Drink driving.
- Thread starter DM
- Start date
Posted my story on here before, won't go into the particulars. It's not a usual stop, breath test and thrown in a meat wagon case and I remember none of it... but I did what I did regardless and that's how I'm dealing with it. No excuse.
I'm 25 and was given 12 months ban, fined £460 inc costs but I was also offered a drink drivers education course at a cost of £155 which reduces the ban to 9 months (25% off the ban basically).
I finished the 3rd & last full day of the course on Saturday (spread over 4 weeks) and it has been fantastic. The man who led the course was in the police force most of his life and retired 10 years ago to teach the course and admitted that he himself drove for years after a few pints on the way home from work which was back then the norm. There were 11 people from all walks of life in there and we covered all aspects of alcohol & its affects on the body, not just your driving, we also covered lightly on other areas that distract drivers. There's no preaching or shouting, just a level headed and down to earth lesson that's not easy to forget. Very clear messages.
It's actually put me off drink now, not that I drink much anyway. I'm not one who goes out partying, I maybe do that twice a year and those are the only times I get drunk. It's made me realise that I know many many people who are probably driving around over the limit a lot of the time which to me is not acceptable now. the police would had a field day at my local as it's a remote place and everyone drives in and out. Thankfully it's just a mile walk for me.
I get my licence back in 3 months, I can't wait. The ban will be on my record for 11 years which is a criminal offence and I will be declaring it to insurers for 5. I will be paying double last years insurance for the same car. As I live 2 miles from public transport it's put my family out helping me, which I hate as I'm very independent. I haven't been able to join in a lot of activites I want to as being a rural area I just can't get anywhere without spending my whole day doing so. To those who think a couple is OK, what's the cost of a taxi compared to the thousands this has cost me? Nothing. Nothing at all and that's how I will think going forward even though it's not something I would consciously do anyway.
I'm 25 and was given 12 months ban, fined £460 inc costs but I was also offered a drink drivers education course at a cost of £155 which reduces the ban to 9 months (25% off the ban basically).
I finished the 3rd & last full day of the course on Saturday (spread over 4 weeks) and it has been fantastic. The man who led the course was in the police force most of his life and retired 10 years ago to teach the course and admitted that he himself drove for years after a few pints on the way home from work which was back then the norm. There were 11 people from all walks of life in there and we covered all aspects of alcohol & its affects on the body, not just your driving, we also covered lightly on other areas that distract drivers. There's no preaching or shouting, just a level headed and down to earth lesson that's not easy to forget. Very clear messages.
It's actually put me off drink now, not that I drink much anyway. I'm not one who goes out partying, I maybe do that twice a year and those are the only times I get drunk. It's made me realise that I know many many people who are probably driving around over the limit a lot of the time which to me is not acceptable now. the police would had a field day at my local as it's a remote place and everyone drives in and out. Thankfully it's just a mile walk for me.
I get my licence back in 3 months, I can't wait. The ban will be on my record for 11 years which is a criminal offence and I will be declaring it to insurers for 5. I will be paying double last years insurance for the same car. As I live 2 miles from public transport it's put my family out helping me, which I hate as I'm very independent. I haven't been able to join in a lot of activites I want to as being a rural area I just can't get anywhere without spending my whole day doing so. To those who think a couple is OK, what's the cost of a taxi compared to the thousands this has cost me? Nothing. Nothing at all and that's how I will think going forward even though it's not something I would consciously do anyway.
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Associate
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Age 36 most i drank was 2 pints of shandy and drove home.
Soldato
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Never. Though have driven ~2 hours after drinking one pint or less on 2 occasions.
I have however driven when tired. I find it comes on really fast an I go from what feels to be alert to struggling in a couple of miles, then I stop at a services, close my eyes for 10 minutes, buy a coffee, now I can drive with the alert feeling for another few hours, which has so far always got me home.
Edit: I'm 23.
I have however driven when tired. I find it comes on really fast an I go from what feels to be alert to struggling in a couple of miles, then I stop at a services, close my eyes for 10 minutes, buy a coffee, now I can drive with the alert feeling for another few hours, which has so far always got me home.
Edit: I'm 23.
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Never drank and drove...im 38 and its something thats just not worth the risk no matter how small a risk it may be...its still a risk.
If i did drink then id make sure that i have someone with me who hasnt drunk, who can drive or failing that id just take the cab home or something.
If i did drink then id make sure that i have someone with me who hasnt drunk, who can drive or failing that id just take the cab home or something.
Has it always been illegal?
Associate
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When i was young 18.19,20 I did it quite often, i drove home really over the limit! if im honest i just thought i was always in control. 1 nite i had a few cans in the house and got a phone call of the mrs sayin she couldnt get home from her friends as there was no taxis was running at 3am, i said id come for her and was caught and banged up in a cell all night, i got convicted for being 1 milligram of alchol over the limit. was banded from driving and now have a criminal record. it really hit home when i apeared in court! cant describe the low feeling i had. i went on a drink drive course to reduce my ban, but they just treated me like an alcoholic. at the time I drank maybe once a week and now drink maybe once every 3 months, but they didnt belive me. i think of what could have happend the times i didnt get caught and it makes me feel sick with worry/guilt i was the lucky one to get caught just over the limit and without hurting myself or anyone else. i am now 28 and still paying for my stupidity. its put me off drinking if im honest. Ive never drunk and drove since that night and if i can give any advice, dont take your keys out with you, the temptation is there with the keys in your pockets.
Yea for as long as iv been driving it has which is 27 years.
Misplaced confidence...less than 2 minutes drive home...3am nobodys about...lots of Alcohol...Yep, ive done it, though not for a good 6-7 years iirc.
No intention of doing so either now. Not worth it in the slightest. Thinking about it now, I did it a ridiculous amount of times. Highly stupid and embarassing. Not an excuse, but Gib's only recently come round to the obvious, and it's enforced quite strictly. Over the limit? Immediate 1 year ban.
Edit - I'm 32.
No intention of doing so either now. Not worth it in the slightest. Thinking about it now, I did it a ridiculous amount of times. Highly stupid and embarassing. Not an excuse, but Gib's only recently come round to the obvious, and it's enforced quite strictly. Over the limit? Immediate 1 year ban.
Edit - I'm 32.
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Soldato
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25, never have never will.
My brother will have 1 or 2 though, hes 23 soon. Still thinks hes gods gift to man (wonder if him driving vans all day now has had an impact on his thought about how "awesome" he is...he is actually a terrible driver as it is but thinks its everybody else thats the problem).
My dad used to be a police pursuit driver among other things in his 30 years service. He used to drink varying amounts before driving home. Never too far and he was never drunk but as far as Im concerned it was alwaays too much. Couldnt tell him though. Hes about 53 now but hes been doing it for 15 years ¬_¬"
- Pea0n
My brother will have 1 or 2 though, hes 23 soon. Still thinks hes gods gift to man (wonder if him driving vans all day now has had an impact on his thought about how "awesome" he is...he is actually a terrible driver as it is but thinks its everybody else thats the problem).
My dad used to be a police pursuit driver among other things in his 30 years service. He used to drink varying amounts before driving home. Never too far and he was never drunk but as far as Im concerned it was alwaays too much. Couldnt tell him though. Hes about 53 now but hes been doing it for 15 years ¬_¬"
- Pea0n
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Had a couple of pints a few times when I was younger, no more than 2 though. In fact I got pulled over after having 2 pints in 1997 and when I said I'd been out for a meal/drinks they breathalised me. It came back green.
As Mark says though attitudes have changed a great deal over the years (I'm 37), some of the stories my parents and friends have of the 60s/70s would not go down at all well these days. Drink driving has become a complete social taboo, a good thing on the whole.
This is how I see it:
60s/70s - anything goes
80s/90s - drink but don't go over the limit
2000s/10s - NOOOOOOO!
As Mark says though attitudes have changed a great deal over the years (I'm 37), some of the stories my parents and friends have of the 60s/70s would not go down at all well these days. Drink driving has become a complete social taboo, a good thing on the whole.
This is how I see it:
60s/70s - anything goes
80s/90s - drink but don't go over the limit
2000s/10s - NOOOOOOO!
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Associate
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Age: 26
8 years ago, despite being a firm believer in never driving after having a drink I drove home after a night out, was around a 1 mile drive home. Wasn't smashed but definitely wasn't sober, didn't get caught or anything but regret doing it and would never knowingly drive whilst over the limit ever again, I still to this day think how bad things could have gone had I been caught or worse!
After that I drove once the morning after to drop some friends to a station whilst feeling completely fine and sober to then get back home and actually feel drunk. Both event's have probably been the best learning experience I could have without actually getting into any major trouble and I would absolutely never even think about driving after a drink until the following afternoon now.
8 years ago, despite being a firm believer in never driving after having a drink I drove home after a night out, was around a 1 mile drive home. Wasn't smashed but definitely wasn't sober, didn't get caught or anything but regret doing it and would never knowingly drive whilst over the limit ever again, I still to this day think how bad things could have gone had I been caught or worse!
After that I drove once the morning after to drop some friends to a station whilst feeling completely fine and sober to then get back home and actually feel drunk. Both event's have probably been the best learning experience I could have without actually getting into any major trouble and I would absolutely never even think about driving after a drink until the following afternoon now.
Soldato
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Who here when they were little used to think drink driving was physically drinking something (like Ribena) at the same time as driving.