Guidelines

35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine

 

How do you think goverment should deal with drivers and alcohol?

 

Outright ban on drinking if driving

Stay the same

allow people to drink more

allow people to drink less

Stay the same, seem about right to me. Certainly dont want to get more leniant, it will only encourage us

IMO there should be an outright ban on any alcohol in the body and zero tolerance, theres no excuse for putting other people at risk which is exactly what you are doing when getting behind the wheel after drinking, 1 pint is still enough to impair your judgement even though a lot of guys seem to think it doesnt affect them at all. But I do feel particularly strongly about this issue, a drunk driver mowed down and killed my cousin :mad:

IMO there should be an outright ban on any alcohol in the body and zero tolerance, theres no excuse for putting other people at risk which is exactly what you are doing when getting behind the wheel after drinking, 1 pint is still enough to impair your judgement even though a lot of guys seem to think it doesnt affect them at all. But I do feel particularly strongly about this issue, a drunk driver mowed down and killed my cousin :mad:

 

You could not do it, bet you dont realise how much stuff has a trace of alcohole in it that we use every day.

Not condoning drink driving in any way, but saying no alcohole is unrealistic.

I agree with a total ban. Me personally I don't see the point of having 1 or 2, so if I have the car I just don't touch alcohol. The problem is driving the next day after a drink. Again, I don't touch the car the next day after a good drink but I know I have in the past and would have probably still been over the limit.

IMO there should be an outright ban on any alcohol in the body and zero tolerance, theres no excuse for putting other people at risk which is exactly what you are doing when getting behind the wheel after drinking, 1 pint is still enough to impair your judgement even though a lot of guys seem to think it doesnt affect them at all. But I do feel particularly strongly about this issue, a drunk driver mowed down and killed my cousin :mad:

I understand the point, but you can't draw the line at zero alcohol. If you go out one night and have 6 pints, for example, when would you be able to drive again? Do you just guess when the last trace of alcohol leaves your body or do we all have to buy our own alcohol detectors?

 

Is it really worth criminalising someone who has a rum truffle or 2 and then drives home? :nono:

IMO there should be an outright ban on any alcohol in the body and zero tolerance, theres no excuse for putting other people at risk which is exactly what you are doing when getting behind the wheel after drinking, 1 pint is still enough to impair your judgement even though a lot of guys seem to think it doesnt affect them at all. But I do feel particularly strongly about this issue, a drunk driver mowed down and killed my cousin :mad:

 

2nd. From the moment they dont risk their life only but put other people life in danger they should be banned

I reckon the current level is about right and not too lenient or draconian (which makes a bloody change for this country!) Personally I don't drink a drop if I'm going to drive, but it's the old 'morning-after' problem that you need to take account of. If you've been out on the sauce all night you know you'll be over the limit the next morning, but if you've only had a few then the next morning leaves a big question mark if you really feel ok. Also, just because someone might be over the limit doesn't mean that the cause of an accident was down to drinking, just like if you are speeding (no, not that ;) )

TBH I would say the same, but I voted for less.

 

Only reason being as you all have probably done, knowing you can have SOME is always going to lead to people having what they think is a little, the temptation can be there to have an extra pint.

 

If you couldnt drink and drive at all most people wouldnt take the risk.

I understand the point, but you can't draw the line at zero alcohol. If you go out one night and have 6 pints, for example, when would you be able to drive again? Do you just guess when the last trace of alcohol leaves your body or do we all have to buy our own alcohol detectors?

 

Is it really worth criminalising someone who has a rum truffle or 2 and then drives home? :nono:

 

yes if it means your not going to be knocking a member of my family over, and then use the excuse i didn't know, common sense is a brilliant thing,

usually the ones who are still over the limit have been drinking all night, wandered in about 2am, then up for work at 8am,

 

lol do you realise how many BOXES of rum truffles you would have to eat to effect the current breathalyser

 

we see so many posts on here about shite drivers, imagine how much worse they would be under the influence, or next morning feeling rough as shite,

 

a pilot has just been jailed for drinking and then still having it in his system,

the driver who was jailed for falling asleep and going down a motorway embankment and hitting a train, no difference if you ask me:(

 

as you say theres a fine line m8, but one you need to stick to 100%

Have we lost the 'see who voted what' feature?

its an option when you create the poll, its just turned off for this poll

I voted for "stay the same"

 

I do not drink at all if I'm driving - the old "well you can have just one or perhaps 2 and be below the limit" is just b0ll0x.

 

Have that one pint, drive home and hit someone on the way, then say the drink did not affect you :mad:

 

However I do not believe a "zero alcohol" in the blood limit is workable.

 

Many things (like cooking sauces, desserts etc) contain a mere trace of alcohol which currently have no effect on the breathalyser, or your driving ability, but if there was a zero limit would show up and result in a ban.

 

The current limit is fair - however when a driver may be "just under" the limit but is at fault in an RTA then the police and CPS should have the powers to insist the alcohol in his/her system was excessive and prosecute accordingly, despite the readings.

 

Richard :)

problem with an absolute ban is that it would not make any difference other than catching out the morning after types!!

Thing is, if u r going to have a drink and then drive home it wont matter what the limit is...they will still get too pissed to drive... :xxx: that they are.. so if the limit is 35/100 or 0/100 they will still be on it.

The odds of being stopped are limited and the figures of drink drivers is increasing (over the last few years at least) so...there is less social pressure on people NOT to DD.

 

I drink...wife drives...

I voted for decrease. Not because we should have a zero tolerance, but in order to discourage people from drinking at all. There is always a possibility for some alcohol, even stuff like cough medicine and mouthwash has it ! Therefore, if the limit is less then people shouldn't drink, but the limit should be at a level to avoid prosecution from other residual sources.

lol do you realise how many BOXES of rum truffles you would have to eat to effect the current breathalyser

It would take a lot to register over the current limit, but not many to register at all.

 

as you say theres a fine line m8, but one you need to stick to 100%

I think the limit should be set such that it catches people who go out drinking and then drive, but not those people who have traces of alcohol in their bodies.

 

I don't go out drinking and then drive, but I just think a zero tolerance approach is unworkable.

you also have to take into consideration some peoples ability to deal with booze in their system is far in excess of others i watched a guy that had to be helped into the cop shop to take the test walk out after showing up clear yet another guy who was sober as a judge fail......everyone has an opinion on this but i have to say this for somebody to go out on the town it is more expensive to go out and drink say orange or coke than it is to drink lager or bitter in manchester......pubs and clubs really should be made to take the sting in the tale out of non booze drinks

Does anyone watch Brainiac on SkyOne (I think). They made 4 people eat food with alcohol in (choc liquers, sherry trifle etc) to see who would fail a breath test first. The chocolate liqueurs bloke "won" and he didn't have a gargantuan amount :eek:

 

I think it's fine as it is but that more policing is required to enforce it esp in outlying areas. Personally I can't see the point in having ANY alcohol if you are driving :confused:

I reckon the current level is about right and not too lenient or draconian (which makes a bloody change for this country!) Personally I don't drink a drop if I'm going to drive, but it's the old 'morning-after' problem that you need to take account of. If you've been out on the sauce all night you know you'll be over the limit the next morning, but if you've only had a few then the next morning leaves a big question mark if you really feel ok. Also, just because someone might be over the limit doesn't mean that the cause of an accident was down to drinking, just like if you are speeding (no, not that ;) )

 

I agree with old Narky Pants above (Did I just say that WTF)

it's similar to speed limits - varies according to number of fcators, so arbitrary limits simply save money and are unfair. If u argue it's always better to drink 0 alcohol, then it's always better to slow down 10MPH, always better to walk instead of driving, always better not to drive if you are tired, always better not to drive if you are slow/stupid, always better not to drive if you are young or really old, etc. etc...where does one stop ? IMHO, when I have a pint and drive, I am more careful knowing I've had a pint. I'm sure my reactions will be very, very slightly slower - but the extra care taken probably counterracts this.

I agree with old Narky Pants above (Did I just say that WTF)

 

 

NARKY PANTS!!!????!?!? :slap: :p :rofl: :rofl: :D

As some peolpe have pointed out, your driving will be slightly impaired after one drink. But there are many other things that will impair your driving as much or more - such as lack of sleep.

 

How many accidents, especially on the highway, do we see from driver fatigue? Should we make it illegal to drive if you don't get at least 6 hours of straight sleep per day?

 

Having a screaming infant in the backseat can cause more distraction than speaking on a mobile phone. Should we make it illegal for kids to scream in the car?

 

Being old is not good for driving either. My grandma's 74 year old boyfriend drivers completely carelessly, simply unaware of other traffic, and does not really remember traffic rules. Should it be illegal to drive when you are older than 65?

 

Driving 1 mile home from the pub in a small village when there's no traffic on the road after 1 beer is not the same as driving a mile through London with a beer. Do we really think it's hard to drive home that mile on a village road?

 

Life is usually not so black & white, banning alcohol and driving outright is not a logical step.

Funny, alot of you guys will quite happily drive 100mph + (lol more like 150) wantonly breaking the law, but when it comes to alcohol suddenly become very self righteous!.. the taboo of drink driving.

 

Im very strongly against drunk driving but drink driving - 1 or 2 pints concentrates you to drive carefully and deliberate these days partly for fear of being stopped and partly because you know you've had a pint as Nelson said.

I personally never touch even a drop and drive, but I know alot of ppl who live in the countryside and do have 1 or 2 and am absolutely sure they have less chance of causing an accident than the sober guy speeding home from the pub through a built up area.

I vote for stay the same, I think anyone voting for less is either emotionally biased or brain washed by all the adverts aimed at drunk driving.

As a profesional driver, I dont drink and drive, if some thing happened,

1. I could'nt afford to pay after my insurance refuses to

2. I could'nt live with the guilt

3. I'd lose my job

It just aint worth the risk, also, I used to work in accident recovery, that aint a pretty job, it deffinatley makes you think about things

professional drivers are only allowed to drive for 4 hour periods

and for only 9 in a 24 hour period, and 48 in one week, BECAUSE fatigue is recognized as one of our motorways biggest killers,

so if you asking should a coach driver be stooped from driving if he is tired and about to take a coach load of kids on a possible killer trip, yes is the answer

 

screaming kids can be ignored, unless your a neurotic mother, if they leap about it's a bit different, hence seat belts

 

older people are required to take tests again, whether its enforced quickly enough is a different matter

 

and arnt you more likely to come across more people strolling home in a village

late at night??

 

i don't think a test that finds ANY alcohol in the blood is workable, but i reckon if you intend going for a drink, be it 1-2 or 22, then the car should stay at home, if i found a driver smelling of ale, after knocking someone in my family down, i wouldnt be asking "excuse me have you only had one"

Being old is not good for driving either. My grandma's 74 year old boyfriend drivers completely carelessly, simply unaware of other traffic, and does not really remember traffic rules.

 

Should it be illegal to drive when you are older than 65?

...well, now that u mention it ;)