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"Lower drink-drive limit before Christmas"

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  1. chdot
    Admin

  2. Min
    Member

    I predict many sad-faced OLA motorists in the red tops, having driven across the border sober but been found to be drunk here!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. LaidBack
    Member

    On Radio Scotland phone in at moment but needed to switch off for health reasons.

    This brings Scotland into line with most of Europe which of course is annoying to some as a matter of principal. (Although Scotland's separate legal status is not going to change anytime soon?)

    Lots of deniers of link between alcohol and road deaths. 'Money making scam' etc. (Deaths caused by bad very drunk drivers as opposed to good slightly drunk drivers?) Basically saying nothing can be done although some say it should be zero and SG have been too timid.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. Greenroofer
    Member

    @Min - I think you need to put 'OLA' into the CCE list of abbreviations. It's a new one on me and took me a minute to work it out.

    I would put it in the list myself, but can't find the list...

    ...that's why I think you should do it.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. Min
    Member

    There are still a disturbingly high number of people who think it is okay to drink and drive.

    I think it would be good for the polis to go into pubs and offer to breathalyse people. It would be interesting to see how many people think they are okay to drive when they are not. I have heard it said that you can drink a pint and still be under the limit. There is no way I would drive after a pint! If I were to find out that I actually technically could, that to me is a very good reason to lower the limit!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. Min
    Member

    @Min - I think you need to put 'OLA' into the CCE list of abbreviations. It's a new one on me and took me a minute to work it out.

    I would put it in the list myself, but can't find the list...

    ...that's why I think you should do it.

    Do we have a list?

    It is Otherwise Law Abiding for anyone who didn't get it.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. Darkerside
    Member

    With no research at all, this presumably lowers things to a level where you can't drink any normal-sized alcoholic drink and then be under the limit?

    I'm sure the limit can't be zero because some people would fail as their body naturally throws up a slightly positive reading? I may have made that up...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. Uberuce
    Member

    Min, I know a chap who was breathlysed within ten minutes of finishing a pint and insisted on a second go because the first one showed green. The second one was the same.

    He's approximately twice your weight and has been fond of a tipple since before you were born, so between blood volume and liver function, his pint was probably the equivalent of you having a half and not even finishing it.

    Buuuut, having a drinks limit that was tied to your lean tissue mass and drinking experience is as terrible an idea as allowing people to drive after a test that is only 45 minutes long and can be sat unlimited times, and in any case I too think the limit should be that funny little amount above zero, for the same reasons Darkerside can't remember either.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    The principal pleasure in alcohol is its power to disinhibit and lower risk aversion. With very few exceptions motorcyclists simply do not drink and ride for this reason, as they would likely die or be injured. I would exhort motorists to take the same approach.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. Min
    Member

    Uberuce- Does green mean over the limit? There could be a lot of people driving around over the limit because they think a pint is okay.

    I think I am trying (rather badly) to agree with you and Darkerside. Best just not to drink if you are going to drive ie. very low limit

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. Uberuce
    Member

    Green means it's as close to that funny non-zero lower limit (that Darkerside and I may both be wrong about) as the breathalyser can detect. Amber means there's some alchohol but not over the limit.

    I wonder what the officers thought at the moment they looked at it after he'd said he thought it was broken. I assume they get that all the time from people who are over the limit so just snapped automatically into reaching for the cuffs, then went 'Urm....sir, that means you're fine'

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. Min
    Member

    Wow. Bonkeroonie.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. geordiefatbloke
    Member

    @Uberuce, not sure I understand your tale of the breathalysed chap ... if he'd only had one pint, I wouldn't expect him to test positive - the (current!) limit is 80mg blood alcohol content, one pint would not take a typical height/build man over that limit, e.g. see http://www.80mg.org.uk/guide.html

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. Min
    Member

    But you would think it would show at least something. How much would that guy have had to drink before he went over the limit?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. Min
    Member

    men should consume no more than 4 units, women no more than 3

    Suggests I could drink a pint to a pint and a half before being found to be over the limit. That is a bit scary.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. geordiefatbloke
    Member

    According to the link I posted, about two pints of "normal strength" e.g. 4% beer would get a "typical" man close to (but not necessarily over) the limit. Saying that, it is not an exact science as many factors come in to play eg. metabolism, body fat, time since consumption etc.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. geordiefatbloke
    Member

    "That is a bit scary."

    Hence the proposal from the Scottish government :)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. slowcoach
    Member

    I have also heard of Traffic Cops testing themselves towards the end of some heavy drinking and being amazed that their breathalyser said they were below the limit.

    Is driving under the influence of alcohol still an offence even if below the maximum limit? Sort of like driving can be too fast, even if slower than the maximum speed allowed?

    Darkerside re natural reading, I don't think you have made that up. (Not for the squeamish: try reading about the Moorgate Tube Crash and experts disagreeing whether the alcohol found in the driver's body (when it was eventually recovered) was present at the time of death or formed subsequently.)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. neddie
    Member

    IRWATS reminds me of a tale I heard from a biker colleague about one of his mates:

    He was at a biker rally one time an there had been much jollyness and brewvages the night afore. That morning they went to set off for a ride. After donning his helmet and forgetting to raise the visor, he took a bit poorly and chundered.

    Needless to say, the helmet filled up from the neck up. Over the limit that morning...?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. HankChief
    Member

    I know drink driving & speeding can lead to bad outcomes on others but so can texting/Web surfing at the wheel etc.

    Does the fact that alcohol & speed can be definitively measured mean that they get enforced more?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @HankChief

    There is empirical evidence from experiments on motorcyclists that being cold, tired or emotionally upset are far more dangerous than necking three cans of Stella. (I said it was a biker thing didn't I?)

    Short of allowing Plod the use of a rectal thermometer/cortisol assay probe these can indeed not be measured with ease. No excuse for driving around blotto all the same.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. Snowy
    Member

    Slightly OT but there is a rare medical condition called Auto-Brewery syndrome where people have yeast in their guts producing alcohol. From a road safety viewpoint, you have to hope it's as rare as is thought. Case from last year.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  23. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Snowy

    Magnificent.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. gkgk
    Member

    Volvo will have to recalibrate their Alcostart ignitions!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. LaidBack
    Member

    Anyway...

    As SNP have majority at Holyrood this should go through un-opposed shouldn't it ?

    Luckily for us there are no important parties in this country that have leaders that like to be seen seen in a pub with pint in hand .. or ones who think that being in line with Europe is a bad thing ;-)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    Not wishing to get all Daily Mail about this, but the suggestion that this brings us into line with Europe is only half right. My experience of Italy, France and Spain reveals a general disregard of the drink-driving laws in those countries. My last visit to Italy saw a big, vino and limoncello fuelled, restaurant party depart in a half-dozen beemers and mercs (and one Alfa) and roar off - somewhat wonkily - into the night. The local carabinieri were too busy lifting hoody yoofs from street corners to bat an eyelid at the tipsy drivers. As such, the 50mg limit was entirely academic...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. chdot
    Admin

  28. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Call for Scottish drink-drive limit to be introduced in England and Wales

    "

    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/call-scottish-drink-drive-limit-introduced-4563357

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. crowriver
    Member

    @Its_Me_Knees, yes it does rather depend which part of Europe we think we're bringing ourselves into line with. The 'south' has a much more relaxed attitude to what are seen as minor infractions of the penal code: unless of course there's a crash and they're looking to put the blame on someone, then suddenly drink driving, etc. will be a problem.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Police claims that they expect to catch around a third more drink drivers when the alcohol limit is reduced on December 5 have been challenged.

    The limit will be reduced from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood, backed by a widespread public awareness campaign to alert Christmas revellers.

    But the figure has been challenged by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill who said the projection is not supported by international evidence.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/drink-drive-limit-claim-challenged-1-3594433

    Posted 9 years ago #

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