Do you drink and drive?

Doomspell

I have never and would never drink and drive. Tbh I just couldn't live with myself knowing that because I decided to drink and drive, innocent people were killed.
It's quite simply really, if you want to have a drink don't drive, if you want to drive don't drink.

optiplexgx270

Only if im drunk enough.... but seriously no i dont not even on one tbh Did it a few times, damn night link dropped me off right beside car near work @ about 4am usually pissed but still drove its only about .75 of a mile on empty industrial estate roads but no excuse. Now i leave the keys in work including my access card so i cant even if i wanted to for the nights after work.

JustCoz

Budd wrote:

THe ****ing hysteria about drink driving these days is unreal. Its hardly the biggest offence in the world. Most people I know have done it from young to old. Just the loudest voices always get heard in these debates. The screaming anti drink drivers sicken me.

Are you taking the piss??? How ignorant can you be? I think the death toll on the roads so far this year is 319 now. Would you go up to a family who has just lost their 21 year old son because of some gobsh*te like your friends and tell them it's hardly the biggest offence in the world? Grow up

Wacker

I have never driven after having a pint. I, like a lot of people, have done what Fluffer was talking about; i.e. driven the following morning when I was certainly still over the limit.
I have also driven after a couple of puffs on a spliff. Bear in mind, it was only after smoking a really small amount. Before anyone jumps down my throat on that point, I am not trying to justify it. I am just putting it in context. I haven't done that in absolutely ages though, and neither would I ever do it again. It has been my experience that this isn't nearly as taboo. I am only guessing, but I am of the opinion that being stoned and driving isn't nearly as dangerous as drunk-driving. For instance, it is legal to drive stoned in Amsterdam, while obviously it is illegal to drive drunk. Thoughts?

jimmycrackcorm

Wacker wrote:

I am only guessing, but I am of the opinion that being stoned and driving isn't nearly as dangerous as drunk-driving. For instance, it is legal to drive stoned in Amsterdam, while obviously it is illegal to drive drunk. Thoughts?

My Dutch friend begs to differ. The Dutch police now have an equivalent of the breathalyser using a swab test for cannabis.

jimmycrackcorm

JustCoz wrote:

Are you taking the piss??? How ignorant can you be? I think the death toll on the roads so far this year is 319 now.

To be technical, the massive increase in car numbers on the roads in recent years hasn't been reflected in a proportional rise in fatalities. Hence we are actually safer drivers now.

Wacker

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

My Dutch friend begs to differ. The Dutch police now have an equivalent of the breathalyser using a swab test for cannabis.

I stand corrrected then!

Black Swan

Overseas. They have a very active political group in the States composed of mams that have had husbands or children hurt or killed by drunk driving. They call themselves MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) and have helped to get legislation passed against drunk driving. The number of people killed or injured in the States every year surpasses the annual rates of most USA wars (since WWII), but gets very little press in comparison.

DublinWriter

Wacker wrote:

I have never driven after having a pint. I, like a lot of people, have done what Fluffer was talking about; i.e. driven the following morning when I was certainly still over the limit.

Being the responsible citizen I am I tried to purchase one of those self-breathalising kits as advertised in the Sunday papers only to be met by blank stares in around half-a-dozen chemists.

Yes, drink-driving is bad, m'kay, and drink-drivers are worse than Hitler, but the real killer on the roads today is reckless-driving by young male adults.

If the guards really wanted to do something about that then they should take seriously that hotline they have for members of the public to report reckless drivers. The service is a joke at the moment.

Only in Ireland.

ArphaRima

There is a hotline they take seriously. 999. I've used it a few times.
-Guy barely able to stand filling his van with petrol at 4am. I was on my way to work, and could smell the booze off him. Gardai arrived in less than 2 minutes.
-Guy driving his 4x4 at 90mph on the m50 swaying across both lanes onto the grass on both sides of the road at midday. They caught him at the toll booth.(prob drugs tbh)
-A scumbag smashes into a tree just outside the phoenix park, clambers out, his mate does the same, and they switch positions and drive off.

The confidential hotline is a useless political stunt. Its for 40 yr old women annoyed that they've been overtaken by just about everyone because they keep 40 in a 60 zone. Better they ring that than 999.

Are you taking the piss??? How ignorant can you be?

Ignorant is not taking other peoples view on board during a discussion. He is right. Most of the last generation did it regularly before the current anti drink driving campaigns of the last few years.

Jimoslimos

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

To be technical, the massive increase in car numbers on the roads in recent years hasn't been reflected in a proportional rise in fatalities. Hence we are actually safer drivers now.

Well I'd hazard a guess that this might be due to vast improvements in car safety, airbags, crumple zones, ABS, etc., in recent years.

Savman

I long for the day of Zero tolerence on the Drink & Drive issue.

DublinWriter wrote:

Yes, drink-driving is bad, m'kay, and drink-drivers are worse than Hitler, but the real killer on the roads today is reckless-driving by young male adults

Oh for crying out loud...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_stereotype

Negative stereotyping is a key feature in prejudice, as racism, sexism, ageism, and so on.

BigEejit

I drove the wife to work one night after 3 small bottles of beer and I was shítting it ... it scared the life out of me because I was afraid of losing my license ... never again. Before I get attacked for drink driving I had the 3 bottles over the period of 90 - 120 minutes with food and they probably only amounted to a little over a pint, I weigh ~100kgs
After that I never drink drove again, especially now as I need my car to do my job.


As for road fatalities/crashes, I was led to believe that most people who were killed in late night crashes were speeding young lads showing off for the young wan in the passenger seat OR foreign workers driving clapped out bangers at crazy speeds while drunk. Neither of the groups above gives a crap about the police catching them..

Do the gardai provide accurate demographics of road deaths that occur 9pm to 6am?

(edit: I had put in 200kg instead of 100kg by mistake ... I'm editing this because the debating skills of some of the younger people posting has pretty much "you're a fatty who causes crashes naa naa")

Budd

IN the 70s and 80s road deaths in Ireland sometimes were up around the 700-800 mark despite there being less than 30% the cars on the road than nowadays.

Irelands road death figure of 400 p.a. is actually a bit better than average compared to other european countries.

There is no road death crisis. More people kill themselves every year, people die of cancer. People just die and its not a crisis.

BigEejit

Savman wrote:

I long for the day of Zero tolerence on the Drink & Drive issue.

Oh for crying out loud...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_stereotype

So you are saying that young males are in fact only stereotyped and do not in fact get involved in crashes (more often than any other demographic) late at night or early morning? ... do you have anything to back this up? or is it just the wikipedia link?

ScumLord

I drank and drove once when I was younger and would never do it again almost went in over a ditch a few times. I was steaming though. I don't have to drive after a few pints I live in town and can walk home.

People keep saying this or that is the biggest cause of deaths on Irish roads but does anyone actually know? Are their any real figures to show that speed or drink driving are the cause of most the crashes in Ireland?


I think people get on their high hourse about people that drive fast far to easily, driving slow doesn't make you a good driver. I know my car inside out, what it can and can't do and where it's limits are, there are many slower drivers (I've seen them) that drive extremely dangerously and think they know it all even going as far as trying to run you off the road when you over take them.

ArphaRima

http://www.nsc.ie/

The Road Safety Authority

BigEejit

Budd wrote:

IN the 70s and 80s road deaths in Ireland sometimes were up around the 700-800 mark despite there being less than 30% the cars on the road than nowadays.

Irelands road death figure of 400 p.a. is actually a bit better than average compared to other european countries.......

As some of the readers in this thread may not know, the roads in rural Ireland in the 70's and 80's were absolutely diabolical .... for example, there was a hole in the road near my parents house that was 2 feet deep and some 25 feet long and about 7 feet wide.... locals knew it and took it easy but if you were not expecting it you would end up in a ditch ... it was repaired when someone not local hit it at speed and was killed ...

kizzyr

fits wrote:

Oh god! We love hysteria don't we...

I dont drink and drive any more, and I have only done it a handful of times. I dont think people should drive when they're ratarsed, I dont think people should drive long distances after having a few pints, and I dont think someone who has had 3 pints should drive anywhere near the speed limit on country roads...
but...

you cant legislate for those things, and we have to be nannied to behave sensibly therefore, I support the drink driving laws and the enforcement of them... and the further isolation of people in rural areas because they will save lives..

I'm just trying to point out the greyish bit in between black and white.

Most accidents happen within a mile of home (wherever home is for people), the speed limit on most country roads is too high whether people are drunk or sober, why is going to the pub seen as the only out let for people who live in rural areas Are people really that lacking in imagination that all they can think of doing is drinking? If it really is the company that they are going to the pub for then why don't they do and drink soft drinks or non alcoholic beer? That way they can still go to the pub and drive home safely.

Savman

BigEejit wrote:

So you are saying that young males are in fact only stereotyped and do not in fact get involved in crashes

No. DublinWriter took the approach that the "real killer" on the roads are young males, obviously trying to take the focus off the drink driving theme. There are some headcase young males alright but the manner in which they were brought into this discussion was inappropriate.

It's like "oh yeah drink driving is bad but young males are really bad". Is that an attempt to compare the 2? Because I read somewhere recently that the younger generation are less likely to drink and drive. As for backing it up, I'm sure it's all accessible via google so knock yourself out. If anyone wants to start a separate thread on young males, we can debate that issue there.

BigEejit wrote:

As for road fatalities/crashes, I was led to believe that most people who were killed in late night crashes were speeding young lads showing off for the young wan in the passenger seat OR foreign workers driving clapped out bangers at crazy speeds while drunk.

I think you should re-read that wiki link on stereotypes :rolleyes:

muletide

BigEejit wrote:

I drove the wife to work one night after 3 small bottles of beer and I was shítting it ... it scared the life out of me because I was afraid of losing my license ... never again. Before I get attacked for drink driving I had the 3 bottles over the period of 90 - 120 minutes with food and they probably only amounted to a little over a pint, I weigh ~200kgs
After that I never drink drove again, especially now as I need my car to do my job.


As for road fatalities/crashes, I was led to believe that most people who were killed in late night crashes were speeding young lads showing off for the young wan in the passenger seat OR foreign workers driving clapped out bangers at crazy speeds while drunk. Neither of the groups above gives a crap about the police catching them..

Do the gardai provide accurate demographics of road deaths that occur 9pm to 6am?

You weigh 200kgs (31 Stone) jesus I would say you are fairly safe after three bottles if you are that size you must have more than the average 9 litres of blood in which to hide the alcohol.

BigEejit

kizzyr wrote:

Most accidents happen within a mile of home (wherever home is for people)

Do you have evidence of this?

the speed limit on most country roads is too high whether people are drunk or sober

this is true for some roads, not for all

why is going to the pub seen as the only out let for people who live in rural areas

you're joking right? there is sweet FA entertainment in large parts of the country outside the cities/major towns ... its either go to the pub nearby or drive for ages to goto the cinema etc

Are people really that lacking in imagination that all they can think of doing is drinking?

Are people really that ignorant of ireland outside of the cities?

If it really is the company that they are going to the pub for then why don't they do and drink soft drinks or non alcoholic beer? That way they can still go to the pub and drive home safely.

Many do, but some people enjoy it more with a drink or two.

kizzyr

muletide wrote:

You weigh 200kgs (31 Stone) jesus I would say you are fairly safe after three bottles if you are that size you must have more than the average 9 litres of blood in which to hide the alcohol.

Maybe is more likely to have a massive heart attack while at the wheel and cause a multi vehicle pile up. :rolleyes:

BigEejit

muletide wrote:

You weigh 200kgs (31 Stone) jesus I would say you are fairly safe after three bottles if you are that size you must have more than the average 9 litres of blood in which to hide the alcohol.

d'oh, fatfingered it ... 100kg

BigEejit

Savman wrote:

No. DublinWriter took the approach that the "real killer" on the roads are young males, obviously trying to take the focus off the drink driving theme. There are some headcase young males alright but the manner in which they were brought into this discussion was inappropriate.

It's like "oh yeah drink driving is bad but young males are really bad". Is that an attempt to compare the 2? Because I read somewhere recently that the younger generation are less likely to drink and drive. As for backing it up, I'm sure it's all accessible via google so knock yourself out. If anyone wants to start a separate thread on young males, we can debate that issue there.
I think you should re-read that wiki link on stereotypes :rolleyes:

My mentioning of young drivers and foreigners is based solely on listening to the frequency that you hear those demographics mentioned in the news. I looked on google already and there was no empircal evidence to be seen (Cue: someone finding some and calling me useless or thick or both), just more people like me and you saying "its drink drivers" and "its not drink drivers, its the young yobs" etc etc

Because I read somewhere recently that the younger generation are less likely to drink and drive

but are they more likely to go over the speed limit?

BigEejit

kizzyr wrote:

Maybe is more likely to have a massive heart attack while at the wheel and cause a multi vehicle pile up. :rolleyes:

So now youre saying that fat people cause more crashes?? A fat drinker is going to be lethal then :rolleyes:

And that was a typo, I weight ~100kg

Savman

We'd be all day googling for facts to backup everything, so getting closer to home I can say that I've 2 points for speeding and been in 1 not-at-fault crash. My missus (both mid-20's) has been in 1 at-fault claim and has 2 penalty points (safer female drivers eh). Her father, who's 50 odd, has 4 penalty points (safer older drivers eh).

The only people I know directly who drink & drive are all above the age of 50. Of all the young males I know (ie under 25) I would estimate that 50% of them drive like spas.

These are my own observations, some are well covered by the media, others aren't. One thing worth considering is this: it was one RTE or TV3 news recently that Ireland has one of the highest "young" populations in the EU. This, along with the economic boom, means more and more young adults are getting behind the wheel than ever before in the country's entire history. Rising stats for young drivers are an inevitable parallel to this trend.

I will concede that if the aul wans stop drink driving and the young fellas stop rally driving, there is hope for us all.:)

kizzyr

BigEejit wrote:

So now youre saying that fat people cause more crashes?? A fat drinker is going to be lethal then :rolleyes:

And that was a typo, I weight ~100kg

I'd posted before you said it was a typo and RELAX it was tongue in cheek;)

BigEejit

Savman wrote:

I will concede that if the aul wans stop drink driving and the young fellas stop rally driving, there is hope for us all.:)

amen to that

kizzyr

BigEejit wrote:

Do you have evidence of this?

this is true for some roads,


not for allyou're joking right? there is sweet FA entertainment in large parts of the country outside the cities/major towns ... its either go to the pub nearby or drive for ages to goto the cinema etc
people really that ignorant of ireland outside of the cities?Many do, but some people enjoy it more with a drink or two.

Can't remember where I read that but trust me I am trying to find it and once I do I will post the link
So how are you going to work it then, if you live on the R123 you can drive 3 miles after 4 pints because that road isn't bad but if you live on the R125 then forget it, call a taxi.
I'm not ignorant of life in the countryside. I grew up in the country so am fully aware of the things to do or not to do. My dad doesn't drink at all and hasn't since he joined the guards. He reason behind this is having to go to the houses of people and tell them that their son/daughter/mother/father/ whatever had been knocked down and or killed by a drunken driver. He felt that if he gave up drinking totally then at least it was one less person to believe "ah sure aren't I grand I've only had a few", drive home and then a short while later be saying " I didn't see them, they came from nowhere" and after being tested be astounded that they were over the limit. My mother drinks very little. They seem to have managed their whole lives without dying of boredom without going to the pub each and every night and they aren't the only ones. If they can manage it why can't more people?
Incidently I don't just think its people who live in the country who are lacking in imagination when the only entertainment they can find is inside a bottle of Bud its pervasive in Irish society as a whole.
Either way driving under the influence of anything or when over tired is stupid, dangerous and irresponsible and there are no valid excuses for it as you are not only endangering your life but the lives of others.