Drink Driving - Age old issue.

[QuickSilver 0]

I hope this isn't to provocative for any reason, but I'm interested in what people think about this, since we are predominantly quite a young community, the social eyes and the stereo type of drink driving automatically falls towards us... What makes you not do it??? Or what makes you do it??? I personally have very grim views about drink driving and I think many people, or people around our ages think so too, why do you think this is? I thank my parents for at a very young age drilling into me how severe this issue was and would never drink drive (no matter how drunk I am) I make sure if I'm around that friends or anybody for that matter wouldn't hop into a car drunk, Do you think this problem is getting better? Do you think the plans and groups the government have put in place are helping? Is it on the incline or on the decline...?

I'm interested in peoples thoughts, comments, anything really as I think its quite an important issue....

[Old_Skool_Bmw 0]

I think that it comes down to the younger generation of drivers thinking they are bullet proof!!

To me it comes down to young drivers being taught to respect the road and respect the Privelage of being able to drive a car. It's also common sense. We need to have harsher penalities on ppl that Drink & drive also. take away their licence for longer, have harsher financial penalties etc.

I personally would NEVER Drink & Drive because:

(A) Of the way i was brought up around cars by my parents since the day i satrted to drive. It's probably been one of the main things my parents drilled into me from the day i got my licence when i turned 15 and so it's something i'd never consider doing.

( I've had the experience of having a friend (18yrs old) who was killed by a drunk driver

Just my 2c.

Laurence.

[Mavrick 0]

I have mates that drink drive every so often and some that were notorious for doing it (that dont anymore) but as i've got older less people I know do it...I guess it's because now they're working they can afford the taxis etc.

Me, I'll never drink and drive not even after 2 beers, it's not worth the risk. And no matter how hammered drunk I get I never think that driving is a good idea.

[my_e36 43]

Personally I can't handle my drinks that well so I never drink enough to get done drink driving to start with.

As for my friends, they are all working so if they have a night on the town, they get taxi.

[cainchapman 0]

I don't think it is a generational issue. Not so much now anyway.

Yes, it used to be acceptable to drink and drive. It now isn't. Yes, youngsters are getting drunk and driving, but for the same reasons that they speed and kill themselves.

Risk analysis isn't great when you are under 25 (stats prove it).

I also have an issue with lack of driver training, by the time you have gone through the licence programme and are old enough to drive in a car with your mates after hours, you are also able to buy alcohol.

And as every great Westy knows, the last words out of their mouths is "check this out!".

The Italians are able to drink from 15 and unable to drive until 18. Whilst, I'm not advocating 15 year olds drink. At least by the time they reach 18, they should have got most of their nights of binge drinking and waking up without memory of how they got home (or woke up with the Cougar they did).

To follow on with Jock's boy racer stance. Crush the car they are driving. Even if it is their parents.

[martyyn 2]

I was having a chat about this with the chaps I play football with a few weeks ago.

Whilst all those under 35 said 'cut their fcuking balls off' all those 40+ were regalling us with stories about how many times they'd driven home so bladdered that they just abandoned the car in the street and how they were better drivers because they were paying more attention etc.

In the process two of the older ones had polished off several beers and were quite happy to drive home. I hadnt had a drop and was beath tested on my home. shame it wasnt one of them.

[bravo 34]

There are lots of older guys/gals who think its OK to drive after quite a few beers/wines (my old man incldeud). (mostly males). There are quite a few younger guys/girls who drive pissed (about even numbers I think).

So I think its even between generations.

I drove once or twice boozed. It was stupid and I'll never do it again. I'll also never get so drunk I think its a good idea to drive. But, I've driven home a few times after a beer at the office feeling sweet, but not 100% sure whether I'd pass a breath test. Partly because they keep drumming in how the "guidelines" for responsible drinking then driving differ between people. So I figure if I can't feel any effect from my drinking I'd probably pass. But it probably is a gamble really and I never feel comfortable. Been pulled over maybe 6 times like this and failed the initial "name address" test, but passed the blow-in one. My info is the "name address" test picks up any alcohol so even a small drink will fail this, so OK. But one day, who knows, I may be over.

Oh and as a side note, although its no excuse, but taxis? what are they? We don't have them where I live.

Edited September 13, 2007 by bravo

[Gus 5]

whats drink driving? in fact, whats driving full stop?

the london underground does have ONE redeeming feature

[crshbndct 0]

two very good friends of mine were killed by a recidivist drink driver recently.

i know of atleast 4 youngish guys who are all at varoius stages of regianing licenses from drink driving offenmces

[martyyn 2]

the london underground does have ONE redeeming feature

Its not much use after 11 though is it

[QuickSilver 0]

yea all fair points, I too have friends who've bragged about how wasted they've been and dodged cops to get home etc etc, what I think sucks are the people you hear about.. eg " man at petrol station was so drunk he passed out filling his car up with gas, his 3 year old daughter in the passenger seat" had something ridiculous like 12 previous DIC charges... wtf is this guy not doing in jail? penalties are SO slack.. its crazy, my dad had 3 of his friends get killed because the driver was drunk, they hit a pole so hard the bonnet touched the boot around the pole, in my personal opinion.. the system we have for licensing and penalties for drink driving etc need an overhaul... you can repeatedly drive drunk, but a burnout lands you $800 fine, 6 months suspension and 40 hrs community service , and im NOT saying doin buynouts is "cool" im just using it as a comparison, anyway, thats my rant lol

[Nic325i 0]

My info is the "name address" test picks up any alcohol so even a small drink will fail this, so OK. But one day, who knows, I may be over.

That is correct - the electronic sniffer has to be low, to account for the much lower limit for learners/restricted license holders.

I got told by a mate who is a cop that a sensible person will feel too drunk to drive before they are legally too drunk to drive - don't know if it is true though.

[QuickSilver 0]

its set low becuase the under 20 limit is lower, not license class, as far as i remember your not allowed any alchohol on learners.

[Nobimmer 694]

Under 20's have a really crappy blood alcohol limit,something like half a beer a night or something.For that reason I don't do it even if I know I'm sober as and could easily get myself home without killing myself or more importantly anyone else.

[cainchapman 0]

As I work for the manufacturer of the Police breath alcohol analysers and evidential units.

You cannot trust how you feel. There is no size advantage. You can consume different amounts of alcohol on different days and be the same level. It depends on how fatigued you are, ill, how well fed, etc. You can increase for 2 hours after you stop drinking due to the digestion process.

It's safer not to risk it. The cheap breathalysers are of limited use and are easily poisoned (tech term) with high readings. And the first thing you do with it is drink heaps and see who can get the highest reading. This does effect the life and accuracy of the lesser units.

On the flip side, the rules of thumb on how much you can drink (2 drinks in the first hour and 1 every hour after that) is very conservative. For the adult reading that is 400ug/L. The youth rate is 150ug/L. N.B. a stubbie of Mac's Gold is 1 drink, not a pint of it!

[parriehunter 0]

Yup i agree with most of what was said above, when my mates and I were 18 i knew quite a few people that did drive drunk and thought nothing of it but as we turned 20 (most of my mates are 22 now) they cannot believe that they use to do it.

But in saying that one of my mates after having a big night on the booze walked home (about a 30 min walk) grabbed his keys and went for a drive. He only remembers crawling out of his car that had ended up almost into someones house he does not remember getting home. The skyline was totaled not a single straight panel and almost looked like a boomarang. Luckily none was injured. he missed to power poles by centimetres which would of ended as him being a white cross. I can say that is a serious wake up call for everyone i know but it is a worry that it seems that we need these wake up calls.

[e30kingpin 0]

3 buddies and I walked 3 hours from town to where we stayed. Moral of the story... When the sober driver says "Its time to go" Its time to go!!

[Braeden320 0]

My mates girlfreind was killed by a drunk driver on new years eve this year.

Hence i take a dim veiw to drunk drivers.

[parriehunter 0]

My mates girlfreind was killed by a drunk driver on new years eve this year.

Hence i take a dim veiw to drunk drivers.

That is horrible. Sorry to hear that.

As everyone should as it is the innocent people that get hurt and have to deal with the mess that it causes.

[Braeden320 0]

Cheers mate.

[topcat 11]

i had a mate killed walking home from the jolly farmer.he was drunk and doing the right thing.got taken out by another drunk driver.not good.

back 10-15 yrs ago my friends and i never really got onto the piss.probably cause the price of gas took most of our pay back then. that and we were always trying to get our old skool corollas and lancers etc to go as fast as poss.

mind you how are you younger guys paying of gas and piss at the moment??

5c worth.marty

[parriehunter 0]

mind you how are you younger guys paying of gas and piss at the moment??

Aunty Helen (student loan)

Are you a local drury boy?

[Braeden320 0]

mind you how are you younger guys paying of gas and piss at the moment??

Salary and a company fuelcard(personal use aswell).

I saying that though i'm not a big drinker.

[Carl 3]

I think the sentence "drinking and driving" is a little misrepresentative as I have no qualms about having a drink and driving full well knowing that i'll be legally okay to do so. I think that almost every time that I have driven home after a drink I have been tested and have always been good. It certainly does scare you though when they say you've failed the <20 limit, it would be good to know what the actual reading is for reference sake.

Of course the drink guidelines are going to be conservative and it's hammered in to people to be responsible but I think that scaring everyone (full license >= 20) into thinking that a couple of drinks of lager are going to put them over the limit is a little over the top. The ad with the guy having a couple of stubbies springs to mind.

No I don't condone drunk drivers but nor do I condone scaremongering.

[Braeden320 0]

Quite true, i agree with you Carl

I think a big thing is people not noing there limit.

Some people are "drunk" after a few, whereas others could have say 3beers and still blow under the limit.

I guess its down to the individual.