Alcohol Limit For Drivers 'Could Be Slashed'

This story grabbed my attention today, i see it as a good thing...i think, i just want to get my head round some of the wording....

Ministers are considering proposals to slash the alcohol limit for drivers, it has been reported.

A report on driving under the influence of drink and drugs has been submitted to the Department for Transport by academic Sir Peter North.

It was commissioned last December when Labour was in power, but is now being studied by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Sir Peter recommends reducing the drink-drive limit by almost half, from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml to 50mg.

That could be less than a single glass of wine or pint of strong beer.

Those found breaking the law would be hit with an automatic 12-month ban, the paper said.

Source: Alcohol Limit For Drivers 'Could Be Slashed

IMO cutting the alcohol limit is a great thing. They should ban it completely. If you want to get behind the wheel of a car, thats great, just don't have alcohol in you at all.

I'm no angel, but this is the one thing i've never done. Ever.

In my old job i picked up too many victims of drunk drivers, many of these who swore blind they only had a pint in them.

I believe them too. Some of the drivers i arrested for this, whilst they failed the breath test, appeared totaly coherant.

Yes i know everyone is different when it comes to alcohol capacity. I'm a total lightweight when it comes to booze, i know that a glass of wine or even half a guiness will put me over the driving limit.

That said, i've seen people drive with a few in them and drive perfectly.

However, i'd rather not let some poor pedestrian or other car occupant find out the hard way who can take their drink and who cannot.

Here are the other proposals suggested...

Sir Peter's Other Proposals

:: Random breath-testing, allowing police to stop motorists with no other aim

:: The right for drivers to demand a second breathalyser test at the police station to be removed

:: Novice drivers to face an alcohol limit of just 20mg

:: A new offence of driving with an illegal substance in the bloodstream at levels deemed impairing.

Any problems with these?

I disagree with second one, there were a few times when our breathalyzers gave dubious readings and upon a second test on the intoximeter back at the station, a different, more accurate reading was given.

To have that right to demand a second test at the station removed could cause problems. You're coming back to the station if you fail the first test anyway so why not let them do a second test if theres any doubt?

Third proposal. Why is a novice driver any different than an experienced one? One limit for all if you ask me.

The article does say that these suggestions were submitted when Labour were in power, but are now being reviewed by the new government.

Maybe it's just another way for the government to make more money off of us?

I appreciate that this subject will have a mixed reaction. Some will have been affected personally by this, some will be the ones having a few pints then driving home. Either way i look forward to your opinins.



CX.

I could very well completely agree with this. Some could argue it's a sort of intrusion on one's rights, but I say tough. In a lot of areas, a cop can arrest you simply for having the suspicion that you are under the influence of any drugs, including marijuana. However, they can take a breathalyzer, and prove that you have been drinking, but if you are "under the limit" you are off the hook.

Right, then the driver speeds off, reaches into the back seat, takes a sip of beer and suddenly they are "over the limit". Completely bogus. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous substances known to man. Nearly every prescription drug you take warns you not to operate any machinery whatsoever due to the dangerous nature of doing so. Alcohol though? Nah, it's only warning is a moral sense.. It's still perfectly legal to drive your multi-ton death machine to a bar for the sole purpose of drinking. Then, more often than not, no one is going to stop you from walking straight back out into your car, completely wasted, and driving off.

Cops these days are more concerned with finding a baggy of pot than they are of apprehending drunkards getting into their vehicles outside of a pub.

Completely stupid. Get rid of the limits, and screw you if you complain. You have absolutely no business getting into a vehicle if you've been sipping booze.

I think it's at the right level right now to be honest, people could have their entire lives turned upside down for what seems like an arbitrary figure. Edit to add, by rough estimate about 2 pints of normal strength larger (3-4%) will put an average man pretty much on the limit for the next hour... This proposed drop will only bring that down to a little over 1 pint of normal strength or a bit less than a pint of strong larger (5-6%).

Changing the figure is a popularity move, little effort for maximum results, it's such a controversial issue that you can't fail, any problems pushing it through and you simply wheel out the grieving relatives and bingo, support and bandwagon... When you think about it it's actually quite shameless.

I do like the idea of the lower limit for new drivers though, that does make sense.

But I don't think the punishment should be one size fits all, sometimes it really does not seem fair when some dude twice over the limit sends a car into a ditch gets exactly the same punishment as a farther who just fixed his sons pedal powered go kart and peddled it up and down a quiet cul de sac (true story).

[edit on 5/6/2010 by Now_Then]

why not have a consumer paid for test that demonstrates how much alchohal you can have in your system and function within a car. That way everyone has their own limit and knows it.

i'm the designated "drunk driver" - whether i have had 1 16oz or 10, i can still drive just fine - i can't walk a straight line when i am sober due to knee and back injuries, but i am designated wheel-man. i also have a high metabolism, i know if i drink a beer and have to blow 10 minutes later i will fail - even tho i can drive better after a few beers than most of the cops can sober....kinda scary huh?

oh and i started on a stick-shift when i was 8, i'm 34 now....

Originally posted by Now_Then
I think it's at the right level right now to be honest, people could have their entire lives turned upside down for what seems like an arbitrary figure.

Good point, then again people have had their lives turned upside down by a small amount of drink in a sensible driver. I do know what you mean though.

I talk in my post as if every driver with a couple of pints in them mows down a bus stop of people, but as we know thats not the case.

I just think that if a couple of pints will take you to the limit, why bother?

CX.

Originally posted by I.C. Weiner
i'm the designated "drunk driver" - whether i have had 1 16oz or 10, i can still drive just fine - i can't walk a straight line when i am sober due to knee and back injuries, but i am designated wheel-man. i also have a high metabolism, i know if i drink a beer and have to blow 10 minutes later i will fail - even tho i can drive better after a few beers than most of the cops can sober....kinda scary huh?

oh and i started on a stick-shift when i was 8, i'm 34 now....

Hi there, thanks for that reply, very honest of you if you don't mind me saying.

Just out of interest, is it just your opinion that you can drive better after 10 pints or would you be willing to test that?

I ask because we used to see a lot of research on drivers reactions after just a couple, the results weren't always as great as they'd expect.

That said, you may be one of the rare few that do cope ok. I've seen a couple of people like that in the past, fair enough they drank like fish but they'd drive fine after enough drink to put me in hospital.

CX.

While the cops in the US can use field breathalyzers the one at the station is the one that maters.

Field breathalyzers are subject to to much abuse like hot cars, vibrations, officer training, and temperature swings to be accurate to the degree the court wants and will be challenged by the defence lawyers every time.

There have even been cases proven where fumes from ethanol in the car fuel has affected field breathalyzers.

Originally posted by I.C. Weiner
i'm the designated "drunk driver" - whether i have had 1 16oz or 10, i can still drive just fine - i can't walk a straight line when i am sober due to knee and back injuries, but i am designated wheel-man. i also have a high metabolism, i know if i drink a beer and have to blow 10 minutes later i will fail - even tho i can drive better after a few beers than most of the cops can sober....kinda scary huh?

oh and i started on a stick-shift when i was 8, i'm 34 now....

Wow you sound like my ex. He was so cocky about his ability to drive drunk and often bragged about being able to drive better than sober cops. Every moment in the car with him I feared for my life, his driving was so frightening yet he truly believed he could drive just fine drunk. That was until he got pulled over for a DUI and lost his license. I thank God every minute of the day that he is off the road. I really hope you get caught soon.

personly i love my kids and soon my grandkids.
you want to drink even 1 beer fine do it at home .
I say drink one deer get in a car and NEVER DRIVE again .
oo but im not drunk man people have a hard enough time with cell phones or road hypno let along with a beer in them .
also i say you hit someone first offence is ten years second should be life.
you kill someone death should be what you get as well.
i love my kids stay HOME and DRINK

reply to post by CX
Can one shot, one glass of wine or one beer make a difference? I say BS, but it'll happen. By next year, some people will lose licences, get criminal records and lose jobs over drinking more than half a can of weak beer.

reply to post by Kandinsky


I agree we dont need DRunk Drivers on the road.
Here in Australia we already have all of the OPs thread.

New drivers for first 12months on 0.00.
After that everyone on 0.05.
Random breath testing stations.
(Here you can also demand a blood test for absolute proof)

My problem with the system is that it not only can ruin a life for what I consider the act of drinking a few LEGAL drinks, loss of job etc,
but here it also seems like a money making scam.

The fines are huge, like $1000, then you have to do a course, like $400 then in a lot of cases have to have an Intralock fitted to your car.. $140/month for between six months to three years.

Please dont get me wrong DRUNK drivers should be kept off the streets but I've asked many such as doctors etc and the ones that cause accidents are the ones over 0.10 at least and the majority way over that.

I know the cost from experience. I copped it for 0.53. Nearly cost me my house. Since I have found I have had bad Liver since birth and that effects my reading. I drank much less than the TV adds say and it cost me my job and around $3000...I dont call that letting the punishment fit the crime. In court I saw some pretty bad guys, thieves, thugs etc who got a slap on the wrist.



[edit on 5-6-2010 by virgom129]

Hi
The limit also has another purpose. If you would completely prohibit alcohol on the road there would be situations where individuals show alcohol ingestion. This can happen after eating fruit or some cherry bonbon or just because it's not your day. The amount that is legal covers these situations.

Any ( forgive my choice of word ) idiot that deliberately drinks when they know they still got to drive. Can burn for all I care. The rules are not to protect you ( the idiot ) but they are to protect me and anyone else you could have avoid hitting with your car.

Anyone who defends himself and says he drives better after a couple of beers then someone sober should not drive at all. Those sober drivers also have to second guess what they are doing but they are at least not intoxicated when something happens. They will never have a what if I was sober problem.

I do agree that this should be a case to case issue.
We in the Netherlands are not allowed to be drunk and drive. Actually we are not allowed to take part of traffic in any way whatsoever when we are drunk.

It happened here that someone on a bike or skelter without any motor in it, had his drivers liscence confiscated. Total BS IMO because he did the responsible thing and left his car at home.

Originally posted by Kandinsky
reply to post by CX

 

Can one shot, one glass of wine or one beer make a difference? I say BS, but it'll happen.

Without a doubt. My head will be spinning like a goodun after half a glass of wine, i would definately be over the limit and stupid to even think about driving.

I'm sure i'm not the only one who is a total firy when it comes to drink.

CX.

Hey here is an interesting FACT,

More drunks have been injured or died WALKING home from the Pub than DRIVING..

Guess the upside (if there is one) is that they only hurt themselves...

Originally posted by Sinter Klaas


I do agree that this should be a case to case issue.
We in the Netherlands are not allowed to be drunk and drive. Actually we are not allowed to take part of traffic in any way whatsoever when we are drunk.

It happened here that someone on a bike or skelter without any motor in it, had his drivers liscence confiscated. Total BS IMO because he did the responsible thing and left his car at home.

Think that's bad in Calif we have had people convicted for DUI on a horse.

And in a couple states disabled drunks have been arrested for DUI in there electric wheelchairs.

reply to post by ANNED


In Australia we had a horseback DUI aswelll, but the best I saw was a guy that drove his rideon mower

In the UK it is generally accepted that if you have pint of beer you are OK and two you are pushing yourself to the limit.

I think this is fine. What's the problem with it? If you make it tighter then the chances are the village pub will lose the casual trade of people passing by for a swift pint en route home (people like me).

Any erosion of the current rules would be bad. I fear we'll end up like one of those countries where to have a "drink the night before" would land you in trouble.

I also object to "random breath tests". God help us - how to alienate the police from the population!

I agree with "doing" drunk drivers, but not "doing" drivers who have had a drink.

Regards

reply to post by paraphi


I feel the same way you do

However mentioned above was being intoxicated from just halve a glass of wine.
Alcohol is indeed unpredictable. On an empty stomach it could hit you in the face, leaving the body un-fit to drive a car.

Reply to post by Anned

Well that could happen here as well.

Everything but walking can lead to confiscation of your license. As a pedestrian you will get a fine or , depending on the level of intoxication, sleep it of in a nice cell.

Well, I agree, the limit now is just fine. I do indulge myself, but I dont ever get behind the wheel.

This is a ridiculous proposal, though.
There are lots of people who go out to dinner and have a glass of wine, now they will be criminals.

One glass of wine, in my opinion, does not justify losing your license.