Stupid friend of friend driving over the limit, need to vent.

[Deleted member 66701]

Did it ever get it into your head it may have been an accident? **** happens that no one can avoid.

No - sober people don't generally mount the kerb on a bright sunny afternoon with no other traffic around.

The court though it was due to the drink as well - hence a 7 year jail sentance.

 

[gambitt]

If you have a blood alcohol limit of 70mg, about 1.5 pints in an hour, which is UNDER the legal limit, your risk of an accident increases by 1.5 - that's a 46% higher risk when driving under the influence than driving in snow and ice.

Have you tested this yourself or can you link to the results of this study?

At 1.5 times the limit, roughly 3 pints in an hour, your chance of an accident increases to 5 times that of a sober person! Twice the limit and it rises to 20 times!

Irrelevant since we are discussing driving while under the limit.

Do you enjoy the odd pint down the pub and then drive home? Sounds to me like you are trying to justify drink driving by stating the risks are overstated.

Actually I rarely drink. Sounds to me like you need to learn the difference between "drink driving" and "driving under the limit". The reality is they are very different things.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Have you tested this yourself or can you link to the results of this study?

Sure:-

http://www.80mg.org.uk/

Sounds to me like you need to learn the difference between "drink driving" and "driving under the limit". The reality is they are very different things.

I suggest it is you that doesn't know the deffinition of drink driving. They are not "very" different things at all.

ANY alcoholic drink consumed then driving is drink driving. The only difference is that if you are over the limit it's a statutory offence. You can still be prosecuted for driving under the influence of alcohol even if you are UNDER the legal limit.

Sentencing Guidelines Council

The Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC) published its definitive Guideline: Causing Death by Driving on 15 July 2008, for offences sentenced on or after 4 August 2008 (www.sentencing-guidelines.gov.uk/guidelines/).

The Guideline covers four offences, namely: causing death by dangerous driving; causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs; causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving; and causing death by driving whilst unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured.

The Guideline describes how the seriousness of an offence should be determined. There are five factors, general to all the offences covered by the Guideline (except causing death by driving whilst unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured, where the standard of driving is irrelevant) that determine the seriousness of the offence:
Awareness of risk

(a) a prolonged, persistent and deliberate course of very bad driving;

Effect of alcohol or drugs

(b) consumption of alcohol above the legal limit;

(c) consumption of alcohol at or below the legal limit where this impaired the offenders ability to drive;

(d) failure to supply a specimen for analysis;

(e) consumption of illegal drugs, where this impaired the offenders ability to drive; and

(f) consumption of legal drugs or medication where this impaired the offenders ability to drive (including legal medication known to cause drowsiness) where the driver knew, or should have known, about the likelihood of impairment.

Highlighted the relevant bit in bold for you as you seem unable to conduct your own research on the matter.

Similar guidelines exist for driving without due care and attention or dangerous driving in respect of driving under the influence of alcohol EVEN if you're under the legal limit.

 

[gambitt]

Sure:-

http://www.80mg.org.uk/

"A personal view of the drink-driving issue in the UK"

That link makes no reference on the comparison between ice/snow driving and driving after "1 pint".

I suggest it is you that doesn't know the deffinition of drink driving. They are not "very" different things at all.

Under the limit = free to go. Over the limit = potential criminal record, fine, loss of license etc. So they are indeed very different scenarios.

ANY alcoholic drink consumed then driving is drink driving.

What about Christmas pudding that you referred to earlier?

The only difference is that is you are over the limit it's statutory offence.

That's a pretty big difference!

You can still be prosecuted for driving under the influence of alcohol even if you are UNDER the legal limit.

Can you link to some cases please?

 

[Glaucus]

Can you link to some cases please?

This is the case, if you are swerving all over the place, or it is deemed that the alcohol was a contributor in the accident.
However it is no different to being done for dangerous driving for any number of things, like changing the radio station and is a pretty silly argument for 99% of cases.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Under the limit = free to go.

Not if the officer thinks youre driving was impaired due to consumption of alcohol.

Can you link to some cases please?

No, I'm sure you're capable of using Google like any other person.


Anyhow - I'm done with this discussion - I find people who defend or excuse drink driving just as intolerable as those who actually drink and drive.

 

[gambitt]

Not if the officer thinks youre driving was impaired due to consumption of alcohol.



No, I'm sure you're capable of using Google like any other person.


Anyhow - I'm done with this discussion - I find people who defend or excuse drink driving just as intolerable as those who actually drink and drive.

I think you should google "drink driving" and see what the census is on what people perceive it to mean. It's quite clear that the term "drink driving" is not used for driving while under the limit.

 

[Six6siX]

The number of people having an accident in ice and snow is very low compared to the number of people who manged to drive on the snow with no problems.

However, if you look at the number of drink drivers who have and accident compared to the numbers of drink drivers who dont, you'll find the accident rate much higher amonst that grouping.

What?

I know plenty of people who have been out, had one, maybe two drinks and then driven home without any problems a few hours later at the end of the evening/night - as I am sure a number of people on here have done. By your own definition, they are drink drivers.

Therefore, I would suggest that the ratio of accidents amongst people who "drink drive" (by your definition) is roughly the same as the ratio of accidents amongst those who drive in the snow.

 

[lawz]

Im with AcidHell2 here, I dont think she would have been over the limit.

I also dont see a problem with someone having, say, 1 pint at a bar with a meal then driving home afterwards. Anything more than that and you need to start looking at times since you started drinking etc and it becomes more of a gray area in my opinion.

Personally tiredness scares me far more than having a casual drink. I often do a 200 mile trip between homes. The last 40 miles are /always/ the hardest and its obviously far worse at night, I always make sure i've had plenty of rest, and even then I find myself yawning, though I do sleep stupid amounts anyway....

 

[gambitt]

I had man-flu last week and I definitely felt the difference when driving - nowhere near the point of dangerous but still had an adverse affect (more so than a single pint would affect me I feel) but it's socially acceptable to drive when ill.

 

[lawz]

wait wait wait wait......

from http://www.80mg.org.uk/danger.html

at the bottom of the page

" But this underlines the fact that, at these low levels, alcohol does not impair driving ability at all."

??? Yes I read the sentences before it.