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[Martin_1962]

To start with not defending any naughty behaviour.

Well then drink driving, mobile phones, tiredness and other distractions. I am beginning to think that drink driving is not as bad as is FIRST made out. I am refering to the legal through to just over limit situations. I am not being leniant, I would me more harsh than courts on this, I would use longer and shorter* bans, seizure orders, prison, treatment#, and also public humiliation!!!!

* Just over but otherwise driving OK 3-6 months and a course
# Alcoholics - bans are meaningless, withdraw licence until medically proven to be OK, this means that a get drunk everynight person would never get to see their licence again. Whereas Mr recovering alcoholic when clean for the decided period can drive again.

I also think that tiredness can be more dangerous than Drink Driving.

So why do I say that, you can have a drink in the middle of the day and feel fine, you know you have drunk so tend to be a tiny bit more careful whatever you are doing. Now have a drink in the late evening, so easy to drop to sleep now.

I think that the biggest danger of lower level drink driving is being tired at the same time. What does everyone else think?

Now to tiredness, I nearly fell asleep about 25 years ago, that was a big wake up call. Especially as I was on a motor cycle. Took a 5 minute break, and the adrenalin rush kept me awake to get home.

Now to my first Omega, the night before was the first night the twin slept in beds rather than cots, they kept waking us up and I left for work feeling sluggish and unobservant. I ended up turning right across the path of an oncoming dark coloured car I simply did not see.

Now phones, I am in two or three minds over this. I can answer OK but not call at all easily, my last one was easy to use as one press dialled home, straight road press the dial say I'll be home xxx then put phone down. The current is too fiddly (b****y company phone - my old one broke). Then you think there is no way I could do a roundabout like this ect. Then you get the phone glued to ear squad, had one yesterday on the way to work. They pulled out in front of me drove slow and very hesitant, I eventually managed to pass - mobile phone in use - fully concentrating on the call.

I am very scathing of in car smoking especially after getting hit with flying ash while on a bike.

Now to the big distraction. I have noticed that a LOT of school drivers are basically terrible, swerving around the road, hesitant, nearly hitting things, and as always full of children.

Now on to stop and answer gang, when there phone rings they stop wherever they like and answer, blind corners, roundabouts ect - WHY!

And finally why didn't I have it out today with the moron who parks on a blind corner on the way to work while he was unloading his car.

Can someone add in prescription drug & driving and narcotics and driving please?

[supermop]

i got done for drink driving.

was 17, in my mums car, driving to the garage to get some ciggies (i have now given up smoking). wasnt going fast but got pulled anyway and went from there.

was banned for 18 months, have a criminal record (which gets wiped off license next year thank god), got a £355 fine. I think that was enough for me. learnt my lesson thats for sure.

[Martin_1962]

i got done for drink driving.

was 17, in my mums car, driving to the garage to get some ciggies (i have now given up smoking). wasnt going fast but got pulled anyway and went from there.

was banned for 18 months, have a criminal record (which gets wiped off license next year thank god), got a £355 fine. I think that was enough for me. learnt my lesson thats for sure.

I am glad you learnt your lesson and gave up the fags.

How much over were you - how much had you drunk?

[supermop]

64mg (twice over!)

felt ok - at that age i had no idea how long alcohol stays in the system, but hadnt eaten much that day.

was at 2am as well. had my last drink at about 6pm i think. probably had around 4 or 5 pints though!

[Martin_1962]

64mg (twice over!)

felt ok - at that age i had no idea how long alcohol stays in the system, but hadnt eaten much that day.

was at 2am as well. had my last drink at about 6pm i think. probably had around 4 or 5 pints though!

I am surprised at that 6 hour gap - I thought you would have been just over after abour 2 to 3 hours, but twice over after 6

[Danny]

there's not much i can say, other than dont drink while under the influence, for prescribed medication, consult the doctor, or get a lift, people shouldn't use phones, even if hands free, because, unlike listening to the radio and music, a conversation on the phone requires more thinking, thus causing distraction from driving, even passengers in cars shouldn't bother the driver too much

the majority of things people do that they shouldn't do, they know better but take a chance, with the exception of doing it for the first time, i felt tired on a journey home, noticed myself weave across a lane on the motorway, sh*t myself, took a short break at next services and had a coffee, and as said, the adrenaline was enough to keep me alert for the rest of the journey home

i have occasionally drove after having just one drink but its something i hate doing and feel  awfully guilty about even though no laws broken and no apparent effect from alcohol, its usually if i've had a drink and remember i need to drive somewhere later and cant get out of it, as a rule i'd just not drive!!

where the law is concerned i think sometimes police are too leniant, i know they can have their "good mood" days and just say "oi put your seatbelt on" or "get off your phone, fool, the law's changed" but at the end of the day the change in the law regarding phones is clear enough and if i were a cop and i saw someone use their phone and sheepishly say "oh i'm sorry" i'd still slap a ticket on them! i felt full of self-resent when i stopped to let someone turn and noticed they were on their phone, they didnt raise a hand to thank me or anything.

if its not safe to park, and around blind corners, i think the council should be putting double yellows down and "no stopping at any time" signs

[Martin_1962]

I think education and help are much more usefull than fining. I wish there were tiredness adverts.

As to "gypsy warnings" they tend to have a lot more of an effect than prosecution. Often a talking to with explanation has a lot better effect than fining - the people warned are happier and do not get resentful.

I have had a couple in the past and having the whys and wherefores explained has a lot better effect than chucking a ticket at you.

I got a ticket once for parking on zigzags - did I know I was - no, they are were badly painted and I had parked so that the front of the car was behind the start zig zag in the middle of the road (but the one on the side of the road was extended back and was not clearly visible while parking). Did the Policeman listen no - he just did a ticket and basically said tough - did I have any respect for him? None at all. If he had any sense about him he would have taken notes and got the council out to redo the lines rather than chuck FPNs about. From what I had found out listening they had done a lot that evening. They never sorted the lines out and to make it worse if I had driven off I would have got away with it as they had got my reg no wrong!

[Andy B]

.....  they didnt raise a hand to thank me or anything.......

They wouldn't have had a spare hand!  

[Marks DTM Calib]

I think anything that takes your full 100% concentration away from monitoring the projection and surroundings of your 1.7ton (in the case of the Omega) weapon is bad news....

Nobody can safely use a mobile whilst moving be it talking or dialing....no matter for how short a period of time.

As for drink or drug driving.....I will have a maximum of 1 pint (2 if I have 4-5 hours before I need to leave) and wont drive for at least 1 hour afterwards.....its all bad.

People no longer appreciate the destructive power they have in the form of a road going vehicle and add into this the on-going disrespect for any other being on the planet that seems to be becoming more prevalent and you have a recipe for disaster.

Zero tolerance I say.......and I currently find that mobile use is a VERY bad one that needs clamping down on.

[Kevin Wood]

The problem is that so much attention is heaped on a few specific areas of poor driving, and meeting the targets associated with them, that the rest gets ignored.

Speeding, drink driving and driving with a mobile are indeed potentially dangerous but there are so many other states in which it is unsafe to drive (tiredness, emotional stress, under influence of drugs, legal and otherwise), in addition to just driving inconsiderately or while distracted by a carfull of kids. They all have their part to play but when did you last hear of someone getting done for any of the latter?

I fly gliders as a hobby and it's interesting to compare the maturity of people's attitudes to flying whilst not 100% to driving. Granted, I'm not often reliant on a glider to get me home, but the likelihood that any accident will be serious if not fatal causes people to think much more carefully about what state they're in before they take to the air despite the fact that it's very unlikely that you'll be prosecuted for flying while unfit unless you do have an accident.

If only the average driver would do the same.

Kevin

[Martin_1962]

I think a lot of problems have been caused by the FPN system rather than treating each case as individual.

There also needs to be more education of drivers, all you get is senseless speed kills messages and the occasional anti DD advert.

It is now so bad that some people want to be ran over by a car going slow rather than have the driver watching and changing their speed to whatever is suitable and going past them sensibly.

It is now down to number on stick mentality and that if you are under you are safe, there appears to be no pride or care anymore. This attitude needs to change, make extra training cool, have adverts on TV showing careful driving rather than brain dead not looking where you are going.

Good example is this question.

Town road, houses and pavements. a few parked cars a few pedestrians. How fast do you drive.

1) 30mph
2) 20mph
3) I don't know, I am just driving very carefully and watching everything which is going on.

To me the answer is 3, this means they could be walking pace in places, but they are not speed obsessing.

[Martin_1962]

I fly gliders as a hobby and it's interesting to compare the maturity of people's attitudes to flying whilst not 100% to driving. Granted, I'm not often reliant on a glider to get me home, but the likelihood that any accident will be serious if not fatal causes people to think much more carefully about what state they're in before they take to the air despite the fact that it's very unlikely that you'll be prosecuted for flying while unfit unless you do have an accident.

If only the average driver would do the same.

Kevin

Well stated, I started on bikes so that instills self preservation, as does growing up near enough to a 60mph main road to be carefull on a pedal bike when young

[Kevin Wood]

I think a lot of problems have been caused by the FPN system rather than treating each case as individual.

It's also about the target driven mentality in government these days. The need to prove what a great job you're doing with hard facts means that offences and policing them seems to have to be based on hard facts, other wise the perception is that nothing has been achieved.

Hence the focus on sitting in lay bys beside rural roads dishing out NIPs by post rather than stopping motorists in towns, business parks, outside schools, etc. and pointing out how poor their driving is.

Kevin

[DaveL]

Drink driving- Zero tolerance. Every one reacts to drink and for that matter drugs differently.

It is good that the users of mobile phones are pulling over to make or take the calls but they need educating to where it is safe to stop.
I have reported a lot of drivers from using a mobile, not for the short wait while i stop but the fixed to your bumper for 5 miles type. Then to see a sticker on the back of a miscreants van with ' How is my driving, phone 0800 0000000'. Talk about taking the pi**.

As for speeds through built up areas, they are a maximum speed not a speed to be attained not matter what.
 8-)
DaveL

[edwardmickey]

Alcohol and driving are a vile combination...  the UK alcohol limit (35ug) is significantly higher than in other parts of Europe - and yet there is a much higher conviction rate here than abroad.

When I'm working late evenings or at night, there's always a collision where someone's wrapped their car around a lamp post and then run off on foot.  Some people (tends to be younger generation thesedays) feel that they're alright to drive after three pints but they are so not safe.  

Dare I suggest that we all know that one pint before driving is really about the maximum before we get into the realm of weight, height, ages, etc...  These factors are just justifications that people use to excuse driving home.

My view is, one pint just wets the throat leaving you wanting more.  Why drink any alcohol if you intend to drive?  Of course, zero limit is ridiculous...but our UK laws need more enforcement and harsher punishment for repeat offenders.  Driving while disqualified should be automatic imprisonment on an upwards sliding scale based on the number of times caught.  All disqualified drivers should remain disqualified until they take and pass a driving test.  After all, we should all be able to pass a test with ease - shouldn't we?