alkristensen

Dont go to the lake district and think about driving. I have been banned twice in ulverston in the past(10 years ago) for drunk in charge(asleep in back when locked out) and drink driving (moved my car in a car parkfrom one space t another to leave it under a light0, and got breathalysed and banned for 18 months and one year!! The drunk in charge wasnt even my ca it was my girlfriends, and they decided to do me for no nsurance to, even thpough i waasnt driving it and was parked outside their house.

The law in england is ..

If you are wihin 25 yrds of your vehicle with the keys in your possession, then it is deemed that you have the capability to want to drive.

I have had people in my shop that were at home having a beer, and went out to fetch a laptop, or cd or whatever from their car and got a pull and got breathalysed and gt a drunk in charge fine!

If they stopped paying for all the ads just at xmas and put more police on the streets all yea it may help.

Our local used to make you put your keys behind the bar and give you free soft drinks all night. Wonder why that stopped??

alk

Ceri

same here, in the 8 years odd years I've been here, I've only be breathalyzed once. I think hubby about two or three times.
I've actually been breathalyzed more times in the UK than I have here, They never seem to pull me over.
The only time when I was pulled over by the random breath checks ( which was recently, a couple of weeks before last Christmas), I noticed they were only pulling over four wheel drives over this day - no cars at all. They seem to target some vehicles for what ever reasons.
A mate has a Jag, and without fail he gets pulled over about once a week with the booze mob before 6pm ( he is always driving back home from work when he gets pulled , never in the night has he been pulled) . They seem to pick certain types of vechicles more than others sometimes

Pity they don't drug test too - you'd see half the trucks off the road, and plenty of the teens ( although I know they have tried this recently - but there was some big flaws with their testing methods, and I think they have put the scheme on hold - can't remember what state that was in - Vic?)

Statistically, I should have been breathalysed a lot more times here in Aus than in the UK as I've been driving for a longer period here in Aus than I had in the UK, Maybe my age at the time in the Uk - teen drivers etc more likely to be breathalysed (?)

I think they do target certain people in both countries, for instance my hubby would get pulled about double amount the times I would get pulled over for it - and it wasn't the car, because I drove his car for a period of a couple of months too at one point - and didn't get breathalysed once driving his car. Only diff - the sex. They were Profiling which they say they don't do - ha

ABCDiamond

Thats a worry

Random breath tests arent allowed in the UK, they have to be done under these rules: (Info as at May 2005)

Section 6 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 allows the police to test any driver who:
• they have reasonable cause to suspect has been driving or attempting to drive with alcohol in his body.
• has committed a moving traffic offence.
• has been involved in an accident.

Although the European commission wants to introduce random breath tests for drivers, but the UK Home Office is resisting the move.

And the blood alchocol level limit in the UK is 80mg/100ml in the UK, compared to 50 in most of Europe and Australia.

Ceri

When I was in the UK; they pull you over, whip out the breathalyser, check your tax , tyres - all under the pretence of checking the vehicle

"they have reasonable cause to suspect has been driving or attempting to drive with alcohol in his body" - It's wide open -reasonable cause to the police person to suspect ( not to know).Reasonable cause to their mind . The number of times I have been pulled over and breathalyzed in the uk - it is reasonable to some of them if you're driving back from town after the pubs have just shut and they think it is likely you have been drinking.

You try arguing with a Nazi copper about your civil rights that's pulled you over to breathalyze you - No thanks. Take a disliking to you they will get you on something, it's wasting your time.

I have a bro in law who is one cocky B8stard when he gets pulled - the number of times he's gone to court to argue his cases - it's wasting his time. Once it was over tyres ( he was stopped to be breathalyzed) - he was being cocky as usual, why stop me blah and blah, you're wrong , I'm right etc etc , so the cop decided to do him on bald tyres , he actually ended up taking his tyres to court to prove they were not bald - what a waste of time)

It's better to sweetly smile at the B*stards and go along with it. Then Up yours under your breath when they can't find anything. There's a time to fight and there are there are times to go along with things, not worth the effort over something petty which causes you your time and money and makes no diff to the arrogance of some indviduals in the police force.


I couldn't tell you the amount of alcohol allowed here or in the UK - I never drink and drive ( and this is only question I did get wrong here on the Qld test as I never take notice of alcohol for driving) 100% ban on alcohol driving would be fine with me. And I like my drink- but never drink and drive even within the allowed limits.

Del Boy

[QUOTE=alkristensen]Dont go to the lake district and think about driving. I have been banned twice in ulverston in the past(10 years ago) for drunk in charge(asleep in back when locked out) and drink driving (moved my car in a car parkfrom one space t another to leave it under a light0, and got breathalysed and banned for 18 months and one year!! The drunk in charge wasnt even my ca it was my girlfriends, and they decided to do me for no nsurance to, even thpough i waasnt driving it and was parked outside their house.

Sounds just like Queensland ! Charges like that are v. common

ABCDiamond

I was pretty lucky in the UK then, never been breath tested. Nor here in QLD (yet), but about 4 times down in NSW.

So thats 20 years UK driving, not tested.
12 years NSW driving, tested 4 times.
2 years QLD driving, not tested. Admittedly I don't drive as much as I used to in the UK & NSW.

Badge

That's a worry - I must remember to take the car keys off my house key ring when going to empty the bins or walking back from the pub.

Been breathoed once here, first time ever, did a tiny puff in to the tube, didn't really even blow - waited to be told to go again, and it was accepted!! I was fine -but was surprised how little you can blow in.

Badge

Ceri

Not if your car is parked on your own private property, I doubt they can do you for even sitting in the car blind drunk here or in the UK. I think it only covers the public roads. There was a time years ago in the UK the police could not breathalyse you in a pub/inns carpark - they were in fact breaking the laws ( "they" pulled the police up on this years ago in the UK) , it was only when you entered onto the public road. Public highway / public road laws don't cover private property. Don't know how the law stands today on this - but doubt it has changed

alkristensen

im never gong near a car when m drumk again(except a cab!!

al

Badge

suspected this might apply - or it would be ridiculous.

As far as I am concerned, circumstance is everything when applying the letter (to enforce the spirit) of the law.

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Simone

Saw a breathtesting stuff set up a week or so ago, at about 7pm on a thursday night. They didn't stop me.
When I was with a friend there was one in the same spot (Scarborough beach rd, under the freeway), at about 7pm on a friday night a few months ago.

Pascal got breathalysed a while ago, don't remember when or what time...


In Holland I was driving back home along the freeway, at about 9pm on a thursday night, and they were at all (about 3) exits and entries, on both sides, along about a 15 km stretch! That was one major operation!! And everyone who came on and off got checked!

Ceri

I know it stands here in Qld, this private property laws - but does the average cop know it? . For instance, there is a big private road ( which looks exactly like a public road, and a lot of the public do use it) which leads to some industrial businesses. The business who owns the road was fed up of people speeding - so they gave the police permission to to enforce the "public road" laws - ie to anyone who was speeding on it etc

Pomster

RBT are so common here.
In 5 years I have been tested about 8 times...the last one being lunchtime on Monday. I have a chest infection and had been swigging cough mixture, but was OK- think the police woman was scared of my constant coughing and red face!

In UK, I drove for about 15 years and was never tested!

On a Sat morning, if you drive out from Melbourne over Westgate bridge, there are always about 40 abandoned cars where the drivers have tested positive and had to leave their cars behind....

glittababe

I believe in zero tolerance, if you don't drink drive then you've got nothing to worry about!

baconmaster

Hi, does these tests happen at anytime of the day or night or is it evening to the early hours ? How many (if any units) glasses of wine, bottle of beer can you have or are you best just to have nothing ?

thanks