Scotland Drink Drive

scotty597 said:
If your just over the border and are caught over the new limit then your banned the same if your a UK licence holder. Different limit but Still Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 5.....UK wide.

Having been Traffic for years I don't think it will make a difference. All the fatal and serious crashes that involve drink or drugs that Ive attended the folk are miles over not just a bit and are fully aware they were. The new limit will catch many morning after normal people that the old limit didnt.

They tried to make it tiered so it wouldnt be so harsh if just over the new limit but under the old but there is no variation allowed in the Road Traffic Act 1988.

No lee way!

ah well politicians no best!! :P
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Thanks, thats what I wanted to know. Not that there is any intention of testing the new rules!
It does seem daft that different basic motoring laws exist in the UK. Next thing they'll want to drive on the right hand side of the road !
 
165 of those who died were motorists who were over the legal limit in 2012. Out of all the deaths in the uk this figure seems tiny ???????

so no hundreds of lives to be saved here 
At the end of 2012 there were 34.5 million vehicles licensed for use on the roads in Great Britain small percentage ?

Just worked out 0.00048%

Drink driving is not clever and people should show common sense or suffer the consequences of their actions but keep it in perspective
 
THEY!!!
As with a lot of things in the UK it will probably be trialed in Scotland and later rolled out to the rest of the country.
I reckon pubs will take a big hit and more will close.
Taxi drivers will probably be the big winners.
 
Nictrix said:
THEY!!!
As with a lot of things in the UK it will probably be trialed in Scotland and later rolled out to the rest of the country.
I reckon pubs will take a big hit and more will close.
Taxi drivers will probably be the big winners.
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Law changed by the Scottish parliament not UK.

The same pricks that released the Lockerbie bomber because he had man flu.

You can't blame this one on the Rest of the UK (Or Westminster if you prefer)

:)
 
Interesting. Not sure but the fact that uk license is uk wide one would suspect so.

Along the same lines, theoretically speaking if you're suspended banned in Europe or US, would that affect your driving in uk?
 
Nope, you could get a conviction for OPL in France & receive a disqualification.

This disqualification would not apply in the UK despite being in the EU.
 
Interesting some of the comments here. Apart from now the rest of the UK, the only other EU country with more than 50mg per 100ml is Malta, so Scotland is now in line with the vast majority of the EU and i'm surprised it's not a law they've actually tried to enforce thought the EU, keeps everyone in line and then there is no excuse for not knowing the limits in different countries.

To say it will Penalise 'Law abiding citizens' if you drink and drive intentionally or unintentionally it is unacceptable. If you get hammered the night before or have a bottle of wine that made you feel a bit tipsy and tired the night before then you should be fully aware that you are probably not fit to drive the following morning, especially if you have to drive to work. One of the people caught this morning was on the news at lunchtime, just on his way to work.

The morning after will always be the biggie, especially at this time of year but I've always been a firm believer that if your driving you don't drink any alcohol full stop and if I know I'm driving the next day, then I don't drink he night before, that way I know I have nothing to worry about.

*edited from in to I'm in first paragraph
 
Brasseye said:
165 of those who died were motorists who were over the legal limit in 2012. Out of all the deaths in the uk this figure seems tiny ???????

so no hundreds of lives to be saved here 
At the end of 2012 there were 34.5 million vehicles licensed for use on the roads in Great Britain small percentage ?

Just worked out 0.00048%

Drink driving is not clever and people should show common sense or suffer the consequences of their actions but keep it in perspective
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You are stating how many people killed were over the limit but what about the people killed by people over the limit where the driver over the limit survived? Not very far from where I stay is a, at night very quiet part of the New Town in Edinbrugh and just before Xmas 2 years ago a man was walking home from a xmas party when a man in a RR, well over the limit couldn't quite judge the approaching junction and mounted the curb. The man was killed but the driver fled the scene and was later caught.

That man that died was not one of 165 people killed but one of 290, okay most of the fatalities were the over the limit drivers but there are always innocent people killed. Drink driving deaths accounted for 17% of all fatal road accidents on the UK Roads. There were 6680 accidents involving drunk drivers, 1210 people were seriously injured and slight injuries involved 8500 people because it's not just the driver or the driver of another vehicle that can be injured or killed. Innocent people going about their everyday lives, whole families wiped out by some inconsiderate moron.

So the bigger picture is not about saving the lives of the drunk drivers but the lives of the people THEY kill or injure and the devastating effect it has on their families.
 
What happens now when you get caught drink driving in France / Germany? I presume you would loose your licence. Isn't it a European licence?
 
DumfriesDik said:
What happens now when you get caught drink driving in France / Germany? I presume you would loose your licence. Isn't it a European licence?
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As I said earlier no, not at the moment - you could get a conviction for OPL in France/Germany & receive a disqualification.

This disqualification would not apply in the UK despite being in the EU.
 
Also, we have a European style license, not a European license. It is still a UK license only, would be great if it was European as than we would not be able to get points as that is not a European system.
 
Having been hit by a drink driver in the past I am all for zero tolerance. The punishments need to be harsher as well get these idiots off the road !!
 
The new limit, and any talk of 'zero tolerance' is a load of s**t. Absolute bullshit.

The people causing accidents aren't the ones who've had 'one'. No. They're the ones who've had 8 or 9. Or more. Complete idiots with no regard for safety of others. The type who'll still drink and drive regardless of the limit.

What will the new limit do? Punish some people who are marginal, and unlucky enough to get caught the next day. Punish people who aren't genuinely a danger on the roads.

The main way to stop drink driving is better enforcement. But that'll never happen, other than at Xmas time.

If driver were all stopped at least once a week, the drink drivers would no doubt think twice about jumping behind the wheel after a bottle of wine....


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sp3ctre said:
Stratts said:
I prefer the zero tolerance approach
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What is zero tolerance? Don't drive the next day... the whole weekend? What about having a steak and ale pie or a bite of Christmas pudding with brandy sauce? I know it sounds extreme, but there has to be a limit, you can't just say "zero". That argument is the same as the "speed kills" argument that would have us all creaping round at 2mph because it would "save lives".
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/\ /\ /\ Totally agree, there has to be a small limit otherwise people are just going to get done on their way to work the next day or after eating a plate of mum's sherry trifle if they display the slightest, most negligable trace. A low limit and home breathalyser kits is the way to go IMO.

TBH I think driving whilst under the influence of drugs is a bigger issue these days.
 
A home breathalyser is a good idea but not if it's to be used to judge if you can have another one!
It should only be used to ensure you are at zero!

Anybody know which one to buy?
 
It seems like populist and poorly evidenced policy. Typical government pandering to people who think viscerally. I would have left it alone, it was working okay.

Now you can't even have a pint with your pie after a day in the hills.. I think that is making the world a worse place.

:thumbsdown:
 
How are you confusing zero tolerance with a zero limit? They mean completely different things. In my original post I clearly say "zero or close to it" for the limit. It should be low and then enforced with (wait for it) zero tolerance.

The point is, the current UK limit is too high in my opinion. I've seen people drive home after 3 pints thinking they are under the limit. If it were lower, there's no guesswork like that, you'd know that any form of drink like a glass of wine or a pint of beer would be your limit.

And no amount of steak and ale pie would ever register on a blood alcohol level :rofl:

The fact people "need" a drink after a day at work is fine, just have a pint of shandy. :poke:

We all agree drink driving is a bad thing, and it's just personal opinion being expressed about how to manage it. I love a good booze up myself
 
These days, if I've got the car - I don't drink. BUT, I do have doubts about the day after. Especially if I've had a few the night before. This is where it needs to be made easier for people who want to abide by the law - i.e. the majority of the population.

I think if the govt are serious about tackling drink driving a kit should be available, backed by the govt, that shows unambiguously whether you're over the limit, or not.

If such a kit were available, it would take the 'guess work' out of it. It would make the decision for the law abiding citizen much easier. E.g. big night out on Saturday - then Sunday afternoon comes and you want to go out in the car...

Currently - it's guess work. Might be over the limit. Might not be. Could get a 20 year criminal record. But, then again, you might not. It's a gamble.

If a robust test kit were available. Easy. If the kit says don't drive. Don't. Simple.

In addition, if a kit was available, I think the public would support far harsher sentences on conviction - i.e. serious jail time.
 
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