Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:29 pm  

We are now firmly in the season of office Christmas parties. Consequently, people are more likely to have a drink on a 'work night' and drive into work or elsewhere the following day.

The seasonal drink driving ads are upon us and this can only be a good thing. Driving whilst drunk is simply idiotic. But where (or when) do you think the enforcement of this campaign will take place?

Does anyone think there is something massively ingenuous about breathalysing motorists on the morning commute?

The latest breathalysing equipment used by the plod might not discriminate between night and day, but anyone with half a brain can tell you that there is a significant difference between being under the influence of alcohol on a night out and driving into work with a hangover the following day.

Should the police focus their resources on the 10pm-4am offenders? Are early morning stops unfair on normally law-abiding folk who, realistically, are not under the influence of alcohol?

I'm not necessarily picking sides, but I know which one I am leaning towards.

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:44 pm  

If there is alcohol in your blood then it affects your driving, it doesn't matter when you drank it.

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:47 pm  

Big Graeme wrote:

If there is alcohol in your blood then it affects your driving, it doesn't matter when you drank it.

If that's the case, why do the police round up morning motorists en masse in order to pick out a few silly ones, whilst night-time offenders are simply identified by bad driving?

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:54 pm  

kirkstaller wrote:

If that's the case, why do the police round up morning motorists en masse in order to pick out a few silly ones?

They don't, they should do mind.
Anyone who drives while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is an idiot who deserves to be relegated to a pedestrian permanently.

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:01 pm  

Big Graeme wrote:

They don't, they should do mind.
Anyone who drives while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is an idiot who deserves to be relegated to a pedestrian permanently.

Surely you've seen the traps laid by police on Saturday and Sunday mornings? They pull in 7 cars a time.

I agree that anyone who drives under the influence is an idiot, but are morning-after drivers under the influence? I'm not convinced. Their blood alcohol level might be over but everyone knows that any impairment is drastically reduced. The police know this too, but pulling over hungover drivers is much easier than chasing 80mph drunks after last orders.

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:04 pm  

I wish they'd stop me, I've been dying to use my line, have cultivated it for years now - when they ask "When did you last have an alcoholic drink sir" I want to see the look on their face when I say "About ten years ago officer, how good is your breathalyser ?"

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:07 pm  

To answer your question though, its not just the affect that alcohol has on your judgement shortly after you've consumed it, but the affect it has on your judgement several hours later when you've got the hangover, if you've got a splitting headache and a rough stomach then you won't be concentrating on the road and pavements, road users and pedestrians - thats the problem.

Although quite how reducing police numbers is going to improve the situation is another question.

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:13 pm  

Don't quite get what the original poster is carping about - A drink driver is a drink driver, whatever time of day he is caught.

To be fair, hauling them in for a test during rush hour is actually the best time to be doing it, because a drink related accident is going to be a lot more nasty at that time, than in the middle of the night.....Also, anything that might discourage folk from driving hungover during rush hour, can only be a good thing.

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:32 pm  

Don't the police have to have 'reasonable suspicion' to breath test people?

If so, what is the legal basis for pulling over several cars at random and asking the drivers for samples of breath?

Is this the same sort of power where they can stop and search at random if they suspect a high chance of violence in an area, for example at a major sporting event?

Re: Drink driving at Christmas : Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:00 pm  

What sort of idiot drives to work hungover? Isn't it obvious your reactions would be impaired.