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6K views 69 replies 18 participants last post by  lee_h 
#1 ·
With it being Christmas I take extra care when driving with all the idiots on the road at the moment.

Being the designated driver (as always) I was driving a friend home late at night (circa 1am).

I was taking it easy in the B3 as the fuel costs have been quite high recently (14mpg day to day).
Driving in the left lane on the dual carriageway (40mph limit) with cruise control on, no other cars about and a roundabout in 500 yards.
I glanced into the rear view mirror and saw some headlights approaching at speed. With about 10 yards to spare he pulls into the right hand lane, then sharply back in front of me messing up my mpg experiment :mad

I don't think too much of it and carry on at 40mph.

I approach the roundabout and there's the van driver in the left lane (left only). I pull up beside him in the middle lane to go straight across the roundabout.
The lights change and I pull up to the 2nd set of red lights, I look in the wing mirror & he's trying to make me move over, no sorry, you were in the wrong lane so you can slow down and pull in behind me.
He brakes and pulls up in the lane to my right, rolls his window down & starts shouting abuse at me & revving his engine, I told him to get in the correct lane through my closed window, I can't be bothered to have an argument at 1am. Again the lights turn to green & I follow the lane to the exit, again the van driver tries to cut into my lane. I have nowhere to go, by now I've had enough of this bloke. I carry on at the speed limit of 30mph until there's space for me to pull over to let him pass me.

He doesn't pass me, he just sits 2 feet from my rear bumper for the next ½ mile. I'm now approaching another roundabout, this time there's a car in front of me.
2 lanes, one for going left, the other for straight ahead. The van suddenly pulls into the wrong side of the road and looks as though he's going to overtake us both by going around the roundabout the wrong way :jaw-dropping
He has second thoughts and pulls back in, though a bit too late, he mounts the kerb, hits a lit bollard and a lamp post at 10mph! The other car in front carries on as do I, though my friend is now on the phone to the police.

So I carry on with my journey and I'm now travelling at 70mph on the dual carriageway, guess who over takes me! The van! So we've now got his numberplate and passed it onto the police.

An hour later my friend calls me saying the police found him & pulled him over, needless to say he was over the limit while driving his work van (a national newspaper).


So all in all a good night, one idiot loses his licence & I got 31mpg out of the Alpina :thumbsup

Hope you all had a good Christmas :)
 
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#51 ·
But you are missing the point??? There will not be statistics for people who are under the limit, because if you crash under the limit you are under the limit and the % alchol in your blood will not be recorded so the figures you want do not exist.
 
#53 ·
last year [i think] this came up in parliment and was voted down thank god, imagine going out and having a meal, couple of pints and a taxi home to be breathalized next morning with trace amounts of alcohol in your system, bye bye liscence, point for 11 years, is that fair, drink driving is going down in this country, in my dads day it was acceptible now it aint, and rightly so, but punishing sensible people for the crimes of knobbers aint the way forward, people just cant seem to get a sense of fookin perspective in this country any more, oh and bye the way i dont drink at all anymore, im still aware that there are socialy responsible drinkers out there
 
#54 ·
I will ask again, what do you intend on doing with the stats? Making a point on this forum or will you write to the goverment and challenge the current law?

If you plan on challenging then I would think the feedback you have had on here will give you an insight in to some of the potential obstacles you may encounter.

If it is to make a point on here... No comment.
 
#55 ·
You don't need a report from the police mate, the figures are published and most road accidents are caused by lack of concentration/not paying attention ie. careless driving.

It seems as though you are on a crusade to do something about this but the fact is even if there is a law put into place were no alcohol is acceptable people will still do it.

It will also have an effect on our economy, no drinking the night before work as you may still have alcohol in your system, more people will stay at home, pubs restaurants etc would be closing left right and centre.

It seems you have not considered the effects of other things if this law was brought into place.
 
#57 ·
he mounts the kerb, hits a lit bollard and a lamp post at 10mph! The other car in front carries on as do I, though my friend is now on the phone to the police.

An hour later my friend calls me saying the police found him & pulled him over, needless to say he was over the limit while driving his work van (a national newspaper).

Hope you all had a good Christmas :)
What a jerk - good Christmas tale though:thumbsup
 
#58 ·
Wow just read through the rest of this thread it's pretty heavy stuff for Christmas:frown

Just remember that 85% of road traffic accidents are caused by people that haven't had a drink - threfore my vote is that we ban sober people from driving until the stats have been run through the bat computer *hic*
 
#63 ·
I don't go for the zero tollerance on drink driving, I don't believe that you shouldn't be able to enjoy a pint but I'm also never sure how much you can drink and be safely below the limit, Is it more or less than a pint?[/QUOTE]

actually, zero tolerance is only safe way. one pint for 18 stone man who had something to eat is way different as one pint for 13 stone skinny lad who live on the sandwiches and crisps.
 
#64 ·
I don't go for the zero tollerance on drink driving, I don't believe that you shouldn't be able to enjoy a pint but I'm also never sure how much you can drink and be safely below the limit, Is it more or less than a pint?
actually, zero tolerance is only safe way. one pint for 18 stone man who had something to eat is way different as one pint for 13 stone skinny lad who live on the sandwiches and crisps.[/QUOTE]

one pint of high strength beer or 2 pints of low strength beer is about right for most people but if you are unsure of your own limit and what you can safely drink then dont drink at all remember the limit at the side of the road is 35 mg but at the police station this goes up to 39mg and a good telling off
 
#68 ·
if over 40 yes but it depends on how much you have had to drink as this can prove you to be higher and increase your ban and just in case any one thinks i am a drink driver i have never been done for it only ever have a max of 2 pints low strength beer when driving and have had a breathalyzer after 2 pints came out at 28mg so i know my limit if you dont know your limit then dont drink its that simple
 
#69 ·
We're you slightly nervous when you were breathalyzed? I know I would be. Even after 1 pint I would be worried as you say different people and different circumstances mean different levels. It's a lot to lose getting DD conviction so I dont have any. The problem is that it's an set BAL that will get you convicted and you have no way of knowing your BAL until you are at the nick.
 
#70 ·
I have been breathalised a couple of times after one pint, same bobby pulled me twice as I pulled out of a pub car park, 2 different pubs though, the first time I got pulled I was a bit nervous, I knew I had 1 pint but was still a bit nervous whilst the bobby was looking at the breathalyser.

The second time the bobby kicked me out half way through, he took my license and done an insurance check then as he got the breathalyser out summit came through on the radio, so he said get out I have to go lol
 
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