Lowering the drink driving limit

But why would I lose my licence when under the limit on the very occasional day I might have a drink after work and then drive.

As opposed to the many, many other days I'm just driving and not drinking?

By sheer weight of numbers I'm far more likely to have an issue on a typical day.
I don’t understand what you’re on about
If you’re under the limit drive as much as you like and as often
If you’re over or borderline the consequences are massive
More than a pint with the current legislation is a risk - simple as that really
Should they lower it who knows
We all have different views on that
My personal opinion is most likely but will they who knows
If you’ve had a drink and need to get home the options are limitless
That’s before we discuss drug driving
 
Whilst on the face of it, it seems like an eminently sensible thing to do, I would very much like one of the government/AA/RAC to show the figures for accidents/injuries involving people over zero, but under the current limit.

I say this because, as we all know, and whatever the limit, Peter Pisshead will have 6 pints, 4 shorts and a couple of shots and will still get into his car.
We therefore risk shifting the headlines from:
Mr or Mrs XX, smashed into 3 people on a zebra crossing whilst being 6 times over the legal limit to reading they were 11 times over the legal limit, which won’t benefit safety, whatsoever.
 
I'm going to be perfectly honest here and I know people are going to call me the lowest of the low, a selfish **** and worse.

I play pool twice a week and have done for over 20 years. I always have 4 or 5 pints over the course of 4 hours then drove home. I've been pulled by the police once in all this time and was under the limit.

I've never had an accident or near miss in all this time. You drive slowly and safely to not draw attention to yourself.

I did stand-up in the UK from 2003 to 2016 and always had a few pints 5 or 6 nights a week all over the country. Only ever got pulled once by the police once right outside a venue.

In my experience you're only getting done for drink driving if you have an accident. The chances of a random pull while you're over the limit are a million to one
Tell that to someone who’s lost a loved one to a drunk driver. I fucking dare you you ****.

With a bit of luck you’ll plough into a lamp post next time.
 
I don’t understand what you’re on about
If you’re under the limit drive as much as you like and as often
If you’re over or borderline the consequences are massive
More than a pint with the current legislation is a risk - simple as that really
Should they lower it who knows
We all have different views on that
My personal opinion is most likely but will they who knows
If you’ve had a drink and need to get home the options are limitless
That’s before we discuss drug driving

I'm talking about under the limit. I've never driven directly after having more than one pint and generally stick to a half these days.

The problem is that we are edging towards a zero alcohol limit on the roads. And that's what I disagree with. I don't want there to be any tighter legislation on what we currently have so I'm drawing my line in the sand.
 
I'm talking about under the limit. I've never driven directly after having more than one pint and generally stick to a half these days.

The problem is that we are edging towards a zero alcohol limit on the roads. And that's what I disagree with. I don't want there to be any tighter legislation on what we currently have so I'm drawing my line in the sand.
Ok got you now I have now views or stats as to whether we lower it or not
I guess in an ideal world it would be zero
but is that realistic and achievable and police able who knows
Hurts my head thinking about that question tbh
I’m going to look at the transfer forum now and have a beer :)
Before you ask I’m away sat on my sun-bed and there is a time difference plus it’s 38 degree
Have a good day pal
 
out of interest, England and Wales at 80 mg/100 mL (~0.08% BAC) alcohol in blood, is the highest limit in Europe and just about the highest in the world (with quite a lot of other countries), with Scotland's 50mg being in line with a lot of Europe (though many countries are 0.02 or even 0).

The US is a mix of 0.05 and 0.08%

I think the mighty island nations of Caymans and Palau are the highest in the world with 0.1%.

I believe dropping to 0.05% is good.
 
Whilst on the face of it, it seems like an eminently sensible thing to do, I would very much like one of the government/AA/RAC to show the figures for accidents/injuries involving people over zero, but under the current limit.

I say this because, as we all know, and whatever the limit, Peter Pisshead will have 6 pints, 4 shorts and a couple of shots and will still get into his car.
We therefore risk shifting the headlines from:
Mr or Mrs XX, smashed into 3 people on a zebra crossing whilst being 6 times over the legal limit to reading they were 11 times over the legal limit, which won’t benefit safety, whatsoever.

Just had a look, and there was some meta-analysis a few years back, which suggested that at the current legal limit (0.8), drivers were 13 times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident.

After a single drink, it was already 3.5 times more likely, and at 0.5, it was 6 times more likely.
 
The thing a lot of people are missing here is it really won't make a jot of difference as their are no police to enforce the law.
I remember when I was younger you would often see a police car parked up near a pub just waiting to see somebody getting into their car pissed, these days you never see a copper at all.
 
Disagree....currently it's 1 pint is usually OK "so a 2nd won't hurt" or "can get away with a 2nd" is common, if it was Zero, most wouldn't risk any.....however much someone can drink, or little they think it affects them, the fact is, any amount of alcohol reduces everyones reaction time...even theirs.
If someone argues about zero tolerance...they have a problem....with alcohol. There is simply no need to drink if driving...ever.

Those people will do it anyway, they want to milk people on the way to work who have miniscule amounts of alcohol still in their system from the night before in my opinion. Of course it is just an opinion.
 
Ok got you now I have now views or stats as to whether we lower it or not
I guess in an ideal world it would be zero
but is that realistic and achievable and police able who knows
Hurts my head thinking about that question tbh
I’m going to look at the transfer forum now and have a beer :)
Before you ask I’m away sat on my sun-bed and there is a time difference plus it’s 38 degree
Have a good day pal

That's sounds great.

Yes you've got better things to do than reading this nonsense!

Have a good day.
 
Just had a look, and there was some meta-analysis a few years back, which suggested that at the current legal limit (0.8), drivers were 13 times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident.

After a single drink, it was already 3.5 times more likely, and at 0.5, it was 6 times more likely.
Study from Scotland suggests it made no difference, whatsoever.
Of course, for it to be successful, we need a public transport system fit for purpose, as that then provides an alternative to any drinking and driving.

https://www.ias.org.uk/2021/08/25/n...e-limits-didnt-lower-road-traffic-collisions/

Also, we really need to target the ones currently over the limit and, with less police on the road, it feels like yet another example of politicians syllogism, or politically fallacy. ‘Something needs to be done’. ‘This is something, therefore that’s what we’ll do’.
 
Study from Scotland suggests it made no difference, whatsoever.
Of course, for it to be successful, we need a public transport system fit for purpose, as that then provides an alternative to any drinking and driving.

https://www.ias.org.uk/2021/08/25/n...e-limits-didnt-lower-road-traffic-collisions/

Also, we really need to target the ones currently over the limit and, with less police on the road, it feels like yet another example of politicians syllogism, or politically fallacy. ‘Something needs to be done’. ‘This is something, therefore that’s what we’ll do’.

It looks like their conclusion was that people didn't stop drink driving.

This is being presented as part of a package of measures, which you'd hope would make a difference. Road casualties have been pretty static for the last decade or so, as they were for the for much of the 90s and early 00s. The changes Blair brought in, in 2006, made a huge difference quickly, and casualties pretty much halved in just a few years.

The current levels are so far down since the 70s, (as laws around drink driving, seat belts, car safety designs, made huge differences across the next couple of decades), that it may be harder and harder to tackle the remaining incidents. Those few years after the 2006 changes, appear to be the only drop in the last thirty years, so it remains to be seen if there's scope to push them down again.

This is the number of people killed on the roads in Great Britain each year (assume that means NI not included).

1754998826053.png
 
out of interest, England and Wales at 80 mg/100 mL (~0.08% BAC) alcohol in blood, is the highest limit in Europe and just about the highest in the world (with quite a lot of other countries), with Scotland's 50mg being in line with a lot of Europe (though many countries are 0.02 or even 0).

The US is a mix of 0.05 and 0.08%

I think the mighty island nations of Caymans and Palau are the highest in the world with 0.1%.

I believe dropping to 0.05% is good.

But didn't make a difference in Scotland when they did it. It probably doesn't make enough of a difference drinking 2 pints to 1 and a half as an example to affect anything. There has to be a line somewhere though.

People who are trying to paint others who are below the limit on a shandy as pissed up drink driving cunts are quite amusing though.
 
But didn't make a difference in Scotland when they did it. It probably doesn't make enough of a difference drinking 2 pints to 1 and a half as an example to affect anything. There has to be a line somewhere though.

People who are trying to paint others who are below the limit on a shandy as pissed up drink driving cunts are quite amusing though.

I had a look at the Scottish research posted above. They didn't think it was due to the difference between amounts drunk - more that the lack of alternative transport, and lack of policing, meant people carried on as before.
 
It looks like their conclusion was that people didn't stop drink driving.

This is being presented as part of a package of measures, which you'd hope would make a difference. Road casualties have been pretty static for the last decade or so, as they were for the for much of the 90s and early 00s. The changes Blair brought in, in 2006, made a huge difference quickly, and casualties pretty much halved in just a few years.

The current levels are so far down since the 70s, (as laws around drink driving, seat belts, car safety designs, made huge differences across the next couple of decades), that it may be harder and harder to tackle the remaining incidents. Those few years after the 2006 changes, appear to be the only drop in the last thirty years, so it remains to be seen if there's scope to push them down again.

This is the number of people killed on the roads in Great Britain each year (assume that means NI not included).

View attachment 165694

The only slightly relevant stat is the number injured or killed by someone over 0.50 but under 0.80. Such a stat does not exist I wouldn't have thought and even if it did it doesn't actually mean much.
 
I had a look at the Scottish research posted above. They didn't think it was due to the difference between amounts drunk - more that the lack of alternative transport, and lack of policing, meant people carried on as before.

Carried on drinking how much? Whatever the reason it didn't reduce accidents, maybe they should look at things that would? Isn't that the objective?
 
Drink driving is an awful crime, we should have zero alcohol as the limit for driving. That would simplify "Am I over or not?" debates. Also several countries already have zero as their limit.
Unfortunately everyone has some alcohol in their bodies (about 28mg).
On the railway in a safety critical post the tolerance is 2mg bringing it up 30mg.
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top