Changes to Scotland's drink drive limit (1 Viewer)

scotjimland

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Copied form another site ..

Motorhome owners who are planning Hogmanay trips to Scotland for later this year are being warned that ministers north of the border have approved a much stricter drink drive limit by lowering the legal level of alcohol from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg.

The change means that any driver who stops close to the border and has a pint of beer or a glass of wine will be under the limit in England but as soon as they enter Scotland they will be breaking the law.

The decision will bring Scotland in line with France, Germany and Spain, where the limit is 50mg, and it could spell disaster for drivers in England and Wales if they assume Scotland has the same drink drive limit. Under current laws, which apply to the whole of Great Britain, drink-drivers face a maximum sentence of six months in prison, a fine of as much as £5,000 as well as being banned from driving for a year. Any ban would have a significant effect on future motorhome insurance premiums. The new limit could come into effect as soon as November this year. This new move comes just after the Scottish Parliament passed their controversial law which limits the minimum price of alcohol to 50p per unit. Scottish road safety campaigners have welcomed the plans and said it was a step in the right direction.
 

jb0371old

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I personally feel the limit should be zero, you should see the mess some drunk driver made of my dad, he's still suffering and it happened 33 years ago
 

haganap

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Personally I would like to see it zero too. The only problem is that means practically impossible to have anything alcohol related the night before which seems extreme.

I would also be much more in favour of capability tests as oppose to breath tests per-say.


sorry about your dad too, a horrible experience, my life is littered with destruction that D&D has caused too :Sad:

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aba

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it sounds like a good idea although i dont think the idiots in power in england will follow suit too soon as they like a drink too much.
 

Jim

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Drink Driving is the only law that you can break without knowing. I could drink two pints and be under, someone could drink two pints and be over. So we have to be very careful.

The only way to be sure is to not drink anything when driving. This is the policy we adopted And the morning after we don't drive any where till my breathalyser says its OK to do so. We bought a breathalyser from [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alcohol-Personal-Testing-Alcosense-Breathalyser/dp/B001LZ3D02/wwwmotorhomef-21"] [/ame][ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001LZ3D02/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwmotorhomef-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B001LZ3D02"]one of these breathalysers [/ame]and its stopped me pulling off site a few times now! In fact the latest time it blew red was early Tuesday morning!:Smile:
 

aba

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i think that now a days its not as much drink that is the biggest problem well maybe with the older end of the age group but i feel there will be more younger drivers driving under the influence of drugs than alcohol and a Breathalyzer wont pick most of that up.

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DESCO

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[HI]Personally I would like to see it zero too. The only problem is that means practically impossible to have anything alcohol related the night before which seems extreme. [/HI]

I would also be much more in favour of capability tests as oppose to breath tests per-say.


sorry about your dad too, a horrible experience, my life is littered with destruction that D&D has caused too :Sad:

It is but safety should come first, it's not just your safety,too often it is not the drinker who suffers.
 

slobadoberbob

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that says you like your booze JIM

Drink Driving is the only law that you can break without knowing. I could drink two pints and be under, someone could drink two pints and be over. So we have to be very careful.

The only way to be sure is to not drink anything when driving. This is the policy we adopted And the morning after we don't drive any where till my breathalyser says its OK to do so. We bought a breathalyser from one of these breathalysers and its stopped me pulling off site a few times now! In fact the latest time it blew red was early Tuesday morning!:Smile:

Perhaps JIM that says you like your booze:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: I think the policy of a lower level should be right across the UK.... I do not drink the night before I am driving at shows we go to.

I have a very nice bottle of Caisson Dijon .. fortified black current wine 4% vol .. fancy a glass but have to take the tire in the garage in 2 hours.. so no way.. lunch was with a cup of tea...


have not seen any breath kits for sale over here in France yet.

Bob:Blush:
 

novawight

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Perhaps we should follow France and carry breatherlisers with us

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keith

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I understand the French have a supply problem with the new Breathalyser kits and are to delay the introduction of the new law until November.

This information came from a French resident.
 
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Personally I think that the present level is about right. I often have a pint of Fosters or a small wine with a meal. I feel no way impaired and the occasional self breathalysers test proves this. To reduce this would achieve little. Drink induced accidents are rarely the result of one pint of normal larger.
More importantly the new push to test drivers for drugs is fraught with problems. How long does one spliff stay in your body. There is talk of the same sentence for drugs as alcohol. Interesting times ahead.
 
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Bob you could try the medical or motoring depts in a supermarket or a chemist shop.
as Keith said the law altho coming in on the 1st July the police will not take action against anyone for not carrying a Alcootest kit until 1st November

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darklord

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cannabis, I belive, stays in the bloodstream for 28 days "ish", more serious drugs can show up for lesser times I belive.

Many many companies now have random drink and drugs testing. One major national company i worked for instigates this policy even after a minor bump. The breath test is done immediatly, while a local company send a chap on a motorcycle in with a drugs test. It is a condition of employment that you submit to testing, and failure to comply is GROSS misconduct resulting in immediate dismissal.

I have voiced my opinions on drink driving before,...as i drive for a living, and both of my hobbies involve driving, I take no chances at all, I will not drive for at least 48 hours after drinking. Jim is right, if I drank two pints, I KNOW my ability would be impaired, but a more seasoned drinker may be (or think they are) less impaired.
If you were to see someone at a show, place a gun in their pocker before leaving their MH to go around a show, I would bet that you would notify the police,......would you do the same if you saw them drive off after a few glasses of scotch? and are the two different?


Just in case someone says "would YOU", the answer is YES, after perhaps reminding them that they would possibly be breaking the law as well as being irresponsible.
 
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scotjimland

scotjimland

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[HI]Many many companies now have random drink and drugs testing. [/HI]One major national company i worked for instigates this policy even after a minor bump. The breath test is done immediatly, while a local company send a chap on a motorcycle in with a drugs test. It is a condition of employment that you submit to testing, and failure to comply is GROSS misconduct resulting in immediate dismissal.

I have voiced my opinions on drink driving before,...as i drive for a living, and both of my hobbies involve driving, I take no chances at all, I will not drive for at least 48 hours after drinking. Jim is right, if I drank two pints, I KNOW my ability would be impaired, but a more seasoned drinker may be (or think they are) less impaired.
If you were to see someone at a show, place a gun in their pocker before leaving their MH to go around a show, I would bet that you would notify the police,......would you do the same if you saw them drive off after a few glasses of scotch? and are the two different?


Just in case someone says "would YOU", the answer is YES, after perhaps reminding them that they would possibly be breaking the law as well as being irresponsible.

Indeed they do, this was done at the Shell UK Oil refinery in Stanford le Hope when I worked there.. failure of a drink or drugs test meant instant dismissal...

Good post and I agree 100% ..
 

motor roamin

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I personally feel the limit should be zero, you should see the mess some drunk driver made of my dad, he's still suffering and it happened 33 years ago


Whilst in principal I agree 100% it would be unfair to make it zero.....I will not drink today if I am driving tomorrow......so approx 48 hours before I drive I will not drink.......now while I will be well below the now legal limit at that time I may not be zero.......drunk drivers should be banned for life we all know the effects of drinking......Buttons If you seriously believe that a pint will have no effect on your reactions, then sorry you are completely wrong any alcohol WILL have an effect........It has been proved time and time again.

All the best Rick

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Whilst in principal I agree 100% it would be unfair to make it zero.....I will not drink today if I am driving tomorrow......so approx 48 hours before I drive I will not drink.......now while I will be well below the now legal limit at that time I may not be zero.......drunk drivers should be banned for life we all know the effects of drinking......Buttons If you seriously believe that a pint will have no effect on your reactions, then sorry you are completely wrong any alcohol WILL have an effect........It has been proved time and time again.

All the best Rick
Sorry Rick, disagree I would know if I were at all effected by a pint of weak lager and a meal. I would in fact still be within the new Scottish proposed limit. Are you suggesting that is also too high.
 

motor roamin

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Sorry Rick, disagree I would know if I were at all effected by a pint of weak lager and a meal. I would in fact still be within the new Scottish proposed limit. Are you suggesting that is also too high.

No I am not suggesting it is too high, I am stating a well known fact that any alcohol will impair to a degree any ones judgement and to think it does not is very dangerous.......if you read my post you will see my stance on when I will stop drinking when I am driving which is 48hrs prior to driving......I may still at that point still have traces of alcohol in my blood stream but no more than say taking a cough mixture........I spent many years clearing up the effects of I thought I was OK to drive......and so maybe I feel as strongly about this as you do smoking......but I am sure more people have been killed by the effects of others drinking than of others smoking.....I am sure you will disagree.

All the best rick
 

Jim

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Its a fact that as little as a small glass of wine or x 300ml bottle beer, while not over the legal limit will affect the reactions and attitudes of most drivers whether they think so or not.

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Geo

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Seeing as Scotland is hell bent on being a separate/independant country/authority to the UK
I take it my 55Mg driving ban is only enforceable in Scotland.
After all ive broken no laws in my birthplace
Or is it the case with all toy Soldiers and Governments they want their cake and eat it
If I break the scotts limit and get banned in the UK too, do I take it that if caught in Spain my ban also extends to the UK
If so Ill stay sober in Spain and tow with my A frame,
Did well to get that in a breathalyser post don,t you think
Geo
 

John & Joan

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When the limits were first brought in it was demonstrated that a small amout of alchohol had an imediate effect.

I drove coaches and remember seeing a film made for London Transport where drivers were driving through cones in their busses and the cones were moved in until they clipped them at various speeds. The cones were then moved out slightly. They then repeatedly drove through without clipping a cone.

They were given one shot of whiskey and they were clipping the cones every time.

I made it my policy not to drink at all. But if I did have even a glass of wine with a meal I wouldn't drive for at least 24 hours.

John
 
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motor roamin

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When the limits were first brought in it was demonstrated that a small amout of alchohol had an imediate effect.

I drove coaches and remember seeing a film made for London Transport where drivers were driving through cones in their busses and the cones were moved in until they clipped them at various speeds. The cones were then moved out slightly. They then repeatedly drove through without clipping a cone.

They were given one shot of whiskey and they were clipping the cones every time.

I made it my policy not to drink at all. But if I did have even a glass of wine with a meal I wouldn't drive for at least 24 hours.

John

Couldn't agree more......the only reason for a limit of any kind is for the minute amount that may be in someones bloodstream from medication (prescribed or over the counter) or after at least 24 hours, that is not saying that you should drive while taking all medications this should be taken under medical advice.

All the best Rick

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pappajohn

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i think that now a days its not as much drink that is the biggest problem well maybe with the older end of the age group but i feel there will be more younger drivers driving under the influence of drugs than alcohol and a Breathalyzer wont pick most of that up.
the law relating to drug/driving has been/is being changed and the penalty will be exactly the same as drink/driving.

i believe new technology can detect drugs via an initial breath test, hence the change in the laws.
 

jhorsf

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.I do not think this will change things only education will do that

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the law relating to drug/driving has been/is being changed and the penalty will be exactly the same as drink/driving.

i believe new technology can detect drugs via an initial breath test, hence the change in the laws.
From some of the information received, some drugs can stay in your system for weeks, if not months. The sample being tested can be in the form of urine, hair or saliva. This wont just effect the back street druggies, cocaine is on the lunch menu of many professionals too. The roads could become pretty empty.
 

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