davegtt

like stilover is trying to point out to you, there are lots of things that can slow down your reactions, puffing on a *** probably slows you down aswell as your not 100% focused on your driving. the stereo in a car is a distraction, hell even a passenger in the car is distracting and probably gives you more reason to take you eyes off the road etc and lose that extra second you might have had to stop knocking down the kid whos just ran out in front of you etc....

judgejules

So you're saying that its ok to drink and drive because people drive and smoke?

Does that make it ok to drop litter because there are people around to pick it up? Or does that make it ok to murder people, because they're going to die anyway?

Jules

judgejules

I don't know if its just me or what. But taking your eyes off the road and crashing into a pedestrian is a million miles away from drinking and driving and crashing into a pedestrian. Drinking and driving vs playing with your radio is the difference between premeditated murder and manslaughter. They both have the same end result (someone dying) but are vastly different.

Jules

lightning101

No, they should clamp down to exactly the same extent. I can't understand why some things are victimised and others aren't, this was my point.

judgejules

So you feel that drink drivers are being victimised and litter droppers get away with murder?

Jules

davegtt

Is it? Ive been driving for 8 years now and have on plenty of occassions drove on one or two pints and not killed anybody. So I suggest you give a little more thought to your posts and what your saying.

sociopath

Utter guff. Unless of course you are also willing to describe old drivers, disabled drivers, drivers who have vision lower than 20/20, drivers with depression or ADHD etc, etc, as 'naive, selfish or irresponsible' because all of them are slightly impaired when compared against the perfect example of humanity and yet all may choose to drive.

You'd like to hear from people who drink and drive would you? Well here I am. I drink up to the limit as it is my legal entitlement to do so. The limit for me is upwards of 3 pints by the way due to my somewhat large blood volume. Despite the negligable effect it has on my driving I still consider myself, post pub, a safer driver than the majority of the dip****s out there, as proved by my flawless, accident free driving record.

Whether or not you think I am right to use my legal right to drink and drive (below the limit) is of no consequence to me. My point was that the stupid ones are the mindless drones like you who are so impressionable that you have been brainwashed into thinking drink driving is a worse problem than any other insignificant, petty traffic offences. It isn't. They can all cause death, subject to the almost infinite array of external factors, it's just that blood alcohol level, like speed, is easy to measure.

It's not breathalysers that they need. It's stupid ****-ometers. If they could measure the level of moron in people then I'd go along with it.

But speeding? Drinking? Naaah. Easy cop out for the authorities. Gets no respect from me.

lightning101

Is that 'really' what you think i'm saying ?

I never mentioned litter droppers

I mentioned people with slow reactions being a reason for making them unsafe drivers.

Yes I agree, alchohol does and I wouldn't even have 1 pint if I knew I was going to be driving, so why are they specifically targetted over - anti-depressants, beta blockers, valium, etc etc

judgejules

Dont get pedantic, everyone that plays with the radio doesnt kill someone either, you know exactly what I meant.

Jules

davegtt

No I dont, you clearly said that driving whilst under the influence is premeditated murder.... If I had one pint of lager and went for a drive and some kid jumped out in front of me does that mean I murdered him, regardless of whether I could have stopped if I had not touched a drop?

Spoon

The big difference between drink driving versus bad driving, i.e fiddling with the radio, combing hair, smoking etc, is that drink driving is premeditated and can hardly be classed as causing an accident.

The consequences can be the same but driving drunk is a selfish, unconsiderate act rather than plain old stupidity.

davegtt

All you people arguing against drink driving must be the ones who feel pissed on a babycham. Can you honestly say having one pint of lager makes you a danger on the road?

sociopath

Premeditated? Do you plan to cause an accident when you have a pint on the way home from work? What a stupid thing to say.

And to think there are people like you allowed to drive.

lightning101

So taking valium/betablocker/anti-depressants would be classed as pre-meditated murder as well and it then can't be an accident if its pre-mediated, can it

RichWalk

What about LSD, does that count as schizophrenia

davegtt

The thing is, if your a competent driver, leaving plenty of space when you should from the car infront etc etc the tollerances the law gives us for drinking means that any sort of delayed reaction due to drinking alcohol within the limit should still be safe. Thats a fact otherwise it wouldnt be law would it. Maybe people should try to be more sensible drivers when sober and worry about drinking afterwards.

lightning101

No, i've taken for most of my adult life and i'm fine

judgejules

Please quote my whole post and then make your accusations. If you want to quote parts of posts, their meaning can be misconstrued as you clearly are trying to do.

I was talking about a hypothetical situation where playing with your radio caused a death of a pedestrian vs drinking and driving causing the death of a pedestrian.

You will also note that I said:

I did not say that it was premeditated murder, it was a comparison, ie. playing with the radio and killing someone vs drinking and driving and killing someone is the same as night and day however it was a more aptly poised comparison.

Jules

RichWalk

Thank **** for that

Spoon

I for one took a big hit from a guy who was unable to stand properly due to drink, it hurt!

It doesn't make my view on drink driving any different, I'm merely against stupidity in every area and unfortunately as more and more people appear to be saddled with the stupidity gene, everyone has to be reigned in to their standards, according to this government.

davegtt

Jules, I could quote your whole post if you like, yes you was talking about a hypothetical situation but even so, that one pint I was driving with in my system does not make premeditated murder. Accidents can happen whether under the influence or not.

sociopath

Ah now it becomes clear. Another person whose personal circumstances has tainted their objectivity.

OllyK

I actually I don't drink at all if I'm driving these days. So what's your point?

judgejules

Yes, in a perfect world that would be ideal. But what about the situation that is not 100% under your direct control. If something crosses your path and you swerve, but due to that drink you overcorrect a minute amount too much, or dont react just quick enough and you plough head on into another motorist?

I totally agree with your comment about drivers being more sensible in general.

Jules

Spoon

Sociopath, I granted you with a little more intelligence. In the eyes of the government a drink drive related accident can be prevented by not drinking, simple.

I never mentioned 1 pint either, I mentioned drunk driving.

If you want to arrange a track day and test your driving abilities against mine then I'll be only to happy to show you why a 'class 1' trained driver is allowed to drive.

OllyK

I've had 2 accidents, neither time had I been drinking at all. When I was younger I regularly used to drive after a couple of pints and never had an accident, most likely because I was aware I had had a drink and actually used to drive rather more sedately than I usually would.

You also need to consider that if you set the limit at 0, you will be prosecuting anybody that has been using mouthwash as that will leave a trace alcohol count in your blood. Also what about that nice meal out you have without realising there was a splash of something in it?

Spoon

Again you've misread my post. You really have shown yourself up as a prize cúnt today, haven't you?

OllyK

Fancy comparing the reaction times of a 20 year old after 1 pint to a 80 year old who has drunk nothing?

David Lock

Blimey, this is worse than an SN cat thread

The worse crash I've been in was as as a kid as a passenger with a driver who showed off and ploughed upside down into ditch; he had had 1/2 pint but just enough to gee him up for the party we were going to. An older mate was just over the limit but killed a cyclist who was so pissed he rode into mate's car so, of course, my mate was taken to cleaners.

As a lad just about everyone drove when way over the limit and it was socially acceptable (just). Now, thank goodness, the pendulum has swung and only the pillocks go way over the top. But it's swung a bit too far in IMHO.

There seem to be a lot of townies on here who could probably easily walk to a pub/restaurant. Well my local is a few miles away and I have a couple of pints and drive home. Last time I knew I was going to be over the odds I took a minicab, £60 for 25 minute trip.

So yeah cut down limit for kids but also make pubs help out more on transport.

Flame away. Cheers, David

OllyK

How the **** is combing your hair, tuning the radio or smoking NOT pre-meditated. You know it increases the risk of you having an accident, but you do it anyway. Or are you saying these people are compelled to comb their hair etc while driving and cannot control it?