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Hang on a minute…. who is actually defending drink driving here?
If you can unruffle your righteous petticoats for a second, can you tell us who exactly is doing that?
Nobody, from what I’m reading. Some of us are simply pointing out the reality of the situation in some areas, but I certainly don’t see anyone condoning it.
Binners - drink driving is a cause of serious numbers of deaths. It wouldn't need to be done often to have the deterrent effect. As you know its the chances of being caught that make the deterrent.
So yes - I think it would be a worthwhile exercise and would save a lot of lives
I don’t think there’s really any dispute the drink driving is both more common, and more commonly ignored in rural communities. It doesn’t make it right but it is. The question the chief constable should be putting to his officers is - if everyone knows this why are you “missing” it. Of course that might then lead to a whole other discussion about resourcing etc.Schrödingers rural drink drivers.
well all police officers already have the power to stop and do document checks at any time. Strathclyde police used to set up “road blocks” for this at strategically useful times - if you smelled of alcohol or answered a question evasively about where you’d been or if you’d be drinking (no obligation to answer of course!) or there were any vehicle defects then the breathalyser came out. Of course that was in the days before social media, waze etc. But traffic cops have become endangered species despite many more people dying on our roads than are murdered, and the fact that traffic cops floating around would potentially disrupt organised crime.Personally I believe cops should be allowed to do random drink drive testing not have to wait for suspicion and should be doing roadblocks near rural and urban pubs and test everyone as they now do in Aus
There are at least a couple who clearly don't see the issue with drink driving, if you are getting uppity about thinking you might being included then maybe consider why others might think that
The official estimate, external released by the Department for Transport (DfT) says that in 2022, there were 300 deaths in Great Britain where at least one driver was over the limit.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ve27zwr7vo
Uncle Jezza… I think you massively underestimate the scale of the problem.
As many of us have pointed out, having witnessed it first hand in different areas all over the UK, there is a hardcore to whom drink driving is just a thing you do. We live in a country where the rural road network spans thousands and thousands and thousands of miles and is full of pubs.
Putting the odd roadblock up on some random B road- if you had the resources, which you haven’t - will make absolutely sod all difference to the people to which this is hardwired behavior
Does anyone actually seriously believe for one second that the OP’s mr 3 pints phone call was followed up?
Of course it bloody wasn’t!
If you phoned up and said you’d just seen someone neck 3 bottles of wine and get in an artic, they still wouldn’t follow it up because they simply haven’t got the resources.
But traffic cops have become endangered species despite many more people dying on our roads than are murdered, and the fact that traffic cops floating around would potentially disrupt organised crime.
100% this. And as they’re an expensive and specialist resource they’re easy to cut.
Does anyone actually seriously believe for one second that the OP’s mr 3 pints phone call was followed up?
Of course it bloody wasn’t!
It may well of been followed up on. I have seen it happen when a call comes in regarding a potential drunk driver and if there is a unit available they go to the registered keepers address if its nearby and sit outside for a bit waiting for them to get home.
Does anyone actually seriously believe for one second that the OP’s mr 3 pints phone call was followed up?
Of course it bloody wasn’t!
It will have been if a unit available and I know the drink driver I dobbed in was done.
As for its too difficult to catch them in a random stop setup - police do this for other road crime ie set up to check every vehicle and they do it in other contries. Its just they are not allowed to do random breath tests IIRC.
I don’t think there’s really any dispute the drink driving is both more common, and more commonly ignored in rural communities. It doesn’t make it right but it is
On Tiree (Hebrides), and obviously where the limit is much lower, ie no drink, the main pub is next to the police station in the only real collection of housing on the island. Given aside from tourism the main economy is farming, it’s not uncommon for the pub to have a fair few locals and fishermen in it propping up the bar. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel catching them as they all get in their pick up trucks each evening and before you know it, you’d have bought and banned pretty much every male who likes a drink on the island inside a couple of weeks. But I suspect as the Pc is posted from the mainland they’d be lynched or run out of town if they upheld the law like this. So there must be a ritual of looking the other way (literally) at kicking out time each night. In no way condoning I hasten to add but very much what small island life entails.
if you are getting uppity about thinking you might being included then maybe consider why others might think that
Alternatively, some people might consider not roping everyone in to being the target of their righteous indignation and maybe read what people have actually said, and dial the sanctimony down a notch?
For the record, I don’t drink drive. Never have done in my life, never would, nor would I ever condone it, but living where I do, I see the reality of the situation that Daz described.
I have no idea how you stop it other than diverting all police resources to TJ’s roadblocks, which would still probably make no difference whatsoever either.
Some people are just selfish ****s who think they can do what the hell they like and sod the consequences! What surprised me when I moved out to a more rural area is just how many of them there are when it comes to drink driving.
I have no idea how you stop it other than diverting all police resources to TJ’s roadblocks, which would still probably make no difference whatsoever either.
Be public spirited and report the next person you see staggering out of the pub into their car. You might save their or someone else's life.
I have no idea how you stop it other than diverting all police resources to TJ’s roadblocks, which would still probably make no difference whatsoever either
I think you're wrong. I count myself amongst the many who have driven drunk (actually on a motorbike). The threat of being caught and banned eventually got through to me and I stopped. It just needs some more frequent, well publicised enforcement with a decent penalty and it'll gradually get through to even more folk. Everyone? Probably not. But let's not let perfect be the enemy of better.
Be public spirited and report the next person you see staggering out of the pub into their car. You might save their or someone else's life
I havent actually been in my local pub for years, precisely because it’s frequented by the kind of nobheads who have this attitude to drink driving.
You’ll be unsurprised to hear that they’re also a bunch of homophobic, sexist, racist, Reform-voting pricks, as I pointed out to them all one night, hence me not going in there any more.
The place I do choose to drink is a bit further, populated by much nicer people, and it’s a nice walk.
Bite me binners, considering there were at least 2 others basically saying that people shouldn't report them because "snitches get stiches", I don't care if you said similar, simply by trying to minimise their input it makes you as bad as them
I said something similar?
Did I?
If you seriously equate what I’ve said to ‘snitches get stitches’ then you may want to get your critical faculties checked out as they’re clearly a bit wayward
It just needs some more frequent, well publicised enforcement with a decent penalty and it'll gradually get through to even more folk. Everyone? Probably not. But let's not let perfect be the enemy of better.
The thing is that no-one currently believes they’ll get caught, which is why there are >1m uninsured drivers on the road, and why you see dickheads racing on the motorway.
It just needs some more frequent, well publicised enforcement with a decent penalty and it'll gradually get through to even more folk. Everyone? Probably not. But let's not let perfect be the enemy of better.
The thing is that no-one currently believes they’ll get caught, which is why there are >1m uninsured drivers on the road, and why you see dickheads racing on the motorway.
The scary thing about both your contributions there (and I'm not saying you are wrong) is a judgement that a change of behaviour would only be because people would be concerned about getting caught and the consequences, not because people have learnt to be more respectful citizens and appreciate their past behaviour wasn't.
But then again, that's how religion works - do the right thing or the big man with the all seeing eye will bash your head in.
It just needs some more frequent, well publicised enforcement with a decent penalty and it'll gradually get through to even more folk. Everyone? Probably not. But let's not let perfect be the enemy of better.
The thing is that no-one currently believes they’ll get caught, which is why there are >1m uninsured drivers on the road, and why you see dickheads racing on the motorway.
Which is why I think roadblocks and a breath test of everyone is a damn good idea. Make folk believe they will get caught
Could you give us any more detail on how you think that is in any way achievable with present police resources?
Or how the hugely increased resources required to sit on random B roads all night, pulling over 3 land rovers an hour is going to be paid for?
And how do you think that Karen in her Range Rover, repeatedly getting pulled at a roadblock and breathalised, on her way back from Pilates is going to go down?
Uncle Jezza, I love you dearly, but as someone who lives in a city and doesn’t drive, I can see some potential flaws in your policy for policing the rural road network. 😉
Be public spirited and report the next person you see staggering out of the pub into their car. You might save their or someone else's life.
In my entire life, I’ve never seen the stumbling drunk get in the driver’s seat.
Obviously it happens.
The thing is, if it’s an after ride beer I can feel the impairment after one pint. Sat doing nothing, I don’t feel the effect of a few pints.
At my last Drug and Alcohol test the nurse said, in his words ‘you’d have to be stinking drunk to fail the breath test.’
Take that how you want.
Binners - you do it targetted. Its done in other countries. Pick a pub and an evening, set up half a mile down the road each way, breathalyze everyone who drives past.
As for how its paid for make it self funding by hugely increasing the penalties and every death saved is a million pounds saved, let alone the cost to the public purse of all the accidents and injuries
300 folk a year killed by drunk drivers. 300
My guess is Alpin and Cougar. Deflection... A well known technique in addicts.
Slow hand clap.
The scary thing about both your contributions there (and I'm not saying you are wrong) is a judgement that a change of behaviour would only be because people would be concerned about getting caught and the consequences, not because people have learnt to be more respectful citizens and appreciate their past behaviour wasn't.
I know - but there you go. It's not a defence, but I was young and inherently believed that I was immortal. Selfishly, the thought that I might kill or injure someone else was less important, to point of not even being thought about.
300 folk a year killed by drunk drivers. 300
And the other 1400 or so(if my googling is correct) I’d say, given I spend almost the whole working day on the road and the things I see, the resources could be helpful more broadly spent than camping outside pubs at closing, or 5pm when the trades have had a few.
Binners - you do it targetted. Its done in other countries. Pick a pub and an evening, set up half a mile down the road each way, breathalyze everyone who drives past
Right, so if you set up roadblocks at a half-mile radius from my local, then the manpower required to block every conceivable exit route would take half of the available manpower of GMP.
Plus, there’s the small matter of how Gary, on his way back from 5-a-side, Doris on her way back from choir practice are going to take to being stopped at a roadblock.
Does this country strike you as being receptive to mass roadblocks at the moment? Farage and the right wing press would go into full ‘police state’ mode.
And for what? Due to social media, everyone and their uncle will have been given the heads up about the roadblocks and change their behavior accordingly. So you get what?…. A couple of people over the limit who hadn’t read their WhatsApp messages? After comitting a shitload of police resources?
And everyone who’d been burgled or mugged that night will say “and the police were doing what?!!!. Sat on a load of B roads out in the sticks?!!”
Honestly… you’re living on another planet
There's a damn good reason the police don’t do that kind of thing.
Bigger fish to fry! And Barry in his Range Rover knows this, full well.
i don’t like it any more than you do, but I’d think that any chief constable looking at his stretched budgets isn’t going to be thinking ‘hmmmmmm….. nighttime roadblocks on rural B roads? That sounds like a winner”
Its well known that fear of getting caught is what stops folk from illegal behaviour - and the low risk of getting caught driving illegally is a significant factor in folk ignoring motoring law.
I got criticised once for not using enough paragraphs in a post. Can I just say binners, you don’t half hammer that return key! It could do with a bit of “flow”…
There's a damn good reason the police don’t do that kind of thing.
Yes - they are not allowed to!
Nice bit of english exceptionalism there Binners - this is done and works in many other countries.
Well, from this thread I take it that if police are to be involved in deterring drink driving, then they need to be very targeted in their limited efforts to catch people “at it”. This to me means they need more data as to who is drink driving, and where, so they can target hot spots and regular abusers. So, it all comes down to people like me giving up on our “not our problem” attitude to reporting drink driving, and to start reporting instead.
Nice bit of english exceptionalism there Binners - this is done and works in many other countries
Oh Christ on a bike! It’s ’English exceptionalism’ now is it?
Change the bloody record! Is it breathalysing roadblock central up in Inverness? Or do you reckon the farmers are driving their land rovers around over the limit there too
Hmmmmmmmm….. I wonder?
The example you gave was Australia, where the roads look like this.
Like I said, if you wanted to roadblock every road within a half mile radius of my local, blocking off every quick rat-run to avoid them, I reckon you’d have to close off 20 roads. How are you going to do that then? Do you honestly think that Barry in his Land Rover is driving down the main A road after his 5 pints?
Which is why I think roadblocks and a breath test of everyone is a damn good idea.
TJ your authoritarian fascist tendencies are shining through here. In addition to banning people from going on holiday and driving ICE cars now you want to set up mass roadblocks to catch a few old blokes who’ve drank three pints while having a chinwag with their mates down the pub. And we wonder why people are flocking to the Reform party in droves!?
Some of us saw this coming a while back Daz.
I fear that one day we will all be crushed under his iron fist
And we wonder why people are flocking to the Reform party in droves!?
I can think of a few reasons, but TJ's not in government.
So, it all comes down to people like me giving up on our “not our problem” attitude to reporting drink driving
I dare you to stand outside any pub in our valley and personally challenge anyone leaving who looks like they’re about to jump in their car to do the 10 minute drive up the hill. What do you think will happen?
We live in a small rural community, and word gets round quick. Honestly, you really don’t want to be known as the guy who calls the cops on casual drink drivers.
(and round here the cops all know and hang out with the main offenders in any case)
Which is why I think roadblocks and a breath test of everyone is a damn good idea.
If you drive regularly and follow the local roads policing units on Facebook it becomes pretty clear what they're up against. Delving into the comments or considering the number of times they seize cars with existing S59 notices is depressing. The ones you really want to catch and get off the roads they just don't care.
Ban them and they'll drive anyway. Can't get insurance, they'll drive without it. Seize their car, they'll get another.
Roadblocks won't solve it. Lots of resource for limited results. When they're banned they'll still drive to the pub because the odds of getting caught again are limited.
The UK has cultural challenges with booze and cars both individually and collectively and trends in cocaine use are pretty disturbing too, which might account for some of the other stuff we see on the roads.
I havent actually been in my local pub for years, precisely because it’s frequented by the kind of nobheads who have this attitude to drink driving.
You’ll be unsurprised to hear that they’re also a bunch of homophobic, sexist, racist, Reform-voting pricks, as I pointed out to them all one night, hence me not going in there any more.
The place I do choose to drink is a bit further, populated by much nicer people, and it’s a nice walk.
I thought they banned from the Rose and Crown in Ramsbottom after you had that meltdown that evening when you called all clientele there bigots?
I didn't think it was because you didn't like their "attitude to drink driving" as you are now apparently claiming.
So what is the homophobic, sexist, racist, Reform-voting pricks, attitude to drink driving....... don't do it?
Is it really that different to the establishment which you now grace with your presence?
Evening comrade Ernesto. Good to see you renewing your weird obsession with my local boozer
Just to refresh your memory… I essentially barred myself by telling the ‘regulars’ what I thought of them, in no uncertain terms. Namely that they were a bunch of racist, homophobic, sexist bigots.
You’ll be absolutely amazed to hear that those very same bunch of racist, homophobic, sexist bigots were the very same people who would then drive home after 5 pints, and usually a few whisky chasers.
Who’d have thunk it, eh?
So what’s your point, caller?
You really need to get over this bizarre obsession you have with a small local pub in Lancashire and the relationship I have with the regulars. It’s not healthy
Oh… and if you must continue this pointless bit of whataboutery, as you will no doubt feel compelled to do, we all generally refer to it as the Rose & Racist, rather than the Rose and Crown.
I reckon it’s about 7-8 years since I’ve been in there but not much changes in places like this, particularly not the ****s sat at the bar.
Unless the view from Croydon looks any different? Do feel free to enlighten me…
The only person I've ever known to be a habitual rural drink driver just drove while they were banned (and got caught again). Thankfully our paths stopped crossing 20 years ago
There are pubs we have ridden from where 5 & drive is probably the norm judging by location, intoxication levels and number of vehicles outside. Often 3 or 4 roads converging near the pub.
Eliminating drink driving would be fantastic but if there was a simple solution someone would have done it.
Evening comrade Ernesto. Good to see you renewing your weird obsession with my local boozer
Er, it was you who decided to bring up the subject of the spot of bother you had at the Rose and Crown and inform everyone how you no longer drink there because of it, not me! 😂
So what’s your point, caller?
That's exactly the same thought as I had, why did you bring up your experience in the Rose and Crown, how is that relevant to whether Alpin was right to grass up the tanked up geezer? Do you support Alpin's decision?
I do. And it is not based on anything to do with homophobia or racism, do you think it should be? Talking of weird obsessions. Do think the geezer should have been cut some slack if he was gay and voted remain?
You really need to get over this weird obsession with my local. It’s a bit odd comrade.
I live 50 yards away from it and you live in 200 miles away, yet you seem to spend an awful lot more time thinking about it than I do?
Do you think a trip up here would be beneficial? A sort of pilgrimage? Therapy?
Would that help? I think you need to face your demons, comrade
Sorry mate it was definitely you who brought the issue of your local pub and how because of a disagreement you no longer drink there, not me.
Anyway it's obviously a very touchy issue for you (I have no idea why you brought it up) so let's not dwell on it and get back to the subject matter.......do you support Alpin's decision to shop the tanked up geezer or not?
If you do what exactly are you arguing about?
Hang on a minute…. who is actually defending drink driving here?
Well, you're the one trotting out the "why aren't they out catching real criminals?" argument over all these supposed armed robberies occurring at chucking-out time in Sleepyville. If not "defending" it's hardly damning condemnation now, is it.
Putting the odd roadblock up on some random B road- if you had the resources, which you haven’t - will make absolutely sod all difference to the people to which this is hardwired behavior
... because they all know there's zero chance of getting caught. I said this earlier, the local plod is likely doing the same thing.
If you phoned up and said you’d just seen someone neck 3 bottles of wine and get in an artic, they still wouldn’t follow it up because they simply haven’t got the resources.
Presumably down to this Midsomer scale crime wave they're all off dealing with.
Look. If they picked one rural pub, stationed one cop car on one road nearby and started stopping people they'd just seen stagger to their cars, word that Range Rover Barry had just netted a 12 month ban and a conviction on his licence which stayed there for ten years, then that news would travel faster than "watch out lads, there's a copper on the B1234 tonight." Would it stop everyone, of course it wouldn't, it's ingrained behaviour as you say. But it might make a few think twice about them being untouchable.
What's the saying? "Ever go fishing? Ever catch all of the fish?"
I’m still failing to see how this is me condoning drink driving?
But obviously I don’t have the benefit of your righteous indignation. Maybe it looks different with the benefit of that?
I’m still failing to see how this is me condoning drink driving?
It's hard to tell, but you could clear the matter up by giving us your opinion, rather than engaging in whataboutery and diversion.
It’s the fact that you describe people’s attitudes to this as ‘righteous indignation’ implying that’s it’s just sanctimonious posturing. Presumably you would take the same stance if someone reported a punter for beating up their girlfriend in the bar. After all domestic violence is widespread & notoriously difficult to stop. You give the impression that drink driving isn’t really important. That isn’t condoning it , but it surely enables it to happen more frequently
.. I also can’t get over that one of our posters has apparently bought a home breath testing kit & carried out tests to see how many pints he can drink before going over the limit without even contemplating drinking & driving because he always walks to the pub. The things people do to liven up a quiet evening
It’s the fact that you describe people’s attitudes to this as ‘righteous indignation’ implying that’s it’s just sanctimonious posturing
That’s because it is. I’m not commenting on the morality of anything. I’m certainly not defending or condoning drink driving.
What I’m saying is that the armchair chief constables on here are indulging in the ‘Bobbie’s on the beat’ argument so beloved of the Daily Mail and its readership.
Lets funnel enormous amounts of scarce resources into an exercise that is ultimately totally futile, but visible, so we all get to pat each other on our backs and pretend we’re actually addressing the issue, despite it being utterly ineffective and completely pointless.
Keep the righteous indignation coming though. That generally tends to solve everything, doesn’t it?
Drink driving is utterly rife in the pubs around me in the countryside. I’d bet my house that over 50% of drivers leave the pub substantially over the limit. Farmers and what look like landowners are by far the worst culprits, but certainly not alone.
How many tractors, driven late at night get stopped by the police? Few? None? 8t of thing moving at 40mph piloted by someone who is at the very least tipsy.
The number of walls, kerbs and guard rails! around us which have clearly been crushed by a tractor wheel is astounding. Now, I’m not saying these are all drink drive related, but if you can accidentally do this whilst sober and just drive on, what kind of damage can you do whilst hammered!?
Where do the police stand on drug driving? Weed smoking is rife round here but drivers
Same here, BRS. When they drive past and I’m cycling, you can smell it pouring out of the car. I must get this at least 3 times per day in each direction of 30km commute.
Who gets up at 06:30 and thinks “I need breakfast and to be stoned” before I go to work IN MY CAR?!?
I’m not commenting on the morality of anything.
Why not? The moral dilemma of whether to report a drunk driver goes to the very heart of what is being discussed on this thread If you can comment about "righteous indignation" and "soiled petticoats" you could easily say whether or not you support Alpin's decision to phone the police.
Lets funnel enormous amounts of scarce resources into an exercise that is ultimately totally futile
What makes you claim that it funnels "enormously amounts" of scarce resources and that it is "totally futile"?
Keeping drunk drivers off our roads sounds like a very positive thing. My friend whose young son was killed by one certainly thinks so. And how much resources it uses depends on whether a crime has been committed or not. Presumably if no crime has been committed it involves no more than a few minutes of time of no more than a couple of coppers?
Lets funnel enormous amounts of scarce resources into an exercise that is ultimately totally futile, but visible, so we all get to pat each other on our backs and pretend we’re actually addressing the issue, despite it being utterly ineffective and completely pointless.
Funny how it works in other countries and has massively reduced drink driving 🙂 ( along with other measures)
300 people a year kiilled by drunk drivers
Roadblocks won't solve it. Lots of resource for limited results. When they're banned they'll still drive to the pub because the odds of getting caught again are limited.
so what is neede3d is making the odds of being caught much higher - by random breath tests of everyone leaving the pub
Well, between you all it looks like you’ve clearly got this all sorted. Never mind the phone calls, I’ll look forward to the mass roadblocks across all rural B roads then and the end of drink driving in the UK
Job jobbed!
Concentrated police preventative action does work to prevent drink driving (and would probably work with the more modern phenomenon of drugs).
In Derbyshire in the 80’s and 90’s we had high presence policing over the Christmas/New Year period, accompanied by a high level advertising campaign. It worked, the roads were clearly a lot quieter and some of the more persistent offenders were caught.
The campaign wasn’t a success for poor Manuel who had finished work in London on Christmas Eve and was travelling up to Leeds with presents for his Mum. Hit head on by a drunk squaddie travelling the wrong way on the M1, it took us quite a while to extricate him.
Drunk drivers, drug drivers, dangerous drivers (including those “making progress’ in wafty estate cars), I report them all.
There may not be an immediate response but after a few such reports, the picture builds, investigations follow.
an exercise that is ultimately totally futile
Very much disagree on this. If the resources were available, it would not only hugely cut down drink driving (anyone who's had a friend or relative killed by a drink driver will tell you this is a non-trivial issue) but also cut down a lot of collateral crimes that are usually hand-waved away as "victimless", like drug driving, unsafe vehicles, un-taxed / uninsured / disqualified drivers. And as any beat police officer will tell you, you often find out a lot of other stuff when you stop suspicious-looking cars...
We live in a small rural community, and word gets round quick. Honestly, you really don’t want to be known as the guy who calls the cops on casual drink drivers.
(and round here the cops all know and hang out with the main offenders in any case)
You live in police period drama Heartbeat? Does the local bobby* look like weirdly like an ex-Eastenders star?
*I think that's the correct term, not cop!
You live in police period drama Heartbeat?
Similar, but with more lesbians
I also can’t get over that one of our posters has apparently bought a home breath testing kit
eh? Where the f did I say I bought a breath testing machine? It was a NHS issued machine used by my mrs in her work as a drug and alcohol support worker. It was a bit of fun, nothing more FFS.
And as any beat police officer will tell you, you often find out a lot of other stuff when you stop suspicious-looking cars...
Again, without wanting to sound like a broken record, this is why cutting roads policing is counter-productive.
It was a NHS issued machine used by my mrs in her work as a drug and alcohol support worker. It was a bit of fun, nothing more FFS.
The only NHS testing kit my missus ever brought home was for Covid. That was nae fun. 😉
I’ll look forward to the mass roadblocks across all rural B roads then
I'm not sure why you think this needs to be the case. Your entire argument hinged around it being a huge operation and a huge use of resources.
The reality is a couple of cars targeting one pub that had a few reports for a couple of hours every now and then would be something of a deterrent for all but the committed drink driver - and be fairly light on resources.
There is always a middle ground between doing nothing and going scorched earth.
this is why cutting roads policing is counter-productive.
I'm all for going back to traffic cops on the roads instead of speed cameras. It would stop my mrs getting speeding fines and points. It would also help to catch the boy-racers who seem to get away with driving double the speed limit everywhere they go in their stupid pimped up cars. If you ask me that's a much higher priority for the cops to focus on than Mr 3 pints of bitter.
Another rural dweller here who can confirm it's pretty common around here too, nobody seems to give a shit. Not that I would do it myself of course.
One paticularly bad offender i.e. seven nights a week did get caught and banned following a police tip off from another local. Wish I could say the tip off was given out of a sense of public duty but it was infact out of spite, something to do with his wife and said drink driver.
I dare you to stand outside any pub in our valley and personally challenge anyone leaving who looks like they’re about to jump in their car to do the 10 minute drive up the hill. What do you think will happen?
I'd only do that with someone I know. And still have to do it with some regularity, I have some friends who become more convinced they can drive safely the more they drink. Drink makes idiots out of us... one of the reasons I like it, but you can't deny that has dangerous downsides. Well, I can't, you seem to be trying very hard to in this thread for some reason. Anyway, a stranger? No chance. I've always just left that to the police. This thread is making me realise that's a nonsensical approach... without reports, how are the police going to prioritise their limited resources?
We live in a small rural community, and word gets round quick. Honestly, you really don’t want to be known as the guy who calls the cops on casual drink drivers.
Ah, great... don't mess with the crims, eh?
(and round here the cops all know and hang out with the main offenders in any case)
You're making me want to watch Early Doors again.
After all domestic violence is widespread & notoriously difficult to stop. You give the impression that drink driving isn’t really important.
Not an extreme comparison either. A friend of mine was head of the domestic violence response unit for our area... the cross over between repeated obvious drink drivers and domestic abuse was marked.
Ah, great... don't mess with the crims, eh?
It's generally a good rule of thumb in a working class community where not everyone is a strait-laced church-going pillar of the community. Probably less of an issue down your way as it's a bit posher but up here at the top of the valley it's a bit more rough and ready. 🙂
Will, I can't, you seem to be trying very hard to in this thread for some reason.
Think I'm just more inclined to let people make their own decisions and deal with the consequences themselves. I have on occasion strongly recommended to a mate or two that they might want to get a taxi home, and I would probably step in if I thought they were completely incapable of getting themselves home safely, but I've never had to because in my experience the sort of person who is inclined to drive on the wrong side of the limit doesn't usually get that pissed (functioning alcoholics basically).
in my experience the sort of person who is inclined to drive on the wrong side of the limit doesn't usually get that pissed (functioning alcoholics basically)
Well, that's a complete misunderstanding of how accidents can be caused by intoxication. "Seeming" sober, so no slurring, basically holding down conversation and performing manually dexterous tasks as if sober, doesn't mean your awareness, reactions, judgement and proclivity to take risks aren't all seriously affected.
there was an experiment years ago on this with bus drivers. they were asked to set out cones as close together as they could and drive their bus thru it. Sober not an issue. After 1 pint ie below the limit half of them set the cones narrower than the bus.
alchol impairs skilled tasks and increases reaction time and decreases spatial awareness at below the legal limit but also removes your insight in to your impairment. A deadly combination.
I just remembered another time when local police went after a drink driver on a tip off - that was while I was working alongside the police. So yes - police do act on tipoffs on drunk drivers
I’ve been educated on this thread (seriously) “functioning alcoholic” is someone who hides the effects well.
It doesn’t mean someone who can still drive competently!!
Alcohol will still affect their judgment, reactions and reasoning.
No excuses, even if you live in the Uk version of the lawless Wild West. Report them.
A "functioning alcoholic" 3.5x over the limit at 11am on her way to work as a nurse in local hospital, killed a grandmother & injured her two grandchildren as they walked along the pavement in our village.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-11396438
A "functioning alcoholic" 3.5x over the limit at 11am on her way to work as a nurse in local hospital, killed a grandmother & injured her two grandchildren as they walked along the pavement in our village.
It's not important though apparently. People should be left to make their own decisions and live by them. It's none of our business if we see people doing this. It's not our job to try to prevent such tragic outcomes. You might upset some locals if you grass people like her up and anyhow, the police shouldn't waste their time responding to busy bodies who report people like her when there are "murderers" to catch. Apparently.
It doesn’t mean someone who can still drive competently!!
I didn't say it does. Of course it affects their ability to drive. What I'm saying is I'm not going to be the arbiter of that and I'm certainly not going to call the cops every time I witness poor decisions. I'd be calling the cops pretty much every day if I did that.
As another example, one of my mates always drives like she's on a racing track (German, not sure if that's anything to do with it), should I be grassing her up too? Or the mates who drive when tired or with a light out, or who don't give cyclists enough room? I understand the general principle of peer pressure to encourage good behaviour, but when it comes to driving the standard is so low if I intervened or called the cops every time I thought someone was impaired or driving dangerously I'd get myself in trouble or wouldn't have any mates left.
I somewhat envy everyone on here who seems to live in a perfect world where everything is black and white and right or wrong. It must be very comforting to know you can be the moral arbiter in any situation and stand on your pedestals passing judgement on all and sundry safe in the knowledge that you won't suffer any impacts from that. Here in the real world though many of us have to make compromises in order to live an easier life, and one of those is not calling the cops to snitch on anyone we think is breaking the law in whatever form it is we witness.
Dazh - you are either part of the solution or you are a part of the problem. there is no neutrality on this.
would you not report someone waving a gun around in public?
You are not being an arbiter - you are reporting a potential crime. The police will be the arbiters
would you not report someone waving a gun around in public?
This is getting silly now.
You are not being an arbiter - you are reporting a potential crime. The police will be the arbiters
I'm sure the Stasi probably said something like that in East Germany.
“functioning alcoholic” is someone who hides the effects well.
Point of order. A functioning alcoholic isn't someone who hides the effects, it's someone who can still operate fairly normally in their lives despite their alcohol consumption. I'm not saying that should extend to driving, it clearly shouldn't, but in reality it is a factor which some people might consider when deciding whether to drive or not after consuming 3 pints.
there is no neutrality on this.
If everyone took your view the cops would need to open a few call centres and provide a separate hotline dedicated to reporting 2 or 3 pint drivers. Thankfully the vast majority of people aren't like you and don't have this weird police state mentality where we're all snitching on each other and having to endure road blocks and surveillance everywhere we go.