Drink and drug driving

[Ihavenojob]

Why do the Police have a blitz at Christmas?, it goes on all year. A report from daaaaarn saaaarf shows a snapshot of the tests done, and it seems the message about drink driving may be getting across(slowly), but drug driving seems rife.
Police arrest more than a 300 people across Hampshire & the Thames Valley (msn.com)

 

[fillyboy]

Some years back I drove the van into town to meet a few fellow workers for a drink before xmas. I drove the van because I genuinely and absolutely intended to have 1 drink and 1 drink only. Seven pints later, and knowing the police would be out in force, I decided, quite rightly, to leave the van there and take the bus home.
Sure enough, on the main road the police were flagging down every other car, the bus of course was waved through.
I was quite chuffed, it was the first time I'd ever driven a bus.

 

[Deleted member 292770]

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[Deleted member 18243]

They have a blitz at Christmas because people drink/drug drive more at Christmas.

The campaign against drink driving has been very effective indeed. Nothing slow about it. There has not been an equivalent campaign against drug driving. Drug drivers are getting away with it, and twice over.

The application of the law against drunken driving shows what can be achieved when a law is properly enforced. If you are caught driving over the limit you will be banned from driving for at least 12 months and fined. As a result of the ban you may lose your job, and when you resume driving your insurance premiums will be higher, for many years, than it would otherwise have been. Very few get away with drink driving when caught.

That is as it should be. In comparison, the laws against drugs are rarely enforced and when they are, the punishments, if any, are slight. As a result, people openly brag about their drug taking and the smell of cannabis is prevalent, most shockingly coming out of cars in the mornings. Drug-drivers have it easy. In fact they have it twice-easy, because taking the drug in the first place is illegal, even before they go out driving on it.

Nobody, but nobody, openly brags about driving whilst drunk. Punishment works.

 

[Bosswhite]

I have heard that Police do not bother to apprehend Cannabis drivers because the Medical examination at a Police Station is complicated and requires a specialist doctor qualified in drug taking these Doctors are not always on call .

 

[AngleEyes]

I have heard that Police do not bother to apprehend Cannabis drivers because the Medical examination at a Police Station is complicated and requires a specialist doctor qualified in drug taking these Doctors are not always on call .

Where did you hear it? In the pub?
Or are you going to do a 'ReganandCarter' and invent an anecdote to fit the scenario?

Oh, you already have.

 

[Mottie]

In spring/summer when I'm filtering between stationary or slow moving cars with their windows open on my bike, you can smell the puff being used by drivers and it's more common, I imagine, than those driving when drunk.

 

[Deleted member 18243]

I have heard that Police do not bother to apprehend Cannabis drivers because the Medical examination at a Police Station is complicated and requires a specialist doctor qualified in drug taking these Doctors are not always on call .

Quite. The police only want easy work. If the laws against drugs were enforced properly in the first place, they wouldn't have to deal with the more difficult and widespread secondary effects such as driving under the influence. This is the Pandora's Box effect of the liberal attitude to law enforcement.

In spring/summer when I'm filtering between stationary or slow moving cars with their windows open on my bike, you can smell the puff being used by drivers and it's more common, I imagine, than those driving when drunk.

Drug driving is more common because you're unlikely to be apprehended for it, and if you are, you are unlikely to be punished for it. Contrast what happens to drunk drivers, see my post above.

 

[JohnD]

If the laws against drugs were enforced properly in the first place

then Gove, Johnson and half the Cabinet would be locked up.

 

[ic1927]

I read in an article recently that one third of road accidents are caused by people who have been drinking too much, and one quarter are caused by people driving too quickly. It doesn't take a genius to work out that two thirds are therefore caused by people who have not had enough to drink, and three quarters by people who drive too slowly. This means that people who drive quickly whilst over the limit are twelve times safer than those who are sober and obey the speed limit.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Some years back I drove the van into town to meet a few fellow workers for a drink before xmas. I drove the van because I genuinely and absolutely intended to have 1 drink and 1 drink only. Seven pints later, and knowing the police would be out in force, I decided, quite rightly, to leave the van there and take the bus home.
Sure enough, on the main road the police were flagging down every other car, the bus of course was waved through.
I was quite chuffed, it was the first time I'd ever driven a bus.

Reminds me of Jethro going out one night on the lash in Penzance with his friend. They missed the last bus home, so decided to pinch one from the bus depot which was now closed. Jethro kept watch outside while he sent his friend in to get a bus. Anyway, two and a half hours passed before his friend came out driving a bus. Jethro asked what took him so long. Friend replied - "well the Camborne bus was right at the back, so I had to move all the others out the way."