Drink Driving

[davewebbsbrain]

Due to the McCormick threads in Shrimper's Chit Chat and people's clear feelings for what he did, let me ask the question, and I hope you will all be 100% honest.

Have you ever driven under the influence of alcohol? I don't mean a pint, I mean enough to be over the drink drive level.

Now I know for those older ones amongst us, in the 1960's and 1970's it seems that drink driving was the done thing to do and was accepted.

Times have changed big time. I personally have never had more than one shandy and driven. A really nice bloke I used to work with would do anything for anyone but when he went to work do's etc he always had more than a few drinks and drove home.

 

[OldBlueLady]

No, I haven't, but I have been in a car with someone who had - not massively but enough to be over. Wasn't happy about it, but had no choice and preferred myself to be in that car and my (then young) kids to be in someone else's car, who hadn't been drinking.

 

[WightShrimper]

I have put yes because years ago, I might go out and have a few beers and then drive to work next morning when, in all likelihoods, I would still be over the limit despite only having had four or five pints up to closing time and not driving till 8'ish next morning. However, for the last 30 years or so, I have been more aware of these actions and don't put myself in this situation.
That said, I have always despised people who drink and drive on the same night when they must be aware of the risks to themselves and others.

 

[southendkid]

I think I once did, woke up the morning after a night out, used the car at about 12 feeling fine, about 5 minutes into the journey I realised my reactions were pretty bad and this was a bad idea, I was inches from hitting a parked Audi R8 at one point, so I made a note to not even have one pint in future if I knew I had to drive the next day. It may have been due to a lack of sleep though, I've heard that can affect you just as much as alcohol does when driving.

 

[Firestorm]

No
Once as an 18 year old I started to leave the pub on my motorbike after a couple, realised that my balance was not quite as expected so walked the 3 miles home and picked the bike up the next day
Never had more than a pint if I was driving after that and now i dont drink at all anyway

 

[Bielzibubz]

Never, although I came very very close to being over once many moons ago when I'd just passed my test and way before I learned I was allergic to alcohol. I have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever with anyone that looses their license and subsequently their job if they're found to be over the limit after a night out.

You want a drink. Find a way of getting to your destination without the need to get behind the wheel of a car.

You want to drive. Don't drink. It's that simple I'm afraid but if you must make it just the one or a couple of shandy's.

If you drink and your over the limit after getting then you deserve everything the law dishes out to you.

 

[OldBlueLady]

It may have been due to a lack of sleep though, I've heard that can affect you just as much as alcohol does when driving.

It does, definitely.

When you think back to the 60s and 70s when everyone drank and drove, and no-one wore seat belts and you could quite happily sail along the A127 at high speed it's amazing there weren't more incidents. I remember being asleep in the back of our old Corsair, and waking up, finding the door had flown open going round a roundabout and my pillow was hanging out the door! Safety features are much improved these days, but the volume and power of cars has increased so much, it needs to.

Certainly, when I was little, we'd go to friends of my parent's houses and get put to bed for a few hours while the adults drank and played cards. Then we'd be woken up about midnight and my dad would drive us home. Never in any danger back then....things are VERY different now.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

No not ever but i know plenty who have.

 

[RobM]

"Now I know for those older ones amongst us, in the 1960's and 1970's it seems that drink driving was the done thing to do and was accepted."

In those days there was no formal limit - it was up to the police to decide "unfit through drink".

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

"Now I know for those older ones amongst us, in the 1960's and 1970's it seems that drink driving was the done thing to do and was accepted."

In those days there was no formal limit - it was up to the police to decide "unfit through drink".

Actually,
"The Road Safety Act 1967 introduced the first legally enforceable maximum blood alcohol level for drivers in the UK, above which it became an offence to be in charge of a motor vehicle; and introduced the roadside breathalyser, made available to police forces across the country"

I can remember my father getting off a drink driving charge before this date.He refused to give a blood sample at the copshop and had to do various tests in police custody,including walking along a white line etc.
He was found not guilty in court.He was extremely lucky.

 

[steveo]

Yes, but back in the lates 70's and early 80's when it wasnt such a big issue. These days one pint max.

I will always leave the car or not take it if I am going to have a few. I get really hacked of with top footballers who drink and drive. 50 grand a week and you cant afford a taxi? ****ing ridiculous.

 

[Firestorm]

"Now I know for those older ones amongst us, in the 1960's and 1970's it seems that it was the done thing to do and was accepted."

.

Can this be known as The Jimmy Saville defence

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

1970 No 1 Mungo Jerry
When the weather's right You got women, you got women on your mind
Have a drink, have a drive Go out and see what you can find

Times change.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I suspect most have driven the next morning whilst still over the limit and not realised it.

 

[dloman]

Just guessing by the amount of members on here and just playing the odds, as a guess there are probably at least ten people? who have been done for done for D&D. Obviously i have no evidence to back this up but by numbers ........

There by the grace of god.

Not that i am religious in any sort of way.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Just guessing by the amount of members on here and just playing the odds, as a guess there are probably at least ten people? who have been done for done for D&D. Obviously i have no evidence to back this up but by numbers ........

There by the grace of god.

Not that i am religious in any sort of way.

Kind of my point in doing the poll really. After less than 24 hours there are more that have admitted drink driving than not. Any one of those could easily have hit and killed someone had they been unlucky. The hypocrisy on SZ is clear to see regarding McCormick.

 

[DTS]

Never ever on a night out. I had a mate banned for two years when he was 17 and that made me realise how stupid it was. I have also always been in a regulated job and each year I have to be approved so always tried to keep whiter than white.

Maybe as a teenager I drove the next morning while hung over? Cant say for sure that I did or didnt. Only think I would add and not that it make any real difference but if I did it wold have only been a ten mins journey to work.

Been lucky in so much as largely worked in London my life so always had to get train.

 

[steveo]

Kind of my point in doing the poll really. After less than 24 hours there are more that have admitted drink driving than not. Any one of those could easily have hit and killed someone had they been unlucky. The hypocrisy on SZ is clear to see regarding McCormick.

If you did another poll and added within the last year to the question, you would probably get a different result.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

If you did another poll and added within the last year to the question, you would probably get a different result.

The laws on limits for drink driving have been in place since 1967. I understand why you have put that but McCormick wasn't caught drink driving within the last year either. Anyone drink driving has been more liable to kill someone since day one, not in the last year.

 

[WightShrimper]

Also, whether we were more likely to have been a bit more cavalier with the law when we were young. I would hope that everyone changes their views on things once they get out of the 'know-it-all' phase of their lives.
And unfortunately, we now live in a 'celebrity' world where many people think they are above the laws of us mere mortals.