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Insurer confusion over drink driving


Adrian@TORQEN

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TBH, drink drivers should get a lifetime ban, and if caught driving during that time, the remainder of their ban should induce an automatic prison sentence of a min of 12 years.

 

That would stop all drink driving, whether or not you have had one pint of several.

 

A zero tolerence on anyone behind the wheel who has had anything to drink.

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Totally agree if you are drunk and have an accident you should not be insured. Everybody knows the limits, I don't drink at all but even if I did I wouldn't take the chance of having a couple etc. if you know you have to drive then you know you can't drink.

At my work we now have compulsory drink & drugs test after any kind of accident, even no blame ones and so far 6 people have been sacked and another couple have 'resigned' in just 6 months... and thats people driving 45 tonne vehicles :scare:

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TBH, drink drivers should get a lifetime ban, and if caught driving during that time, the remainder of their ban should induce an automatic prison sentence of a min of 12 years.

 

A good friend of mine went to a party on a Friday night once - had a decent drink, stayed over at the guys house. Next morning he knew he wouldnt be able to drive, so stayed there through the day as well, not having anything else to drink. There are at least 5 other people who can confirm this is the case. :)

 

When he drove home on Sunday morning he got pulled over and failed a breath test. As he was a bus driver he also lost his job and his house, despite waiting for over 24 hours to drive after having a drink. If he hadnt he wouldnt have been on time for work.

 

Youd ban this guy for life? Harsh I think. :dry:

 

Zero tolerance would basically mean anyone who ever wants to drive has to become teetotal, I personally dont think thats reasonable. Ive always said that a roadside sobriety test followed by a breath test is a much better idea, it would also catch people driving when under the influence of drugs, driving when very tired and could also be used for older drivers who are physically incapable of being in full control of a car.

 

and as for the story, thats not about being over the limit, thats about withdrawing cover from anyone who has had any drink or prescription drugs, thats not on IMO.

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I met a guy who's wife picked him up from a heavy afternoon drinking, he fell asleep in the passenger seat and his wife thought it would be a good idea to stop for some milk on the way home. Because she left the keys in the ignition, even with the ignition off, the fact that the keys were inside the car and he was the only occupant was enough to get him banned. A ban for life because he has a dappy wife seems very harsh!

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If someone drives for a living what is wrong with making sure you have a breath test kit to make sure you are ok? Just thinking you are fine to drive is not good enough...

I agree that the dappy wife one is a bit rediculous....

Maybe the sensible thing is a ban for life after a 2nd offense :shrug:

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I met a guy who's wife picked him up from a heavy afternoon drinking, he fell asleep in the passenger seat and his wife thought it would be a good idea to stop for some milk on the way home. Because she left the keys in the ignition, even with the ignition off, the fact that the keys were inside the car and he was the only occupant was enough to get him banned. A ban for life because he has a dappy wife seems very harsh!

 

i think thats bang out of order the way they can do that. :thumbdown:

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I met a guy who's wife picked him up from a heavy afternoon drinking, he fell asleep in the passenger seat and his wife thought it would be a good idea to stop for some milk on the way home. Because she left the keys in the ignition, even with the ignition off, the fact that the keys were inside the car and he was the only occupant was enough to get him banned. A ban for life because he has a dappy wife seems very harsh!

 

i think thats bang out of order the way they can do that. :thumbdown:

 

Agree!

 

There are stated cases where being asleep in a car, in the drivers seat with the engine running to stay warm = no conviction.

 

I'd argue that, whilst asleep, he could hardly be in charge of propulsion and steering.

 

Must have had a crap lawyer.

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I met a guy who's wife picked him up from a heavy afternoon drinking, he fell asleep in the passenger seat and his wife thought it would be a good idea to stop for some milk on the way home. Because she left the keys in the ignition, even with the ignition off, the fact that the keys were inside the car and he was the only occupant was enough to get him banned. A ban for life because he has a dappy wife seems very harsh!

 

i think thats bang out of order the way they can do that. :thumbdown:

 

Agree!

 

There are stated cases where being asleep in a car, in the drivers seat with the engine running to stay warm = no conviction.

 

I'd argue that, whilst asleep, he could hardly be in charge of propulsion and steering.

 

Must have had a crap lawyer.

 

my old pub land lord used to let people sleep in their cars in the car park, but the condition was that the keys were left behind the bar. Landlord told us we could still be prosecuted for drink driving, even if in the passenger seat. but if the keys weren't in the car we were fine.

 

did it a couple of times, but i drank there so much i ended up with my own room :blush:

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A zero tolerence on anyone behind the wheel who has had anything to drink.

 

 

The U.K's limit on drink driving is the joint highest of any country in the world. Even countries like Nigeria, Russia, Columbia and China have lower limits or Zero Tolerance and our limits have remained unchanged since they were introduced over 40 years ago. I don't understand how successive governments have failed to reduce the limits, do they think its a vote loser or something :shrug:

 

 

 

Pete

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Probably because they're fairly sensible, really.

 

 

Very few people tend to get caught ever so slightly over the limit, and if they are then by the time they get back to the station for the proper test they're usually found to be under. Much like France (and why their new breathalyser law is pointless), those over the limit are waaaaay over the limit, and reducing it won't stop them doing it. I could see an argument that our limit could be reduced to 0.5mg/ml from the current 0.8mg/ml as is the norm in Europe, which broadly speaking brings the amount down from roughly two pints to a touch over single pint (all usual caveats of course applied), but zero tolerance is an unnecessary and over the top rule that doesn't allow for minor factors such as the cases above and daft things like a single liqueur chocolate after a posh meal, or a sip of wine at a tasting.

 

There are plenty of other things just as damaging to driving concentration such as lack of sleep, fiddling with the radio etc as having a single pint of beer after work. I'd go as far as to suggest that enforcing a 'indicate correctly or £30 fine' measure or a 'stop hogging the middle lane or £30 fine' measure would contribute to a far safer road network than any zero tolerance alcohol policy.

 

 

We complain that out liberties are eroded by the state, and yet we just want to plod blindly on with a zero tolerance measure of any kind? Sorry, but at some point common sense has to take over here.

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I agree to a certain point. In the Doc's case thats just bad luck but what if he had crashed with a bus load of people. Sounds like a sensible guy but his job is responsible for alot of peoples lives.

 

You see it on the news a person or a couple with child was knocked over or crashed into by a drunk driver. Its really a shame and it could have been avoided so easily. But that person wasnt pulled by the police (they cant be everywhere) so lower limits wouldnt have made a difference. The only way to combat it is by making it socially frowned upon. But more so than it is now. If we look at drunk drivers in the same way as peado's they wont risk it IMO.

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with some generations it does have that level of a social faux pa, but i've heard the younger generation coming up behind me its on the increase. sort of between 18-25

 

i'm only 30 but most of the people my age up to say about 45 don't really see it as the done thing. i think upwards of that might be used to the older views where it was seen as more of the norm.

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with some generations it does have that level of a social faux pa, but i've heard the younger generation coming up behind me its on the increase. sort of between 18-25

 

i'm only 30 but most of the people my age up to say about 45 don't really see it as the done thing. i think upwards of that might be used to the older views where it was seen as more of the norm.

 

I dont think its an age thing though as im sure young people do it. But Im sure its mainly older people. :thumbs:

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when i used to play pool i had to drive, so i used to have 2 pints of lager over 4 shandies (probably only had about a 1/3 of a pint of lager in each, and only something like fosters), over a 7 hour period. the human body takes about an hour to process 1 unit of alchol and i felt that this setup was well within my limits.

 

i don't condone drink driving but i found this the best way of feeling like i was having a pint with the lads while still being well under the limit.

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In my experience, it's fairly commonplace amongst rural and farming communities, both young and old.

 

Tell me about it, it was rife up here in the 80's and 90's. All the farmers just used to drive down to the pub in their Landies and tractors, have a few bevvies and roll home at 15mph.

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