Please read this if you are thinking of drinking and driving

[mattx]

Everyone knows the risks but if you are out during the Xmas break and have a drink - just don't drive - it's that simple. Have a read of this:

 

BBC News - Road crash: An otherwise ordinary day

[GrumbleDook]

I was very lucky as an 11 year old. It was friday of the week before the end of the summer term in primary school, and it had been raining the day before and that morning. The sports day had been postponed as a result and we had a normal day. I walked home with some friends, my home was around 800 yards from the school, one main road to cross which had a lollipop man and just my own road to cross as my home was on the other side.

 

It was fairly sunny, quite warm and the road was still a little damp, but it was a generally a nice day.

 

I decided to cross the road a little further up than usual as another group of friends were on the other side ... I seem to remember a girl I fancied was with them. I said to my mates I would catch them at the swimming pool in the morning, a ritual that about 10 of us had been doing for nearly 18 months, ever since we learnt to swim. I had a quick look up and down the road ... my own road ... a quiet road ... so it was a quick look. I could here a car but not near, I seem to remember that it was far enough away. I honestly can't remember if I hesitated a bit but I heard someone shout my name.

 

I remember trying to jump backwards ... something hitting my head ... my body bouncing on the ground ... I even remember swearing and then worrying that someone had heard me. My head hurt, but I wanted to get up and find out what had happened ... but as soon as I moved the dizziness from my head was replaced by a sharp, excruciating pain in my right leg. I looked down the road and a car was stopped ... a head was stuck out the window ... my brother was running up the road and tried to grab the head and then I can remember the car wasn't there anymore. Someone ... I think it was the girl I wanted to chat with ... someone was telling me not to try and move.

 

Most of the wait for the ambulance is not clear ... some of the things I think I remember others don't ... apparently for some of it I was unconscious and some of it I told jokes to others to cheer them up. My dad appeared as he was the caretaker at the infant school site just down the road, my mum appeared before the ambulance took me away.

 

I was lucky. The car had been speeding and the estimate was between 43 and 50 MPH on a 30 mph road, close to 2 schools, a road where there were the odd spot with double parking so only one car could get past. It seems that trying to jump backwards meant my feet were off the floor when I was fit ... reducing the damage to my leg. My head hurt because I was leaning backwards and got flipped over, hitting the wing mirror instead of the windscreen or the car frame. The wing mirror easily came off. Being young I was flexible and bouncy so the road was not really a problem. I had fallen from higher when climbing trees.

 

I can remember the arguements at the hospital about the car ... I didn't understand why it wasn't there the next time I had looked and it seemed that no-one knew who it was or where they had gone. Thankfully my friends had, between them, got the registration, the colour, make and model, identifying stickers, a description of the driver as so much more ...

 

It turns out the driver was not at home when the police called round ... the car was nowhere to be seen. The car was found 4 days later burnt out ... and the driver later that day. It took the police 4 interviews until he admitted that he had driven the car, it hadn't been stolen as he claimed and that he had driven off. He did test positive for having had a drink in the preceding days but the police did not have enough evidence to show that it was prior to him hitting me.

 

The guy's niece was a friend of a family friend and told the police which pub the guy had been in that afternoon. The landlord denied everything, as did the other locals. In the end he was done for failing to stop and failing to report and accident ... he got a total of 6 points and £110 in fines. He was later banned for 4 other traffic offences that were waiting to be processed at the time of him hitting me. He was caught driving whilst disqualified within 6 months and was breathalised, found to be 3 times over the limit and was fined again. he was eventually given 3 months for another RTC 4 years after hitting me ... this time someone was seriously injured in a car he drove into the back of whilst drunk.

 

I was lucky ... over the years 4 friends have been taken due to drink driving ... 2 cyclists, one pedestrian and one in a car ... and another died after crashing whilst drunk.

 

I know that my story is not going to change the mind of people like the driver who hit me ... and even the BBC article is unlikely to shake them ... but the landlord of the pub which this guy was served in knew he was driving ... so did the other locals ... his family knew he did it on a regular basis too.

 

Don't be scared to pick up the phone and call the police to report someone leaving the pub after having too many. Don't be scared to approach the landlord. Don't be scared to say to your friends that they have had their limit and not to drink anymore, or to even sort out a taxi for them. If you have friends that insist of drinking too much then don't go out with them. Agree a system of designated drivers to try and cover the need to get to the pub or restaurant.

 

It is not someone else's problem ... *you* can do something about it too. It might be someone you know, you love or you who is affected by this.

[Disaster]

Everyone knows the risks but if you are out during the Xmas break and have a drink - just don't drive - it's that simple. Have a read of this:

 

BBC News - Road crash: An otherwise ordinary day

 

Thanks Dad.

[sparkeh]

One thing I can't understand is why we have a alcohol *limit*, it should be *no* alcohol if you are driving period. Edited December 17, 2009 by sparkeh

[bandgeekmafia78]

What a cheerful thread!

[Arcath]

me and my friends before we drink always ask "Will i need to drive?" if yes its non alcoholic drinks for you all night

[bloxy]

totaly agree with you, I drive places so I don't drink - particulary if I'm out on a school night, makes the morning after so much more pleasant.

I am unable to understand why people think they are better drivers after a couple - which usualy means far more than a couple - of pints.

If you are drinking

Don't drive

Easy

 

cheers

Adrian

[mattx]

I think Grumbledook wrapped it up very well with:

 

'It is not someone else's problem ... *you* can do something about it too. It might be someone you know, you love or you who is affected by this.'

 

I just don't understand why people still do it in this day and age - everyone knows what could happen but every year people still do it.

[Guest TheLibrarian]

@GrumbleDook - That is some chilling reading.

_

 

There has to be a slight limit for alcohol in the blood, the humand body manufactures alcohol. Also mouth wash can contain alcohol, plus the odd food too.

 

I do not condone any sort of DUI.

 

I've gone as far as warning my daughter that if I ever suspect her of drinking and driving I will report her myself.

[sidewinder]

me and my friends before we drink always ask "Will i need to drive?" if yes its non alcoholic drinks for you all night

 

I do it the other way round, "Do I need to drink?". The answer is invariably yes, so I dont drive

[ninjabeaver]

One thing I can't understand is why we have a alcohol *limit*, it should be *no* alcohol if you are driving period.

 

Spot on.

 

and @Disaster Grow up. It may be you at some point. Your comments are not required if this is all they consist of.

[HarryMonkey]

What a lot of people ignore/don't realise, is that the chances are the alcohol is still there in the morning when you get in your car to drive to work!

 

So, despite a night's sleep, you are still no more fit to drive than you were when you left the party/pub/friend's house etc.

[sparkeh]

There has to be a slight limit for alcohol in the blood, the humand body manufactures alcohol. Also mouth wash can contain alcohol, plus the odd food too.

 

Sorry I didn't mean that a blood alcohol test should read zero before you should drive as you rightly point out as we would all fail

What I meant is that there should be a clear law that you do not *consume* alcohol before driving.

 

The current law is too flakey as an arbitary limit does not take into account how alcohol effects everyone differently. Everyone's judgement is effected after a drink to a lesser or greater extent from slight increase in danger to extreme increase.

 

Plus we all know that having a drink increases your confidence and for some people makes them think you are ok to drive so its a terrible mix.

 

Just stay alcohol free.

[srochford]

One thing I can't understand is why we have a alcohol *limit*, it should be *no* alcohol if you are driving period.

 

Agreed, but the problem is that even teetotallers could have some alcohol in their blood stream for all sorts of reasons. If you set the limit at zero you could have people being penalised when they've done nothing wrong.

 

I think Grumbledook's comments are right; many people who drink and drive do it after leaving a pub etc when lots of people will have seen them and done nothing about it.

[Arcath]

I do it the other way round, "Do I need to drink?". The answer is invariably yes, so I dont drive

 

i live in a rural area, all my friends are a 10-15 drive away so "Do i need to drive" is often followed by "is there a bed in this village i can use?"

[tech_guy]

....everyone knows what could happen but every year people still do it.

 

That's because they're thick, stupid and selfish.

[witch]

Many many countries have a much lower level of alcohol allowed in the blood when driving:

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunk_driving_law_by_country]Drunk driving law by country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

There will ALWAYS be idiots who think it is OK to drive after a couple of drinks, and I think the main point is, as Grumbledook said, that we ALL need to take responsibility and report anyone we see who is over the limit or at least stop them driving.

I have also told my sons that if I suspect them of driving over the limit I will report them myself, like Librarian

[sparkeh]

Agreed, but the problem is that even teetotallers could have some alcohol in their blood stream for all sorts of reasons. If you set the limit at zero you could have people being penalised when they've done nothing wrong.

 

I refer my Right Honourable Gentlemen to post above his one

[Disaster]

Spot on.

 

and @Disaster Grow up. It may be you at some point. Your comments are not required if this is all they consist of.

 

I dont need people to tell me not to drink drive, and I'm sure no-one else on this forum does either.

It's obvious drink driving is idiotic and kills. I can only hope others don't ever do it...

[bossman]

I too have a young son who drives and I have also issued him with a stern warning that if I ever suspect he has driven whilst having taken a drink of alchohol I would disown him and take him in to the police myself.

 

Also have a young daughter who is only 15 but has an older boyfriend who's friends drive and we have told her not to even contemplate getting into a car with anyone other than us simply for this fact that there are more and more youngsters driving whilst under the influence of alchohol and drugs.

 

People who are caught whilst under the influence of either drink or drugs should be banned for life and if they persist then the second time they are caught driving after being banned for life they should be locked up for life and life should mean life. :mad:

 

Any scum like this does not deserve to be on the roads. :mad:

[sparkeh]

I dont need people to tell me not to drink drive, and I'm sure no-one else on this forum does either.

Sadly not true, out of 20,000+ members there are going to be people who drink and drive this xmas. If only one person reads this and decides to do the right thing then its worth it.

 

It's obvious drink driving is idiotic and kills. I can only hope others don't ever do it...

Amen to that, so its good to put the message out right?

[garethEds]

What a cheerful thread!

 

But an important and timely one.

 

GJE

[nibulon]

If Drinking = True Then

Driving == False

End If

 

Think that should cover it.

[SteveBentley]

Sorry I didn't mean that a blood alcohol test should read zero before you should drive as you rightly point out as we would all fail

What I meant is that there should be a clear law that you do not *consume* alcohol before driving.

 

The current law is too flakey as an arbitary limit does not take into account how alcohol effects everyone differently. Everyone's judgement is effected after a drink to a lesser or greater extent from slight increase in danger to extreme increase.

 

Such a law would be arbitrary itself though wouldn't it? How long after you've consumed alcohol must you wait before driving? It would need to take into account the quantity consumed too.

 

There needs to be some foolproof method of knowing whether you're fit to drive, I suspect that for a lot of people who are over the limit it's not a pre-meditated deliberate act, but something that comes of not having an accurate way of knowing whether what state they are in the morning after.

[tmcd35]

A sobering thread (pardon the pun). I just want to echo the local police's advertising campaign.

 

Most people charged with drink driving offensive are charged THE NEXT DAY.

 

Just because you've been to sleep, don't feel drunk/woosy, and think you're over the worst of the hang over - don't think you're not drunk and are fit to drive!

 

It takes around 24hours for the level of alchahol in your blood stream to drop.

 

EDIT: with 312 views - does that mean 312 people are potentially thinking of drink driving this christmas