Penalty points to replace ban for driving just over new limit

stevenmu

Gurgle wrote: »

Show me statistics on the number of accidents caused by people with blood alcohol between 50 and 80.
Until these are produced, the lazy incompetent fùckers can go to hell and I'll have my one pint on the occasional sunday we go for a carvery in the local hotel.

According to the article the minister is going to present scientific evidence of the benefits. I'm looking forward to seeing this because I've a hard time believing this will produce any real benefit and isn't just another "look what we did" publicity exercise. (but I'll be happy to be shown wrong)

pburns

pburns wrote: »

the young, suburban moral majority who make up the majority of boards.ie would be aghast at such anti-social behavior:rolleyes:

I wont single out boards members in general but there is definitely still a massive difference between the opinions of people from the country and suburban area's on the topic of drink driving. I know where I'm from (rural area) the majority of people complain about not being able to have a few pints and drive home(some drive regardless others wont chance it) where as in city's and large towns the opinion is the exact opposite with people calling for 0 alcohol limits etc.

Also any support for morning breath testing appears to come for city dwellers who don't need to drive to work. I have yet to encounter a person from the country young or old that is not totally against morning breath checks.

FutureGuy

turnsoutIwas wrote: »

Seriously??? You think that it is a bad idea that people are able to check if that are over the limit before they go out and break the law? Would it not just be easier to keep the limit a secret by that logic?

Yes I do because people shouldn't be drink driving in the first place! It's not about breaking the law, its about putting lives at risk.

cabrwab

Shiloh Elegant Rooftop wrote: »

Also any any support for morning breath testing appears to come for city dwellers who don't need to drive to work. I have yet to encounter a person from the country young or old that is not totally against morning breath checks.

I think the morning breath test are crazy, but like that over the limit over the limit!
I understand the rural people not liking it but that said a lot of cute 'whoors' know there way around it, like leaving the car at the end of the long laneway to there house which is a private road.
But it is hard to go for a pint in the country without a car.

TomMc

Shiloh Elegant Rooftop wrote: »

I wont single out boards members in general but there is definitely still a massive difference between the opinions of people from the country and suburban area's on the topic of drink driving. I know where I'm from (rural area) the majority of people complain about not being able to have a few pints and drive home(some drive regardless others wont chance it) where as in city's and large towns the opinion is the exact opposite with people calling for 0 alcohol limits etc.

Also any support for morning breath testing appears to come for city dwellers who don't need to drive to work. I have yet to encounter a person from the country young or old that is not totally against morning breath checks.

I live in the country and am against any amount of drinking and driving. I don't drink at all but still go pubs with friends who do. The argument that one law should apply for country folk and another for urban dwellers is intellectually incoherent. A life is a life and why should a greater element of risk be placed on country folk, because some people think their social lives are so important and the drinking that goes with it. They should grow up and not be so immature, take some personal responsibility for a change. If you want a drink, work away but do not get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. And if you cannot get a lift or a taxi stay at home. But I'd say many of these people have a dependency on alcohol or its the principle part of who they are and go all defensive when something new challenges them. In much the same way when people were up in arms when the liberty of driving on a provisional license unaccompanied was taken away. Irish people in general terms have an irresponsible attitude to drink and drinking compared with continental Europeans, so our laws should take a tougher stance. There should be a nominal limit, not absolute Zero to account for certain anomalies, but so low to get the message through, no amount of drinking and driving is exceptable.

chiefwiggum

the morning after tests are to stop the clowns who roll into bed at 530 am on a monday morning to be up at 7 to drive to work...over the limit ten minutes after leaving the pub or 4 or 5 hours later is STILL over the limit. these country folk,of which i am one,think they are being discriminated against are fools..there are enough taxi's out there to get home but most ppl dont want the hassle of going to collect the car the next day.another solution...car pool with your mates

R.O.R

Aaden Fierce Circus wrote: »

Also any support for morning breath testing appears to come for city dwellers who don't need to drive to work. I have yet to encounter a person from the country young or old that is not totally against morning breath checks.

Hi Aaden Fierce Circus,

I'm from a rural/city area, but a long distance away from my work. Not only do I need my car for work, but I need my licence for my job.

I fully, 100% support random, morning breathtesting. I was quite happy to be stopped at 06.30 on my way to work one Monday morning.

You might think you are ok to drive the morning after because you feel fine, but that's the same excuse that people use when they get behind the wheel after 5 pints.

I'm actually very surprised at how well thought out the new proposals are and hope they are put in to force, and enforced, as soon as possible.

rebel.ranter

FutureGuy wrote: »

And I'd also ban those self-breathylizer tests. They are an absolute disgrace, and my opinion, promote drink driving up to the current limit, which is still drink driving.

That is just a ridiculuous statement! Do you think someone who is responsible enough to go out & buy a self-breathalyser unit is the same fool enough who drive-drives???

The reason the majority of people buy these is to check themselves the next day. They want to make sure they are not breaking the law. They are being responsible, they want to ensure that they have done everything in their power to stay within the law.

With that fuzzy logic you are professing we might as well remove all the 50kmph speed limit signs....sure people should know the speed limit!!!!!


The use of those units, the proper ones (incl Garda issue) that is is not that straight forward, for one you would have to wait 20 minutes to take an accurate reading. Do you honestly think that people irresponsible enough to gamble would get the self-test right, woudl they wait the 20 minutes? Also if the unit is not calibrated then it could give a false result, self-tests are not admissable in court.

An example of 20 minutes complication: If you have had a glass (1/2 pint say) of beer in a bar, supped up the last drop, got into your car & met a checkpoint 30 seconds down the road the Garda would have to wait 20 minutes to perform a valid breathalyser test. Otherwise the reading would give a false high value.

People who buy these do so to protect their livelihood, especially if that livelihood depends of their driving license. If you are to ban something then ban alcohol, ban cars, the test units are not to blame for the deaths!!! In fact if anything they will prevent deaths.:rolleyes:

leeroybrown

rebel.ranter wrote: »

That is just a ridiculuous statement! Do you think someone who is responsible enough to go out & buy a self-breathalyser unit is the same fool enough who drive-drives???

There was actually a thread somewhere on Boards a good while back where a girl said that her boyfriend had bought one of these so he could drink and still drive. I'm not saying that many people do it and I certainly wouldn't advocate banning them but there are some special fools out there...

jape

Does anyone have any statistics or evidence at all, that shows driving with small amounts of alcohol in your system (e.g. between 0.50mg and 0.80mg) actually increases the likelihood of road traffic accidents/fatalities ?

There's a lot of "expert" opinions on here without a shred of evidence to back up their point.

turnsoutIwas

FutureGuy wrote: »

Yes I do because people shouldn't be drink driving in the first place! It's not about breaking the law, its about putting lives at risk.

Surely taking a self-test before getting into a car and deciding weather or not to drive based on the result is the exact opposite of what you are saying. If you pass it you are not drink driving under the current laws.

Would you be outraged if you heard of someone checking one, realising they were over and not driving as a result? Because this does happen. This is what they were designed to do and for the most part is why people buy them.

Back on topic I think the limit is already low enough. I try not to break laws and will obey this one but I think it is more PC ridiculousness from the govt.

jape

FutureGuy wrote: »

Yes I do because people shouldn't be drink driving in the first place! It's not about breaking the law, its about putting lives at risk.

Case in point. You honestly don't have a clue what you're talking about do you? You should be a politician.

bladebrew

what is "over the limit" now, i thought one pint would put you over,but they were saying on the radio that if it is put to 50mg a one drink would be over the limit?!,

i think the difference in attitude between people from rural areas and the city is due to the risk involved,if someone leaves a rural pub at 3am after a heap of pints and drives on county roads home they are more likely to end up in a ditch than hit another car,in a city/town if you go off the road theres plenty off things to crash into to,
the best idea is a courtesy bus from the pub to collect/drop people home,even if they charge 2 euro its well worth it,

jape

bladebrew wrote: »

what is "over the limit" now, i thought one pint would put you over,but they were saying on the radio that if it is put to 50mg a one drink would be over the limit?!,

It's not an exact science, and varies from person to person, varies depending on age, sex, body weight, tolerance to alcohol, amount of food consumed, tiredness, etc.

An 18 year old female who is short, and slim, and has never drank before, could potentially be over the limit after 1 pint.

A 30 year old male who is 6 ft and well built, drinking for the last 10 years would most definitely not be over the limit after 1 pint.

jape

jape wrote: »

It's not an exact science, and varies from person to person, varies depending on age, sex, body weight, tolerance to alcohol, amount of food consumed, tiredness, etc.

It really is impossible to tell. I have seen a friend blow 0 one afternoon(at a checkpoint btw not a home kit). It was about 1 o'clock in the afternoon and we had a very late heavy session the night before and he had just had a pint for the cure. He is small and light and should definitely have been over from the night before never mind the pint he had just drank.

I would have thought that for a average sized male about 1.5 to 2 pints consumed at a normal pace would be about the limit give or take.

blackbox

I am against reducing the limits on the grounds that I would like to see the extra effort/resources put into:

1. seriously combatting high level drink driving - including random checks and targetting.

2. combatting handheld mobile phone use - no excuse for this

3. combatting driving under the influence of psychoactive drugs, both legal and illegal.

4. undiciplined driving - (motorways and roundabouts)

5. ensuring vehicles are roadworthy

6. ensuring drivers are licensed and insured

7. improved driver training

I believe all of the above would improve road safety more than reducing the alcohol limit from 80 to 50 mg/l.

Am I the only one who doesn't care about this? I've never been tested, probably never will, I barely ever have alcohol in my system when driving and it would be fierce unlucky for those two unlikely events to come together.


And I mean the morning after all you PC posters.