A plea for safe driving over Christmas (1 Viewer)

[oucho]

Woke up to some horrendous news here in Lincoln this morning; two 19-year old kids killed by a drink driver last night, less than 1 mile from my house on a stretch I drive every week. The 26-year old who slammed into them fled the scene but was later arrested by police. Just imagine being the family of those two young people being told that their lives had changed forever due to the selfish actions of a single stranger who drank alcohol then got behind the wheel.

A similar thing happened to a mate of mine who died age 18 on the roads around Christmas time. His family have never recovered in the near-two decades since. And we all know about that terrible case in Cov earlier this year which led to the deaths of those two young boys and where the dad ended up taking his own life through grief.

So I would just ask anyone on here who does consider, as most of us probably have over the years, the idea of having a beer or a glass of wine before driving, to make it a clear "no" to any alcohol prior to driving. None of this "I can have two and still be under the limit" stuff - just have zero booze if you're going to steer half a ton of metal at any speed at all (especially in the dark wet conditions of this time of year). That's noto just for Christmas - make it a rule for life. Nobody has ever pointed me to the glass of wine or pint of beer that's so nice it makes up for taking someone's life.

The story if you want to read it:
Teens die in A46 Lincoln crash

 

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[Otis]

Never ever drive if I had even as much a half lager shandy.

Am totally for the no alcohol at all policy.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Excellent message oucho. What a wanker driving off

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Terrible. The consequences will be devastating to the family of the culprit and of course to the relatives of the deceased. I just don't think those that take the risk really think through the consequences of their actions, and particularly for their own families

 

[Nick]

I get too paranoid about drink driving even after 1. Just don't feel comfortable at all so don't have anything.

 

[oucho]

I get too paranoid about drink driving even after 1. Just don't feel comfortable at all so don't have anything.

You will hear a lot of people say "Oh but I feel fine after 1 or 2" or "it doesn't affect me, I'd be under the limit" - but firstly it is impossible to calculate the limit as it differs from person to person based on the thickness of red blood cells. So might be one pint for me, 1.5 for my mate sat next to me in the pub, or 0.5 for the other lad across the table. No way of knowing so why play Russian roulette with it. If I lost my license, I would also lose my job as I rely on my driving for work. With a criminal conviction I would struggle to find more work. Without more work I wouldn't be able to keep up the payments on my house and would those lose my home. Hardly worth it for a jar or two.

Besides, alcohol kids people into thinking they are unaffected by alcohol when they actually are. Earlier on I had a pint of ale (just the one) and was air guitarring "We Built This City" in the local with my mother in law. No way would I be doing that if I hadn't had that one beer, and yet I didn't feel affected. So I'd hardly be reliable behind the wheel of a car with such judgment impairment.

 

[Nick]

You will hear a lot of people say "Oh but I feel fine after 1 or 2" or "it doesn't affect me, I'd be under the limit" - but firstly it is impossible to calculate the limit as it differs from person to person based on the thickness of red blood cells. So might be one pint for me, 1.5 for my mate sat next to me in the pub, or 0.5 for the other lad across the table. No way of knowing so why play Russian roulette with it. If I lost my license, I would also lose my job as I rely on my driving for work. With a criminal conviction I would struggle to find more work. Without more work I wouldn't be able to keep up the payments on my house and would those lose my home. Hardly worth it for a jar or two.

Besides, alcohol kids people into thinking they are unaffected by alcohol when they actually are. Earlier on I had a pint of ale (just the one) and was air guitarring "We Built This City" in the local with my mother in law. No way would I be doing that if I hadn't had that one beer, and yet I didn't feel affected. So I'd hardly be reliable behind the wheel of a car with such judgment impairment.

That's the thing, I can drink a fair bit but don't like to risk it. I'd happily have an orange juice rather than 1 pint.

It's not worth losing my license over, let alone the risk of killing somebody

 

[dutchman]

Besides, alcohol kids people into thinking they are unaffected by alcohol when they actually are. Earlier on I had a pint of ale (just the one) and was air guitarring "We Built This City" in the local with my mother in law. No way would I be doing that if I hadn't had that one beer, and yet I didn't feel affected. So I'd hardly be reliable behind the wheel of a car with such judgment impairment.

In what way was your judgement impaired? It sounds like a perfectly reasonable thing to do to me?

 

[clint van damme]

That's the thing, I can drink a fair bit but don't like to risk it. I'd happily have an orange juice rather than 1 pint.

It's not worth losing my license over, let alone the risk of killing singlet

If you have one you get a taste for it as well. Like you, If I'm driving I'd just rather not bother.

 

[Sick Boy]

I too never drink and drive and end up having to explain myself to others when they say I am able to have one or two.

 

[rob9872]

I never have any if I'm driving but don't want the limit at zero in case of a trace left for next morning accidents. Although in fairness despite never actively drink driving it's almost like I think the reset button hit after a sleep and there have been times the next day going to work when I know I probably shouldn't have done so.

 

[oucho]

Just read today that this bloke has got 7 years for his trouble. Spent 6 hours drinking with mates before trying to drive home - hit a parked car with two people inside, so hard that the parked car was thrown 43 metres. Even when breathalysed many hours later he was still double the drink drive limit, showing he must have been utterly wasted when actually behind the wheel.

Teen couple asleep in car in layby when drink driver crashed into them

Glad to see justice done, but it can never be consolation to the families involved.

I'd repeat my plea in the OP....if you are ever even tempted to have a glass of beer or wine before a quick drive, don't bother. It really won't taste so nice that it's worth putting anyone's life at risk.

 

[chiefdave]

I'd repeat my plea in the OP....if you are ever even tempted to have a glass of beer or wine before a quick drive, don't bother. It really won't taste so nice that it's worth putting anyone's life at risk.

Simply no excuse these days. Everyone knows the danger and even if you've got no cash for a taxi you can pay on your phone.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Just read today that this bloke has got 7 years for his trouble. Spent 6 hours drinking with mates before trying to drive home - hit a parked car with two people inside, so hard that the parked car was thrown 43 metres. Even when breathalysed many hours later he was still double the drink drive limit, showing he must have been utterly wasted when actually behind the wheel.

Teen couple asleep in car in layby when drink driver crashed into them

Glad to see justice done, but it can never be consolation to the families involved.

I'd repeat my plea in the OP....if you are ever even tempted to have a glass of beer or wine before a quick drive, don't bother. It really won't taste so nice that it's worth putting anyone's life at risk.

Tragic reading the family impact assessment. So pleased way less people die on roads than used to although one death is obviously a tragic thing to happen for that person’s friends and family

 

[Nick]

Simply no excuse these days. Everyone knows the danger and even if you've got no cash for a taxi you can pay on your phone.

Its so much easier now to get a taxi. There's no excuse.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

The extra satisfaction from 1 or two extra pints is simply not worth the possible everlasting guilt felt from the possibility of a serious accident as a consequence, not to mention the stress on your own family as well as the grief of the victim(s)' family.
Is it even worth just a driving ban just for being stopped ? Not really.

 

[Gazolba]

I would think his work colleagues bear some responsibility.
When someone is that inebriated you don't just 'assume' they will make it home safely, you call a taxi for them, put them in it and watch it drive off.

 

[oucho]

Tragic reading the family impact assessment. So pleased way less people die on roads than used to although one death is obviously a tragic thing to happen for that person’s friends and family

Agree, though as Grendel pointed out on the other thread about the 2 boys being mowed down by the drug driver on McDonald Road, a new threat these days is from drivers looking at their phone whilst driving. It's massive now and it's on the rise, could end up being the next drink driving in terms of the impact on our roads, as phones permeate more into our lives.

Just yesterday I watched some bloke driving out of a car park whilst texting; the silly prat inadvertently scraped up against a bollard on exit because he was distracted. Ok in that case no harm was done but it just shows how many dildos are out there. If a toddler had run in front of him he wouldn't have noticed and thus not been able to avert hitting it.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Anyone caught driving on their mobile phone should be banned instantly for 1 year as a first time offender. It's at epidemic levels.

 

[I_Saw_Shaw_Score]

The most dangerous thing for me on the roads at the minute is these delivery drivers, usually driving 50-60 in a 30, young lads looking at their phone or satnav with a ton of parcels rattling round in the back desperate to get as many drop offs as possible as they’re paid per delivery!

 

[I_Saw_Shaw_Score]

Drivers from Coventry-