Reducing drink drive limit to 50mg from 80mg

annR said:
You could but it's unenforceable and in some instances, unreasonable like for instance having kids in the car that might distract you. However, surely it's not out of order to suggest that people should be concentrating as best they can when they're driving. Alcohol impairs that ability to concentrate and react as best you can even if none of the above factors are present so why would you argue for the higher limit? Ah never mind this is going in circles.
Click to expand...

You are right AnnR, I dont think people should drink and drive - other people here think its ok. What that says to me is that these people place a higher priority on alcohol than they do on safety.

We shall have to agree to disagree - nothing will convince me that its ok to drink and drive just as clearly nothing will convince some people here that it is not ok.
 
truthseeker said:
I can feel the effects of just one sip of wine because Im not a regular drinker. I would consider it to be dangerous for me to drive after any amount of alcohol. There are other people like me..
Click to expand...

You should stay off the road then whenever you have had a drink.
truthseeker said:
...and there are others who feel no effects.
Click to expand...

Good for them.

truthseeker said:
Its impossible for a law to cover each individuals tolerance and ability to metabolise alcohol - is it not better for the law to err on the side of safety?
Click to expand...

Not always, otherwise we would be all driving around at 20km/hour. Matters such as civil liberties, enforcement practicalities, constitutional rights (as averted to by Noel Brett) and not least, common sense, also have to be factored into the equation.
 
You are right AnnR, I dont think people should drink and drive - other people here think its ok. What that says to me is that these people place a higher priority on alcohol than they do on safety.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone was lobbying for the pro drink drive campaign. Most of the debate has been regarding the dropping of the limit from 80 to 50 and how futile this is, not that drink driving should be encouraged. Its very easy to take moral high grounds, but some sense has to come into it that is why I say leave it as it is because I don't think that anyone with 80mg or less in their blood is a danger to anyone.
 
A coroner in Ireland doesn't imply any expertise in the area of effects of intoxication. Any ordinary GP or solicitor can become a coroner - there's no training.

This coroner happens to be a GP who admits to having a drink and driving, so how can anyone be surprised he supports drinking and driving.

[broken link removed]
"If it is my turn to drive, I will have one drink and no more. This would push you over a 50mg/100ml limit, were such a limit introduced."
Click to expand...
The current limit can allow for much more drinking than many people (including that coroner) think. There's a lot of factors involved.

Here's two high profile cases where the lead characters were under the limit. In one case 2 pints and a glass of wine, the other 3 pints and 2 bottles of corona.

http://www.independent.ie/national-...offduty-garda-ran-over-him-1208439.html?r=RSS
[broken link removed]
 
ashambles said:
This coroner happens to be a GP who admits to having a drink and driving,
Click to expand...
He is perfectly entitled to drink and drive as long as he remains compliant with the law in doing so. As such, I don't think "admit" is the correct word.

ashambles said:
[broken link removed]
The current limit can allow for much more drinking than many people (including that coroner) think. There's a lot of factors involved.

Here's two high profile cases where the lead characters were under the limit. In one case 2 pints and a glass of wine, the other 3 pints and 2 bottles of corona.
Click to expand...

I would have thought that would be an argument against reducing the limit, rather than the opposite. If some people are well capable of drinking a couple of pints and staying safe (and legal) on the road, good luck to them, even if it displeases the anti-alcohol "devil's buttermilk" brigade.
 
I dont fully understand the problem with drinking and driving. If you're drinking, leave the car. If you're driving, don't drink. I absolutly never ever do both. Why can people not get this into their heads? Where is the confusion??? I dont do it not because of the fear of being caught but the fear of hitting somebody. How could you live with yourself if you killed someone after a few beers? It doesnt bare thinking about.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I dont fully understand the problem with drinking and driving. If you're drinking, leave the car. If you're driving, don't drink. I absolutly never ever do both. Why can people not get this into their heads?
Click to expand...

Because it isn't always cut and dried, you may have a glass of wine at home and your daughter rings in distress somewhere and needs to be picked up, you should be still under the limit but if its dropped further or to zero you are basically going to put yourself into the same category as the guy who drinks 15 pints and hops into his car. By dropping the limit you are criminalising the wqrong people.

I dont do it not because of the fear of being caught but the fear of hitting somebody.
Click to expand...

I presume then as other posts have pointed out that you also drive alone, without a radio and with the required resting period before you drive to alleviate your fear of hitting someone.
 
I presume then as other posts have pointed out that you also drive alone, without a radio and with the required resting period before you drive to alleviate your fear of hitting someone.
Click to expand...

Ah come on MrMan...
 
ashambles said:
You evidently didn't bother to read the links.

In the first case the driver with 3 pints and 2 bottles drank drove over somebody lying on the road and killed him.
Click to expand...

I think you should withdraw any negative inference about the involvement of that driver in that poor man's death. The media report linked by you, which covers the subsequent inquest, makes no inference or allegation whatsoever that the actions of the driver caused or contributed to the man's death.
 
ashambles said:
You evidently didn't bother to read the links.

In the first case the driver with 3 pints and 2 bottles drank drove over somebody lying on the road and killed him.
Click to expand...

Drove over somebody lying on the road! Ludicrous argument. Do we have to be looking out for people lying on the road now? If somebody is lying on the road, there is a pretty good chance they are going to be hit by a car regardless of whether the driver has had drink or not.
 
podgerodge said:
Just interested...what effects does one sip of wine cause you to have? Are you sure it's not just imagined?
Click to expand...

1 sip of wine for me today has the same effect as 1 glass of wine had in the past when I would have been a more regular drinker. I can feel that mildly euphoric buzz that you associate with the beginnings of being drunk. Straight to my head.
 
truthseeker said:
1 sip of wine for me today has the same effect as 1 glass of wine had in the past when I would have been a more regular drinker. I can feel that mildly euphoric buzz that you associate with the beginnings of being drunk. Straight to my head.
Click to expand...

From literally one sip? Are you serious?

I think this is highly unusual, if not unique - in all honesty, I'd actually worry about that!
 
Caveat said:
From literally one sip? Are you serious?

I think this is highly unusual, if not unique - in all honesty, I'd actually worry about that!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I feel it immediately. I dont think its that unusual, Ive just got a very low tolerance - I probably wouldnt feel a sip after a large meal but on an empty stomach definitely. I know another couple of people with similarly low tolerances.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top