it beyond KFC and the kebab shop...

[kirsty b]

Good post TonyF, I hope the anniversary doesn't cause you too much anguish. I will admit I drank and drove when I was younger, but I can't thank God enough that nothing ever happened. I certainly never do it now. The only point I would add is to remember that if anyone has had a really heavy evening you could still be over the limit the following morning.

Me too, when I was younger and irresponsible, and I would never do it now. Don't know if its having a family, or knowing people affected by this sort of thing or just generally growing up...

My sister was injured a few weeks back by a driver coming round the corner almost sideways on her side of the road. He was twice over and had a pregnant girlfriend and young child in his car. My sister is still in pain from suspected fractured ribs and her bruising/whiplash was horrendous. Front of her car was stoved in and he had pushed her up and over the kerb and into bushes along the side of the pavement. My niece was with her and was horribly shook up with nasty bruising too.

One of my dad's mates was caught the morning after, still over the limit and banned some years back.