Drink Drive limit

[piskieinboots]

Seems this is to be lowered. I don't get it. Why don't they put it to zero limit?

One pint of beer in Snowdrop's tummy would be very different to one pint of beer in my tummy. How can you know?

Zero limit I say

[jacob marley]

And so it should be but it will not stop the idiots...jacob

[scarey55]

Yup, I agree! If I'm driving, I don't drink any alcohol, but.... when I'm not driving

[Nicos]

I agree Piskie- as they do in Sweden!

I bet loads and loads of peeps will get caught out at Xmas- the morning after
Where we used to live the police stopped loads and loads of peeps on their way to work- and I imagine caught quite a few still over the limit.

I think the drink drive here is lower than in the UK- and peeps do get stopped regularly- but it doesn't stop the more determined drinker!

[phil the shed]

i agree zero limit then theres no worry how much you can drink.....

i do think a sliding limit should be imposed points and ban you know what i mean if your caught with a certain amount sa y a 3 month ban etc.........
though i dont condone D & D though

[jackie j]

I dont drink much and occasionally have had a half of cider shandy or lager shandy and then driven home, I would never drink loads and drive, thats what taxi's are for, or OH's that never drink anyway. We have a freind who for a living drove all around the country and regulary drank a bottle of whiskey when he got home or to his hotel, what he didnt think about was if he was over the limit the next morning. Thats what you have to be careful of if you were too drunk to drive the night before you could still be over the limit the next day.

[janeyo]

I find alcohol also affects me differently at *ahem * certain times of the month. One day a glass of wine can have no effect the next I can be all giddy on half of one.

I do not drink and drive, not even a small one. Not worth the risk esp when I normally have my children in the car.
Nor does my OH. We normally take it in turns to drive. Although after I have had a baby it's HIS turn for about a year or so after - only fair LOL

[quark1]

I may stand corrected on this - but I always understood that the gut produces its own fermentation/alcohol by-product of gases which might cause some with certain health problems to register positive, and even those without, should the level be absolute zero.

I am quite happy for the level to be reduced to a point where just a single alcoholic drink might tip the balance. If you can afford the night out then you can afford the taxi home.

[kalimna]

I'd like to weigh in here with a (probably) unpopular opinion. First off, I in no way condone reckless driving, or driving whilst impaired through drinking (or any other reason for impairment, for instance drugs or tiredness - how many folk drive when they really are too tired, even though they would criticise anyone for drink-driving?)
In principle, the idea of zero-tolerance sounds great, and would probably reduce (eventually) the number of collisions related to alcohol. However, not everyone is affected the same way by the same blood alcohol level. How much 2 pints affects me is not going to be the same as how it affects someone 50 years older, 30kgs lighter, a female, a seasoned drinker, a teetotaller, etc.
Simillarly, not everyone will remove the alcohol from their blood at the same rate. It may take me 4 hours to remove the equivalent of 2 pints, it may take 6 hours, longer or shorter, and this is to be extrapolated to everybody in a different fashion.
It is very well indeed to say "Dont drink and drive", but examine that statement and see what it means. Does it mean that if you drink alcohol, you should *never* drive? Never, at all? If so, then fair enough, but if not, how are we, as individuals, able to judge how long to leave between drinking and driving?
Having a few pints, and getting a taxi home is obviously the only sensible thing to do, but what about the next morning, when you feel fine, and are in all likelihood not impaired with regards to concentration behind the wheel? You may still have small amounts of alcohol in your blood, and this, under zero tolerance, would impose a fine/banning etc. This is patently absurd too.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, the UK currently has one of the very safest road networks in the world, and the only absolute way to remove any accidental injury is to remove all persons from that road. i.e. no cars/pedestrians/buses/vans/bikes etc. Which is never going to happen.
I am all for banning (not necessarily lifetime, as that ignores context) those drivers who drive whilst incapacitated/impaired, but to have rules that do not allow any alcohol to be present in a blood sample of a driver seem ill-thought, reactionary and frankly ludicrous when considered fully.
By all means lower the limit to what may be present in a statistically-normal persons' blood 2 hours after finishing a drink containing 1 unit of alcohol (or whatever is appropriately chosen), but not zero.

The most important thing is to realise that, like velocity, alcohol itself doesnt harm, it is only when present in too large a quantity that it causes problems. Too much speed kills, but the sensible option is not to impose a zero-speed limit...

Phew. Ramble over.....

Adam

[Flummery]

Being as there is as much variability in a body's response to alcohol as you say, that seem to me (who doesn't drive at all so no axe to grind) even more reason for not drinking if you are going to drive.

[di]

I may stand corrected on this - but I always understood that the gut produces its own fermentation/alcohol by-product of gases which might cause some with certain health problems to register positive, and even those without, should the level be absolute zero.

I am quite happy for the level to be reduced to a point where just a single alcoholic drink might tip the balance. If you can afford the night out then you can afford the taxi home.

That's what I think...I used to have a friend with various food allergies or intolerances and apparently if she had a breath test it could show positive regardless of whether or not she'd had a drink.

I won't drink anything(alcohol)if I know I'm driving,partly because I never know how it's going to affect me but also I'd rather have none or lots

Don't know if it's just that I'm never in the right place but I can't remember the last time I saw anyone pulled over and breathalised...used to be a common sight in the 80's and 90's.

[kalimna]

Yes, but the point is - when you say "No drinking and driving" or "I don't drink if I will be driving" or "If Im drinking, I won't drive", then unless you *never* drink or you *never* drive then there will be an overlap.
You have to be able to say "I won't drive for X amount of time after I have drunk Y amount of alcohol", and as it's difficult without expensive test equipment to get an accurate blood alcohol reading, then otherwise sensible, conscientious, and safe drivers will fall foul of a zero limit. Having a low, but definitely not zero, limit is much more sensible, as the presence of alcohol doesnt necessarily affect ones' abillity to drive safely, but *too much* alcohol certainly does. A small limit allows a common sense leeway.

Adam

[Guttata]

kalimna which is why a zero limit is more logical than any other number. It leaves no doubt or "I can handle my alcohol better" arguments. I think life time bans are too lenient. Then again I have seen the after effects of drink driving as I used to work in the NHS. There is enough advertising about the danger as such there is no excuse.

Andi&di, the breath tester is much smaller now, and people are asked while in the car to do it through the window. It's no longer the balloon sized bag. Only if the refuse are they taken in. As such you can miss it as it can look like a person is just been spoken to by a copper.

[jackie j]

If I know I have to drive the next day then I wont drink much the night before if any thing, tomorrow I am going out on a girlie night out, out of the group of us at least 2 will not drink cos they will be the driver's, I have to work Friday night so again wont be able to drink much. I dont start work till 8pm so anything left in the system will be long gone.
I think we each have to decide how much to drink and those of us that do not drink and drive will know how much is enough and I hope responsible enough to not drive too soon afterwards.
To say if you drive ever then you cant drink ever is stupid. I am not a big drinker anyway and go weeks without any. If you get behind the wheel of a veichle after drinking and dont leave enough time span that person is stupid.

[Pies]

No point in lowering the limit,people are not obeying the current limit.The penalties for DD need to be much tougher