(no subject)

[vyvyanx]

Well, that's another first for this year, I guess. Just got a lift back home (with G) from someone who got stopped and breathalysed on the way. And arrested and taken off by the police. Happily we were nearly home anyway so it wasn't a big problem. Incidentally she was only just over the limit apparently.

I've been in cars on many occasions which got stopped for speeding (mostly driven by my dad when I was a kid) but this was the first time for drink offenses...

Comments

[gerald_duck]

Oh dear.

If the authoritative sample(s) taken at the police station confirm the roadside breathalyser and it's a fair cop, that means a ban for at least twelve months and a criminal record. Sadly, I fear it's well deserved.

It bears repeating that driving is something that must be done sober. The reason the alcohol limit isn't zero is to provide a little leeway if people drank a few hours ago, not so people can have a bit to drink before they drive.

If she does feel inclined to argue, this page could be helpful. In particular, from your account the police weren't entitled to demand a sample unless the driver was obviously inebriated (but if they'd committed a motoring offence — no matter how minor — a sample can be taken). If you might want to help her, make some notes as soon as possible about your own recollection of the incident, especially precisely what the police said and did. If you might want to help her.


I think that's about all I'm going to say about drink driving in a public post, except to note that driving is yet another reason I'm very glad to be teetotal. /-8

[kaberett.livejournal.com]

The reason the alcohol limit isn't zero...

And then again, in Norway it is, and the highest speed limit available is 50mph - and the penalties are much stricter for breach of either...

(Yes, I know we're not in Norway.)

[vyvyan.livejournal.com]

I'm not quite sure why the police stopped her - she didn't seem to be driving poorly. Having stopped her, though, they might have detected she'd been drinking when they spoke to her.

I only met her yesterday - we went to the Six Bells off Mill Road, to see Eileen, our former letting agent at Crofton's, who has just taken over the pub with her husband. We chatted to her and her friend Julie (or Jilly?) for most of the evening, and the friend drank about three glasses of wine. At about 1 or 1.30 we finally left (after a lock-in) and Julie offered us a lift home, since she lived near us. I thought enough time had probably passed for the alcohol to have mostly left her system, and with minor misgivings, agreed to accept the lift (G said he was happy to go with her also). With hindsight, we shouldn't have accepted the lift, since she was slightly over the limit, but I didn't feel endangered by her driving (I've accepted lifts in the past from sober people who drove much less safely than her!). Mainly I'm sorry that she was unfortunate enough to be caught while doing us a good turn. But I suppose it was a fair cop and she'll have to deal with the penalty.

When I used to drive, I once drove home from Oxford after drinking a pint over the whole evening. I'm sure I wasn't over the limit, but I did feel slightly affected by the alcohol, and so resolved not to do it again. Similarly, I wouldn't drive these days on account of my bad eyesight making me feel unsafe, even though it would be perfectly legal for me to do so.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Beer is yet another reason I'm very glad I don't drive.

[technotom.livejournal.com]

I used to drink/drive when I was young, but it was fucking stupid. I just didn't care back then, I hated everything and myself the most. It didn't take long before I realised that I should keep innocent people out of any consequences of my hate though.

I think the charge should be related to inability to drive a car however, not exceeding a generalised level which can effect two different people to different degrees. In fact I think even a pint is over the limit now (it went down after Princess Di(ed), which is stupid really.

Mind you, three glasses of wine is a lot, that's the best part of a bottle, so no excuses there. As has been mentioned, there must have been some reason she was pulled over (busted light, too fast, too slow, forgot to indicate, sudden braking, wrong lane, poor turn, poor road position, overlong hesitation etc etc etc) and of course her inability to safely control the car, possibly due to the drink, is demonstrated.

At the end of the day, you've so many different thinigs to consider and check every second whilst driving that you cannot afford to take anything or mess around with anything that subverts your thoughts and reactions. Someone will get hurt, or worse. Even if it's not directly your fault.

How's Eileen settling into the pub? She's lovely, she used to be my letting agent too, but I've not seen her since she took over the pub. I find it rather amusing that one of her friends was caught DD-ing though, because the chances are it was one of the same crowd that called me a dickhead for driving past them at less than 20mph in a loud, smelly old Ford. Hmmmm.. not being busted and losing my license for perhaps the most taboo offence a driver can incur due to failing to learn at an early age that it's not worth the risk must be a new usage of the phrase dickhead I've not heard before. Ooh the irony.

[vyvyan.livejournal.com]

Eileen's really enjoying running the pub now - she's delighted to have escaped Crofton. It seems we moved house (and changed letting agents) at just the right time - the whole business seems to be collapsing - boss always drunk, people leaving after quarrels with the boss, properties being renovated in ways contrary to the landlords' wishes... Actually, I hope we get our deposit back!

[mansunite.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's why I'm a stickler for never having any alcoholic drink before I drive (or even ride a bike [on the road]! If you hold a valid driving licence, it can be penalised as fairly as if you were driving a car).