Are the drink driving laws in the UK adequate?

Convicted Driver Insurance
Yes rather here than other corners of the world. For instance in some states in America, it is an offence to have alcohol in your car... even if you have been buying it. It must be in your boot/trunk. In some countries 35 mg which is the maximum you're allowed to drink is far beyond the legal limit.

In some countries you'd get 40 lashes if caught sipping alcohol.... So yeah I say it's better over here.

Regards

THE DD LAWS ARE FAR TO SEVERE AND ACHIEVE VERY LITTLE, OTHER THAN CRIMINALIZING A LARGE PORTION OF THE UK POPULATION.


MPs backing drink-drive car locks::)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3986711.stm

These are good 'thinking' ideas
 
There should be a 'drive to work' permit like they have elsewhere. One aim of the criminal justice system is to reduce offences. Becoming unemployed could make someone more prone to reoffending. The motorist would still have the inconveniance of not having transport for social purposes.

A 12 month ban is sufficient punishment for a 1st time offender. Bans of 2 years (+) are counter productive in that those returning to the road could be a liability to other road users.

Alcolocks are a good idea. There's legislation somewhere that if you get an alcolock fitted (at your own expense) your ban is halved. Unfortunately - there needs to be scheme on your area - and there are none of these schemes anywhere!

I don't think there's a problem with the criminal punishment, which is in line with offences of a similar nature.

Some places on the continent, although have lower tolerance, have lower punishment for low BAC readings such as fixed penalties with points and a small fine.
 
People talk of zero limit but it is just not workable in the uk due to our persistance of catching offenders and not educating the non offenders as all convicted drink drivers once were, we must face the fact that lots of uk licence holders in the uk drive a car whilst over the drink drive limit and a good few more play a risky game of thinking they know when they are under the limit and fit to drive,this being the case i would think with over zelous policing and the drop someone in it and win a prize culture there wouldnt be many people left on the road after 12 months.I say this as a convicted drink driver who has been on course to reduce my ban and i only wish i had been told a few facts about drink driving rather than go through what i have been through.
 
No.
For over 30 years I have seen the consequences of ignorant people who think the rules dont apply to them. Drunk pedestrians are as much to blame I might add. What keeps them below the limit one day doenst mean the same another.
I would advocate zero limit if it could be policed. There needs to be a greater emphasis on designated driver schemes. I am a designated driver, except when I go out with my husband and dont drink!

There should not be one single insurance company that will cover a drunk driver- except for 3rd party liability. Why should those drivers wwho do not drink and drive and I am one of them carry the cost of the people who do. A £300 policy paying out on a £10000 car! CRIMINAL!!!

The main reason I am not a drinking driver is that I see what happens to people and I dont want to be nursed by people who I know feel the same as me.

I cant see how drunk drivers feel miffed at being considered a criminal.
Its against the law to drink with above 80mg/100mls blood- a crime-

A years ban and a £300 fine for my father in law- the fine in itself was dispicable in that he would have drunk double that in the time he was laying in an ITU bed for 10 weeks depriving others of vital emergency or post operative care due to his ignorant and selfish attitude tohis drinking and driving. He is 70 now and hardly likely to get another licence as he is sitting pretty having his family running him everywhere...just what is wrong with the bus I dont know!
 
your personal circumstances and relationship with your father in law aside...

is this comment of yours correct for someone in the nursing profession? You appear to imply that certain people get lesser medical treatment from professional nurses?!

"The main reason I am not a drinking driver is that I see what happens to people and I dont want to be nursed by people who I know feel the same as me"
 
There should be a 'drive to work' permit like they have elsewhere. One aim of the criminal justice system is to reduce offences. Becoming unemployed could make someone more prone to reoffending. The motorist would still have the inconveniance of not having transport for social purposes.

A 12 month ban is sufficient punishment for a 1st time offender. Bans of 2 years (+) are counter productive in that those returning to the road could be a liability to other road users.

Alcolocks are a good idea. There's legislation somewhere that if you get an alcolock fitted (at your own expense) your ban is halved. Unfortunately - there needs to be scheme on your area - and there are none of these schemes anywhere!

I don't think there's a problem with the criminal punishment, which is in line with offences of a similar nature.

Some places on the continent, although have lower tolerance, have lower punishment for low BAC readings such as fixed penalties with points and a small fine.

I agree with all of this. The UK regulations are far too rigid and disproportional for some offenders. For instance a self employed plumber is going to be hit far, far harder than some city office worker who commutes by train everyday.

I can't see anything changing anytime soon though as each successive government seems hell bent on punishing its citizens harder than the last.

It's a shame we don't utilise more intelligence drafting legislation and have less reliance on knee-jerk political grand standing.
 
The main reason I am not a drinking driver is that I see what happens to people and I dont want to be nursed by people who I know feel the same as me"

Probably poorly written.
No patient I personally have ever looked after has 'gone without' any medical or nursing need' as a result of my anti drinking and driving attitudes/beliefs. While I may not agree with some of my code of conduct I work well within it. I wouldnt like to risk my registration on a Drunk driver who feels he has been hard done by. I have looked after far worse with no change in my professional responsibility. A convicted murderer and paedophile being examples of the worst.
I see the injuries they both sustain and inflict and dont particularly want a broken anything (regardless of how it happened.).


However I know staff who have blatently ignored anything more than basic needs or will choose to attend to something else first and make them wait a while longer. This is often blatently obvious to other patients if the drunk driver has killed someone and with the way that the law is currently you know that a fine and losing the licence is probably all they will get if they get the 'right ' lawyer.

"is this comment of yours correct for someone in the nursing profession? You appear to imply that certain people get lesser medical treatment from professional nurses?!"

I often wonder where people get the idea that nurses and doctors are perfect, that we do not have a right to have an opinion. I have lots of dislikes but very few will prevent me from giving the highest standard of care as required to each individual patients needs. In a supervisory role I would not tolerate any less of my staff.
But it happens.
Oh and I do not eat, smoke or use the phone while I am driving either.


"your personal circumstances and relationship with your father in law aside..."

As for this, unlike my Father in law, I loved my Dad dearly and I would feel the same way if he had done the same thing- though I wouldnt have to pussy foot around him on the issue- He would be well aware of what he had done- Unfortunately he is dead, and is one of the very few people who appreciate my point of view, so I have no one to rant to.
 
The main reason I am not a drinking driver is that I see what happens to people and I dont want to be nursed by people who I know feel the same as me"

Probably poorly written.
No patient I personally have ever looked after has 'gone without' any medical or nursing need' as a result of my anti drinking and driving attitudes/beliefs. While I may not agree with some of my code of conduct I work well within it. I wouldnt like to risk my registration on a Drunk driver who feels he has been hard done by. I have looked after far worse with no change in my professional responsibility. A convicted murderer and paedophile being examples of the worst.
I see the injuries they both sustain and inflict and dont particularly want a broken anything (regardless of how it happened.).


However I know staff who have blatently ignored anything more than basic needs or will choose to attend to something else first and make them wait a while longer. This is often blatently obvious to other patients if the drunk driver has killed someone and with the way that the law is currently you know that a fine and losing the licence is probably all they will get if they get the 'right ' lawyer.

"is this comment of yours correct for someone in the nursing profession? You appear to imply that certain people get lesser medical treatment from professional nurses?!"

I often wonder where people get the idea that nurses and doctors are perfect, that we do not have a right to have an opinion. I have lots of dislikes but very few will prevent me from giving the highest standard of care as required to each individual patients needs. In a supervisory role I would not tolerate any less of my staff.
But it happens.
Oh and I do not eat, smoke or use the phone while I am driving either.


"your personal circumstances and relationship with your father in law aside..."

As for this, unlike my Father in law, I loved my Dad dearly and I would feel the same way if he had done the same thing- though I wouldnt have to pussy foot around him on the issue- He would be well aware of what he had done- Unfortunately he is dead, and is one of the very few people who appreciate my point of view, so I have no one to rant to.

A typical female point of view...highly subjective, zero objectivity, and an incredible lack of the 'Bigger Picture!' Lets thank GOD your gender do not run the World...seriously, otherwise we all would of been 'vaporised' a long time ago!!!:eek:
 
"A typical female point of view...highly subjective, zero objectivity, and an incredible lack of the 'Bigger Picture!' Lets thank GOD your gender do not run the World...seriously, otherwise we all would of been 'vaporised' a long time ago!!!:eek: "

From someone who 'admits' driving 3 times over them limit.
Since I came to look at this forum. Its full of people trying to justify their drink driving .

For may of you its not if, but when you kill someone or leave your family to pick up the pieces.

I live the bigger picture with the pain and suffering the likes of you cause. Those of you who seem to think you have been hard done by, perhaps need to wake up before you kill somone.
I would like to see drunk driving on a par with attempted murder...but then I am a typical female, highly subjective with zero objectivity who thinks drunk drivers are all murderers in waiting and vapourisation would be too good a way out for you. I personally dont want to run the world but your gender are not doing a great job either.
I wonder how you would feel if a drunk driver hurt or killed a loved one....I hope you never have to find out
 
"A typical female point of view...highly subjective, zero objectivity, and an incredible lack of the 'Bigger Picture!' Lets thank GOD your gender do not run the World...seriously, otherwise we all would of been 'vaporised' a long time ago!!!:eek: "

From someone who 'admits' driving 3 times over them limit.
Since I came to look at this forum. Its full of people trying to justify their drink driving .

For may of you its not if, but when you kill someone or leave your family to pick up the pieces.

I live the bigger picture with the pain and suffering the likes of you cause. Those of you who seem to think you have been hard done by, perhaps need to wake up before you kill somone.
I would like to see drunk driving on a par with attempted murder...but then I am a typical female, highly subjective with zero objectivity who thinks drunk drivers are all murderers in waiting and vapourisation would be too good a way out for you. I personally dont want to run the world but your gender are not doing a great job either.
I wonder how you would feel if a drunk driver hurt or killed a loved one....I hope you never have to find out

I can understand your point of view completely. I would imagine that you get very fed up, as a nurse, being accused of being overweight, lazy, of killing your patients by neglect and not giving a toss and of generally belonging to about the unhealthiest class of professions yet still taking the time to lecture others on their own short comings.
 
"Since I came to look at this forum. Its full of people trying to justify their drink driving"

That is not true. Most people who post on here do so freely admitting their stupidity and vocally disappointed in themselves.

People looking for legal advice may well list what they believe to be 'mitigation', purely because they are posting to a solicitor who specialises in drink driving and are trying to find out what sentence they might achieve. - and whether the mitigation could affect the outcome.

"I would like to see drunk driving on a par with attempted murder...but then I am a typical female, highly subjective with zero objectivity who thinks drunk drivers are all murderers in waiting".

Well, you said it.

Murder is premeditated - i.e. you set out to purposely end somebody's life and with a motive to do so. Driving whilst over the limit differs because it is negligent - i.e. that those who do it intend nobody harm - but fail to balance the benefits to themselves (i.e. convenience), with the potential hazards (i.e. injury etc). Maybe attempted manslaughter - but then that's an oxymoron isn't it (it would be negligence).

I understand your preconceptions of those who have been convicted of drink driving. However, I will point out that most people who drive regularly, and who drink alcohol, have at some time in their life driven whilst over the limit - be it consciously or unwittingly. Furthermore, It is vgery easy to say postulate how you would respond to an emergency - it is another thing when you are experiencing it.
 
"I can understand your point of view completely. I would imagine that you get very fed up, as a nurse, being accused of being overweight, lazy, of killing your patients by neglect and not giving a toss and of generally belonging to about the unhealthiest class of professions yet still taking the time to lecture others on their own short comings."

While I may be 'overweight' I do not lecture my patients regarding their weight, If they smoke, I advise regarding action of cigarettes and reduced availabilty of oxygen when given an anaesthetic, leaving the patent to decide for themselves. I advise re excessive alcohol intake- they are over 18 they pay for it I dont. I dont drink or smoke and they subsidise my taxes....so I thank them for that. I personally currently work probably in excess of 10 hours unpaid overtime a week to ensure my patients needs are met and I dont see many of my colleagues sloping off on time ignoring call bells. I have yet to be accused of allowing a patient in my care die through neglect.
I have several good taxi firms close by if I wanted to go out for a drink. If I go out and drive I do not drink alcohol and I am very careful not to leave my drink unattended. I actually practice what I preach, so have no qualms about making the comments I have.

"Murder is premeditated - i.e. you set out to purposely end somebody's life and with a motive to do so. Driving whilst over the limit differs because it is negligent - i.e. that those who do it intend nobody harm - but fail to balance the benefits to themselves (i.e. convenience), with the potential hazards (i.e. injury etc). Maybe attempted manslaughter - but then that's an oxymoron isn't it (it would be negligence)".

It has been proven as little as 0.2 mgs/100mls of blood can affect driving while not illegal I could see that as manslaughter. Those with illegal levels are doing so consciously both drinking and driving with very little thought until caught, I think in this instance more than a manslughter charge should be made.

"I will point out that most people who drive regularly, and who drink alcohol, have at some time in their life driven whilst over the limit - be it consciously or unwittingly. Furthermore, It is vgery easy to say postulate how you would respond to an emergency - it is another thing when you are experiencing it."

Just as they/you 'justify' drinking and then driving a car I can 'justify' my preconceptions as a result of having to spend weeks or months caring for their victims or even the drivers intoxicated sometimes out of their heads.

I have seen enough and have had my rant. I can leave, having seen for myself, some of the stories here which give me a picture of those who have inflicted the suffering of innocent victims of drunk drivers.
It also shows me a side of drunk drivers I never understood before.
My Professional duty however will never make me give them less than they need no matter what they did. I wouldnt give them the satisfaction.

I am off to look for a delete button and do not plan to return.
 
Blimey,
I'm glad that woman isn't part of one of them stupid advice quango's.

'Let's advise the government to string them up and hang them.'

Everyone makes mistakes. Out of people I know 40% drink and drive. Respected businessmen, respected businesswomen. The unemployed, tradesmen, etc. You get my point.

I'm not trying to justify it but everyone makes mistakes.

And to get back on subject, I think that the punishment for drink driving is far too harsh. It is also a punishment which most people dont see:
Loss of job, Loss of wife, Loss of trust within family.

Its an incredibly stressfull and depressing time.

I have been through the worst few weeks of my life since I was arrested for drink driving. If I lose my job, what hope have I got?
 
I agree with some of the other posts that point out that a ban can affect different people in radically different ways.

To a young lad living with his folks, who can use public transport to get to work - a ban will be just a minor inconvenience.

To a self-employed plumber (to use a previous poster's example), a ban could be capable of destroying his life and that of his family. He'll lose his job, his house - this will have the severest impact on his wife and kids, who are innocent of any crime.

My cousin got caught in Atlanta, USA, some years back. He was allowed to still use his vehicle for work purposes only.

A much more sensible way of doing things.
 
"
I would like to see drunk driving on a par with attempted murder...but then I am a typical female, highly subjective with zero objectivity who thinks drunk drivers are all murderers in waiting and vapourisation would be too good a way out for you. I personally dont want to run the world but your gender are not doing a great job either.
I wonder how you would feel if a drunk driver hurt or killed a loved one....I hope you never have to find out

Blimey ! I think you have some serious mental issues Ladybones ! instead of reminding me and no doubt others of a disgusting racist with strong comparisons to Hitler and the Third Reich perhaps look at seeing a qualified medical professional paid for by yourself not on the NHS.

The whole vapourisation comment is pretty disturbed, sick and worrying I hope you do the world a favour and get help.
 
I agree with some of the other posts that point out that a ban can affect different people in radically different ways.

We live in a rural area with no public transport, and my son's ban hit him (and me too, as unpaid chauffeur) much harder than it would have hit someone living in a town with a railway station or bus stop just down the road. Perhaps the length of ban ought to take things like this into account?
 
As someone who is about to be banned through drink driving I'd say yes and actually probably too severe possibly.

I'm not trying to defend myself or my actions but all I will say is that I made a mistake. I didn't hurt myself or anyone else. I didn't crash or cause damage to anything. I didn't infringe any other motoring laws (eg speeding or running a red light). There was hardly another car on the road and I had a 4 minute journey from where my car was parked to my home.

It's my first offence of any kind in my 36 years. The upset, shame and humiliation of being arrested and charged is enough to never want to put a glass to my lips again.

Will a 12,18,22 month ban punish me? Yes. Would a 6 month or less ban do the same? Yes.

In my case, given that no-one else was involved and no-one or nothing came to any harm (yes and I realise they could have - but they didn't), and it's my first offence, is a 17 mth ban over the top? It's not as if I am a habitual offender. Yes it will be irritating but its not vital that I drive for my job (although convenient) however, I could be subject to a disciplinary. If I lose my job then I lose everything and what really does that serve to do?

Some may say it serves me right but really, does it?
 
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