Good thing too.

I have never been hospitalised through drinking or been in trouble with the law, yes I enjoy it but I make sure it does not impact on other people. I would not die if I had to stop drinking and if I wanted to I could but I just do not want to! Pass the Rose!
 
Mr Ex said:
Better than drinking & driving don't you think?:cheers::driving:

As you sound like a none drinking self-righteous person, answer this "when did you last have a speeding ticket or made an insurance claim"?
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I've never had an accident in 26 years of driving, Well not of my own doing. I've had a couple of people back into me when stationary and a few people have hit my crane and lorry over the years, But I've never had an accident of my own making :rolleyes:.

As for speeding tickets I've had 4 SP30's in 26 years, My first was when I got caught racing a mini cooper S out of London on my way back from the Chelsea cruise in my V8 powered MK1 cortina, I was only a young lad at the time, I got fined £86.

My second was going down a road that was always a 60 speed limit that they suddenly changes to a 40 and I didn't notice, 3 points and £60.

My 3rd was in the lorry on the way to Exeter a hazard of the job I'm afraid.

And last but not least I got done up here in Jockland 4 years ago for doing 80 on a 70 mph duel carriageway. So as you can see apart from my one youthful indiscretion that was actually on a 3 lane section of the A316 at around midnight I haven't made a habit of dangerous driving.

All the above while stone cold sober :thumbs:.




Rob
 
vpulsar said:
I've been to many overnight car shows at santapod/billing ect ect over the years but have never felt the need to get pissed to have a good time, Just meeting up with the other people and having a good laugh is all the stimulus need.



Of cause I speed who doesn't, But being older and wiser I don't speed in built up area's and while I am speeding I'm not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, On the other hand people who do drink and drive have their judgment impaired by said drugs and alcohol and who are the people who are normally responsible for a lot of the deaths of innocent people going about their business on our roads and foot paths.




Rob
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But if the question arose as to Zero Tolerance in all driving aspects, not just DD, a wee quick blurt on a deserted motorway is still illegal then ?
No three strikes, you were caught speeding, just burn you to death ?

Well maybe a wee bit drastic there, but you get my point !

Speed and carelessness is still the major factor for most accidents, with under the influence drivers coming up next. I will stick my neck out here and say DD is just highlighted more, as its socially unacceptable.

The " I never drink and drive brigade, but I speed, sure, coz we all do" will always be present. Should add here that I broke the speed limit this morning, so Snow White I am not !;)

Alan.................
 
vpulsar said:
I've never had an accident in 26 years of driving, Well not of my own doing. I've had a couple of people back into me when stationary and a few people have hit my crane and lorry over the years, But I've never had an accident of my own making :rolleyes:.

As for speeding tickets I've had 4 SP30's in 26 years, My first was when I got caught racing a mini cooper S out of London on my way back from the Chelsea cruise in my V8 powered MK1 cortina, I was only a young lad at the time, I got fined £86.

My second was going down a road that was always a 60 speed limit that they suddenly changes to a 40 and I didn't notice, 3 points and £60.

My 3rd was in the lorry on the way to Exeter a hazard of the job I'm afraid.

And last but not least I got done up here in Jockland 4 years ago for doing 80 on a 70 mph duel carriageway. So as you can see apart from my one youthful indiscretion that was actually on a 3 lane section of the A316 at around midnight I haven't made a habit of dangerous driving.

All the above while stone cold sober :thumbs:.




Rob
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Well, I've had 2 speeding tickets both on a bike. 1st 1969 doing 40 in a 30 near home, the 2nd 1972? coming back from Cadwell park doing 70 when the national limit had been lowered to 50 coz of the petrol shortage.
1 accident claim in 1977 in a 2litre Cortina mk3 in the snow.
So you can see I'm not a bad driver driving the day after a drink.:cheers::driving:
 
Speeding is one thing - driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs is another.

I was done in my Z at 91kmh for 90 on a deserted dual carraigeway, Cathy recently at 92 for the same - it sucks but I'll admit that I have a tendance to push on on two and three lane roads, especially early in the mornings but am a lot calmer now in built-up areas - having children does that !

I enjoy a drink more at home than out, enjoy drinking and drinking at outside occasions depends upon the event - track dos are a complete no-no !

I'd like to enjoy a quiet joint in an evening at weekends but it's illegal and the risks when caught are harsh here. When I was in Holland, I hardly ever drank but I enjoyed a joint several times a week in the evenings - I don't suppose I should be proud that I drove off to work in the mornings.......

Before leaving the UK, I didn't smoke and hardly drank because I enjoyed driving and for a while this was my profession !

I drive an average of 1000 miles per week now and see some sites and some people who don't seem to appreciate that they share the same death trap stretch of tarmac as we all do - the biggest fault over here now is driving too closely, no matter what the conditions !

But drink is a legal (and encouraged) drug, it's hugely taxable, it's socially acceptable and now it's acceptable to drink to excess - it isn't acceptable to drink (no matter what amount) and drive but people still do and still do over here.
The typical profile of someone here is someone who's already been done for it, probably in their late 40s upwards but most of the young drive and smoke cannabis.

What are the figures/info on cannabis drivers over there ?
 
Bigmincey said:
Speed and carelessness is still the major factor for most accidents, with under the influence drivers coming up next. I will stick my neck out here and say DD is just highlighted more, as its socially unacceptable.
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Their is no such thing as speed being the cause on an accident, What causes the accident is bad driving and not paying attention to ones surroundings, Anybody caught speeding in town or around schools should have the book thrown at them, However doing 80 or 90 on the motorway in good weather isn't in my opinion dangerous, Doing 50 in the middle lane is far more dangerous in my opinion.

The current national speed limit for motorways is pretty out of date, Modern cars are nothing like the cars of old and stop far quicker than the so called advice given on the back of the highway code, Even my lorry would stop quicker than they reckon a car can on that out of date pamphlet.

But I'm sure 70 is quite quick enough for some people's driving ability lol, I don't think their is one answer to speeding or drink driving because everybody is different, One person can drive quite safely at 10-20 mph over the speed limit where as someone else would be a liability, Same goes for having a couple of drinks in your system, My wife is anybodies after half a shandy but someone else probably wouldn't notice if they had 3 pints in their system, So I suppose the answer is to ure on the side of caution

Just to add to my first comment, I do feel that speed is more of an issue in accidents in built up area's, Though not the direct cause it does leave you with very little reaction time to apply any driving skills you may have, Out on the open road I don't see it as such a big factor because generally you will have more time to react if you're observant, It's all about being aware of the risks ahead of you and driving accordingly.


Rob
 
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The biggest issue with todays driving standards is that they are sh1t. The problem the government is having is to regulate so many more drivers now and that they all think they are the better driver. I consider myself a good driver, but fully admit to putting my foot down a few times and giving the car a bit of a blast. However I also recognise there is a time and place. On the road where there are two schools and a small set of shops within 100m of each other is a big big no no. 4 am on an empty motorway with no other car anywhere to be seen is another.

Just to sound a bit revolutionary and to really stir up a hornets nest my theory on not only improving the avaerage driving standard and a possible method of avoiding these extra laws and restrictions would be to introduce a three year driving test.

"WOOOAH" I hear you say. What about those people who drive for a living and fail their test ... well perhaps they should drive better then. If you do fail it for a reason that could be said beyond your control then if the test was introduced 3 months before your license expires you have 3 months to re-sit it. Another factor that could be introduced is the test is recorded so if for any reason you feel that the examiner was unfair you have a record of what happened and have room to appeal. I know for a start that the current test is by no means suitable and everyone would agree that you learn to drive after passing that particular test. The point I am trying to make is that it would pressure people into thinking about what they are doing in a 1 1/2 ton killing machine that can travel at 70 mph.
 
Over here for people who have 6 points or less left on their licence (we all start with 12 and reduce when we are naughty), there are re-tests available (not obligatoire) where they may spend 2-3 days in practical but mostly in theory, sometimes visited by people who've suffered in road accidents and if they pass, they recover 4 points.

These tests are not available for certain, rather more serious road crimes and not for those whose licences have been withdrawn or suspended.
 
Qucik question - due to the price of insurance premiums, how many people, especially young are driving without insurance...............and how many without licences ?

I agree that tests should be more of an appraisal and over a longer peiord of time - let the initial driving euphoria calm down, let them get past 22-ish alive and probably all will be well.

Here, new drivers of any age only have 6 ponts to begin with and if there are no problems, they get their full 12 in a year (I think) if not longer.
 
New drivers here are only allowed to accrue 6 points on their license in their first year. Driving without a license is bad, but the worst thet do is just ban you for longer and fine you. Catching them is pure luck. Insurance is slighty different. All cars here have to be insured while on the road. There are systems in plce (ANPR - automatic number plate recognition) that read the registration plate and flag if no MOT, road tax and insurance held against that particular vehicle.
 
rhanagar said:
New drivers here are only allowed to accrue 6 points on their license in their first year. Driving without a license is bad, but the worst thet do is just ban you for longer and fine you. Catching them is pure luck. Insurance is slighty different. All cars here have to be insured while on the road. There are systems in plce (ANPR - automatic number plate recognition) that read the registration plate and flag if no MOT, road tax and insurance held against that particular vehicle.
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I think you will find it is 6 points on their license in 2 years.
ANPR is so few & far between you could probably get away with it.
It's very rare I see a copper these days so that is why drink drivers mainly get away with it.

 
I'm surprised more people haven't replied to this thread especially with the number of views it has had, so I must assume that you don't give a toss & will still drive under the influence or you think that as a non-drinker it won't affect you, well that's where you could be wrong.
 
what about mobile phones and driving at the same time !!!!!!






















its not easy ..............
 
Regarding the current driving test, Lets face it it's wholly inadequate for today's roads. It doesn't equip these poor young things with any of the skills they will need in the real world.

If I where in control of testing policy I'd probably keep the current test as a starting point maybe with a few minor changes, But after passing it I'd make sure new drivers also had to pass a motorway test and spend some time of a skid pan learning car control in wet and icy conditions.

Also I would limit the size of car and engine power to something like a very basic corsa/polo, And that they where in no way allowed to modify said vehicle. And once they'd done say 2 years of probationary driving they would then have to pass a further test before being let loose on the Queens highway.

You may think that it's a bit harsh, But lets face it the roads are not the same as when we first started driving are they, We had space and a far better police force back then that would pull us over and give us a gentle kick up the arse, Now days they just print tickets and hide behind pushes, If they can even be bothered to actually do any policing that is!




Rob
 
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ANPR - so big brother watching you (and making up for 'your' lack of self-responsability) is a good thing as regards uninsured, no MOT drivers ?

Over here there are still many stop-checks of papers and breath-tests - THAT's how they find people and follow-up cases by actually being on the streets AND being seen.

I don't mean this to sound that it's better here, I think the UK system of highway patrols are better than here where they DO hide in bushed with speed-binoculars and flash-radars mounting in Megan/Focus estates.

But being on a main roundabout, other traffic junctions, entries to towns IS prominent !

Of course, M-way pay-tolls are another favourite place - shame that you don't have these.
 
To be honest I wasn't sure if it was 1 or 2 years under the current probation period ... and aggreed I think the current test is inadequate. It does need a little tweak to be a lot better. As for limiting engine size thats already sort of in place. If you try insuring yourself on anything larger than a 1.4 your going to be stung so badly you cannot afford the insurance until you have built up a couple of yaers no claims bonus and had a couple of years experience. Another thing I also agree with is doing further lessons after your test. There is a Pass Plus scheme which is non-compulsory that you can do after passing that teaches you to drive on motorways, very basic skid control and some of the skills you can only learn after passing your test (tricks of the rade as it were) this in fact also helps towards your insurance premiums.

As for ANPR I have mixed views. I am full agreement with its use in catching people without tax, MOT, and insurance. If I am forced to pay it then so should others. God help the tw4t who would drive into my Zed without insurance ... he would probably pay in blood. Road Tax is just theft in my opinion so lets leave that argument for another thread. As for MOT its there for a reason which is to try and ensure that all the cars on the road are in a safe condition. Its execution and the dodgy garages out there that gloss over ceratin problems on cars should be shot. I once looked at a Seat Leon which supposedly had a 11 month old MOT on it. The driver was a 17 year old lass who had just passed her test. It wasn't pretty with a couple of dings here and there, but the 1.9 diesel sang quite sweetly and drove quite nicely/ Perfect for a first time car ... however. She phoned me to ask if I could have a look as it was making a clunking noise from the front when going over speed bump. I jacked it up and had at butchers at the usual ball-joints, bushed, anti-roll bars etc but couldn't see anything wrong. Slid a breaker bar under the wheel to prise it for movement when I noticed the top hats on the suspension leg were moving up and down by at least an inch ... on both sides :eek: One sharp knock or hit a lump of debris on the M'way would be catastrophic.

I turned to her and said I am not touching it and she should go back to the garage that did the MOT and demand they rectify it, if not she would go to the DVLA and inform them what happened. I couldn't believe it.

Just another penny in the pot.
 
rhanagar said:
To be honest I wasn't sure if it was 1 or 2 years under the current probation period ... and aggreed I think the current test is inadequate. It does need a little tweak to be a lot better. As for limiting engine size thats already sort of in place. If you try insuring yourself on anything larger than a 1.4 your going to be stung so badly you cannot afford the insurance until you have built up a couple of yaers no claims bonus and had a couple of years experience. Another thing I also agree with is doing further lessons after your test. There is a Pass Plus scheme which is non-compulsory that you can do after passing that teaches you to drive on motorways, very basic skid control and some of the skills you can only learn after passing your test (tricks of the rade as it were) this in fact also helps towards your insurance premiums.
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Any schemes non-compulsory (and especially payable) will automatically NOT be done by those who most need them. The responsable ones might do them but all those costs add up for young drivers so short-cuts are made !

As for insurance premiums limiting the engien sizes - ROLLOCKS - determined yougsters just get a bigger bank loan to pay for the £1500 a year premium - they do it here too so wake up there my friend - it only discourages the poor and those who can't get credit.
There are plenty also of young tossers (and tossettes) of rich parents who drive around in 200bhp + cars as their first - all keeping ahead of the Joneses !:(
 
I suppose your right sean ... owever you can limit them like they do on motorbikes. Only allowed to drive up to a 1.4 for the first two years etc etc
 
You haven't grasped it - it's no good limiting engine size, Daihatsu will come along, see a niche market and sell a twin-turbo with 140bhp.....and those people who buy 'em will HAVE to prove how fast they are and how clever THEY are for having circumvented the law !

NO - limit the engine power - no more than 50 bhp for the first two years - that's enough to be able to keep up on a m-way, go down to the shops, carry four adults in AND the govt. can claim to be environmentally conscious.....and if the UK was really smart, they'ed develop a small car themselves (whose design could later be modified to be a hybrid) and market it....and not just in the UK - sell the idea of a limited bhp car for the young, get it passed through the euro parliament (get yer own back time) and sell it all over Europe, improve the countrys' balance of payments, solve the economy crises AND take the credit for reduced young drivers' road deaths !

Vote Sean !:lol:
 
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