[PR] Don’t Risk It …is The Message To Festival Goers Driving To Electric Picnic

Victor · 01-09-2007 08:28PM #1

http://www.rsa.ie/NEWS/News/Electric_Picnic.html

DON’T RISK IT …IS THE MESSAGE TO FESTIVAL GOERS DRIVING TO ELECTRIC PICNIC

Don’t forget, a small amount of alcohol in your system will affect your driving so don’t risk it, even the morning after. This is the message to music fans traveling to Electric Picnic this weekend from MEAS, the alcohol social responsibility organisation behind drinkaware.ie. This appeal is supported by the festival organizers Pod, the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána.

Your body gets rid of roughly one standard drink per hour; that’s one hour for a half a pint, or a glass of wine or one single shot to be eliminated from your body.

Fionnuala Sheehan, Chief Executive of MEAS explains, “The secret to sobering up is time – no amount of coffee, energy drinks, cold showers or even a full Irish – will speed up the process. You might feel better but it doesn’t mean you are fit to drive.”

“Quite simply, if you think you will be drinking over the weekend, it is best to make alternative arrangements. Before you head to Stradbally, either designate a non-drinking driver or consider other options. Use the drinkaware.ie website to look up the various public transport options that will get you there quickly and safely.”

Even if you feel fine when you crawl out of your tent remember that you may still be over the legal limit and could face a €5,000 fine, a six month sentence or both. Throughout the entire Electric Picnic weekend, the Garda National Traffic Bureau will be operating traffic patrols and checkpoints around Stradbally on a 24 hours basis with the aim of detecting drink driving offences and speeding.

Festival goers are also being urged to consider the risk of sitting behind the wheel in slow-moving traffic when they are exhausted after three days of camping and partying.

“The ‘morning after’ really is a danger zone for drink driving related death and injury on Irish roads. You really need to be aware that you may still be unsafe to drive the next morning. For example, after a heavy drinking session, it could take over 13 hours for alcohol to leave your system – that’s lunchtime the next day,” explained Noel Brett, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority. “The impairing effects of alcohol in your body the ‘morning after’ could also be doubled if you have not had enough sleep the night before. So the question you really need to ask yourself is - am I fit to drive? If not don’t risk it”, added Brett.

drinkaware.ie has produced a Festival Survival Guide, available free for all music fans attending Electric Picnic this weekend. Written by music DJ, radio presenter, travel writer and festival veteran Fionn Davenport, the handy pocket-sized guide will help music fans ensure their festival experience doesn’t turn into a nightmare – from knowing what to wear and how to avoiding being the worse for wear, to making up your tent and most importantly making your way home safely. Download a printer-friendly version from the drinkaware.ie website, call 01 6114811 or email festivals@drinkaware.ie for your free copy.

For further information:

Fionnuala Sheehan, CEO, MEAS
01 611 4811 / 086 8351445

Notes to the editor:

1. drinkaware.ie was launched in November 2006 and was accompanied by a national advertising campaign carrying the line ‘know the one that’s one too many’. The www.drinkaware.ie website has emerged as the leading information portal for consumers on alcohol and drinking. MEAS is committed to continuing and expanding its responsible drinking campaigns throughout 2007 and beyond.

2. drinkaware.ie is a MEAS initiative. MEAS (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society Limited), a registered charity, was established in 2002 by the principal companies and trade organisations in the drinks industry to promote social responsibility within the industry and moderate consumption by those who choose to drink, in order to reduce alcohol abuse and related harm.

3. Fionn Davenport is a music DJ, radio presenter and travel writer. Having had a well-travelled childhood, Fionn continued to travel later in life paying his way around the world by DJing and writing for leading travel publications such as The Lonely Planet Guides. He is now the presenter of ‘Taste’ on Newstalk 106-108FM.

Terrontress · 03-09-2007 09:54AM

The buses from the Electric Picnic are only running as late as midday today. I think that is inadequate. Not only for the drink-driving issue but also in terms of putting 30,000 people through the country roads in the area.

I was at the festival and drove home last night at 9pm so had my last beer at about midnight on Saturday.

Patrickof · 03-09-2007 10:03AM

I came through Stradbally this morning at 8.45 and there's plenty of Gardai around, including a checkpoint on the Carlow side. I expect they'll have moved it to another road by now.

Terrontress · 03-09-2007 11:51AM

I was breathalysed last year and came back with a zero reading but felt it very unfair that the Gardai checked out each car and anyone who looked like they had been to the festival was tested.

I think it would be fairer to check everyone in the queue. The Electric Picnic is a properly licensed and regulated event and generates large amounts of money in taxation and for the local area as well. 99% of the people in there are law-abiding and aware of their responsibilites.

If the Gardai were to target GAA fans in the same way, stopping everyone in a jersey or with somebody wearing one in their car then there would be uproar. Nevertheless, people enjoy a pint in Croke Park.

seamus · 03-09-2007 12:35PM

The main problem is that breathalysing doesn't catch people who've only gotten 4 hours sleep in the last 48 and have their eyes hanging out of their heads.

Stopping all vehicles though would be a tad ridiculous. Provided that the driver looked aware and sober, I don't see any reason to stop them.

Terrontress · 03-09-2007 02:36PM

seamus wrote:

The main problem is that breathalysing doesn't catch people who've only gotten 4 hours sleep in the last 48 and have their eyes hanging out of their heads.

Stopping all vehicles though would be a tad ridiculous. Provided that the driver looked aware and sober, I don't see any reason to stop them.

And it doesn't stop people who have just smoked a pipe of crack either. What they were doing was lazy policing.

They took one look at my car, saw the tent in the boot and then their thought process went "festival goer, drink driver, criminal".

They could have stopped each car, asked where the driver was going and made a judgement there and then.

Stark · 03-09-2007 02:49PM

It would cause massive delays if they tested everyone. And if you were law abiding, what do you have to fear from a breath test?

Terrontress · 03-09-2007 03:05PM

Stark wrote:

It would cause massive delays if they tested everyone. And if you were law abiding, what do you have to fear from a breath test?

It is not having anything to fear, as stated I have taken precautions to ensure I am under the limit. Not only at this one event, I take it into account every time I drink alcohol.

My issue is having a physical sample taken based on no other reason than I have been at a legal, licensed event. Using the same logic the Gardai could enter everyone's house in a certain area of town and conduct searches or else tap the phones and monitor conversations of all people under a certain age, without any reason to believe those people are involved in illegal activity, using the logic "if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear".

There is a strict application process for the Gardai. They are obviously intelligent people. They are clever enough to deduce whether someone is intoxicated without using a breath detector. So why breathalyse everyone who has been to the festival?

Last night on the way up the M7, I sat behind a 06 Toyota LandCruiser which was doing about 50mph and was half in and half out of the hard shoulder. It is people like that who should be stopped an breathalysed.

Stark · 03-09-2007 03:29PM

/plays world's smallest violin.

Terrontress · 03-09-2007 04:15PM

Stark wrote:

/plays world's smallest violin.

I notice Stark that you are a mod of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual.

Do you think it would be appropriate to breath test all people who are at the Pride?

After all, alot of the gay scene takes place in nightclubs and bars. Fair enough, it is completely legal. But if the Gardai stuck out some road blocks and stop everyone with something in the least bit rainbowish, we could get some drink drivers off the road.

Let away the people who haven't been to Pride. Those who have should have nothing to fear if they have nothing to hide.

Is that the sort of thing you and your smallest violin believe in?

Stark · 03-09-2007 04:24PM

Terrontress wrote:

Is that the sort of thing you and your smallest violin believe in?

Yes. Only a moron would object to the Gardaí targetting large events with high volumes of alcohol sales and large numbers of people driving home for breath testing. Although I can't imagine that many people driving out of the George on a Saturday night.

Terrontress · 03-09-2007 04:33PM

Stark wrote:

Yes. Only a moron would object to the Gardaí targetting large events with high volumes of alcohol sales and large numbers of people driving home for breath testing. Although I can't imagine that many people driving out of the George on a Saturday night.

I think random breath testing is nonsense. I think targeted breath testing is even worse. And I would be dead against people being stopped because they had been to Pride, Electric Picnic or any other legal event.

Fair enough if every fifth car is stopped and breathalised or else each car is stopped and a brief exchange entered into before the Garda makes a call. But it is wrong to target law abiding people based on choices they make when you could have a businessman in a merc and a suit who has had half a bottle for claret for lunch getting waved by.

Edit: Oh and by the way, I loved the smallest violin comment. Must mean you have absolutely nothing to counter what I had to say in the previous post.

Stark · 03-09-2007 04:54PM

Terrontress wrote:

Edit: Oh and by the way, I loved the smallest violin comment. Must mean you have absolutely nothing to counter what I had to say in the previous post.

Well it's the internet, so I couldn't hug you in person after your little cry. You probably don't like to be touched anyway after your
"physical sample" experience.

Terrontress wrote:

I think random breath testing is nonsense. I think targeted breath testing is even worse.

ie: you think drink driving should go uncontrolled.

Terronstress wrote:

Fair enough if every fifth car is stopped and breathalised

Ah but that would be "random" breath testing, which you just said was nonsense.

Terronstress wrote:

or else each car is stopped and a brief exchange entered into before the Garda makes a call.

What's the point in having a little chat when you've already stopped someone? "Blow into this" is quicker, more impartial and more reliable. Having a chat about the weather is not going to identify people just over the limit.

Terronstress wrote:

But it is wrong to target law abiding people based on choices they make when you could have a businessman in a merc and a suit who has had half a bottle for claret for lunch getting waved by.

They have to make some choices to maintain some sort of traffic flow, while catching the most number of people possible. It makes sense to target people who've been to a festival with major alcohol consumption rather than commuters on their way home from work. Not that the person coming home from work couldn't have been sipping a bottle of whiskey under their desk during the day, but statistically you're not going to get the same results.

Bluetonic · 03-09-2007 05:13PM

Terrontress wrote:

The Electric Picnic is a properly licensed and regulated event and generates large amounts of money in taxation and for the local area as well. 99% of the people in there are law-abiding and aware of their responsibilites.

:rolleyes:

Stark · 03-09-2007 06:40PM

Terrontress wrote:

My issue is having a physical sample taken based on no other reason than I have been at a legal, licensed event. Using the same logic the Gardai could enter everyone's house in a certain area of town and conduct searches or else tap the phones and monitor conversations of all people under a certain age, without any reason to believe those people are involved in illegal activity, using the logic "if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear".

The examples you described have nothing in common with breath testing. Your examples involve invasion of privacy, you could hardly call having to reveal your intoxication behind the wheel status "invasion of privacy".

Victor · 03-09-2007 06:53PM

Ok, behave you two.

Ste.phen · 03-09-2007 07:18PM

Surely mounting a breath testing point near a pub is similar?

i would've thought breath testing people statistically likely to have been drinking is a much better form of enforcement than random sampling

[PR] Don’t Risk It …is The Message To Festival Goers Driving To Electric Picnic

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