Drink-Driving News 2005

Note: All comments are those made at the time of the news item, and may have been superseded by later events.

December

Scottish Drink-Drive Figures on the Rise

October

Drink-Drive Related Deaths Rise

August

Drink-Drive Ban for Head of Advanced Motor Group

May

Drivers Face Breath Test Lottery
Police 'Lovers' Aim to Nab Drink-Drivers

January

Doctors Urge Limit Cut

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December 2005

Scottish Drink-Drive Figures on the Rise
POLICE IN SCOTLAND have voiced disappointment at a rise in the number of drink-drivers caught during their festive crackdown. Officers snared 211 motorists in the third week of the campaign - up by 52 on the same period last year. It brought to 620 the number of drivers caught so far either over the limit or refusing to give a test - an increase of 54 on the figure for 2004. Chief Constable John Vine, of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, added: “I still find it hard to believe that so many people are willing to risk their licence, their jobs and people's lives by drinking or taking drugs and driving.” Comparisons between years, or between forces, are notoriously difficult because of differences in methodology, but this does seem to reflect a general trend. However, as said before, rather than bemoaning the situation, the police need to look at restoring their presence on the roads throughout the year, and at producing honest publicity material that potential offenders are going to take seriously.

October 2005

Drink-Drive Related Deaths Rise
THE NUMBER of drink-driving related deaths increased in 2004, according to Department for Transport figures. There were 590 alcohol-related road deaths in the year, up from 580 in 2003. The department reacted by saying it was “extremely concerned” about the increase. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it was “shocked” by the findings. Kevin Clinton, who heads the body, said: “We cannot understand why the government continues to oppose a reduction in the drink-drive limit when the evidence shows it would save lives.” The reasons for this rise are clear – the reduction in traffic police patrols in favour of speed cameras, and dishonest government publicity campaigns that the target audience do not find credible. The casualty figures will not come down again until these issues are addressed, particularly in terms of dealing honestly with the the “morning after” problem. A lower limit – even if it would reduce casualties, which is highly questionable – is pointless if there is nobody there to enforce it.

August 2005

Drink-Drive Ban for Head of Advanced Motor Group
THE CHAIRMAN of an advanced motorists' group has been banned from driving after being found drunk at the wheel. Les Stretton was almost twice the legal limit when stopped by police in an unmarked patrol car. The 58-year-old widower immediately quit his position as chairman of the Wigan Advanced Motorists Group. He was on his way to a fishing trip shortly before 10am on Friday, July 29, when police noticed he was driving erratically. Defence solicitor Andrew Folden said Stretton had drunk a few glasses of brandy while cooking the night before. "The embarrassment this is set to cause him will exceed any sentence this court imposes on him by way of punishment. This is one of those cases which underscores the danger of assuming the morning after that you are in a fit state to drive." Indeed, a salutary reminder of the risks of driving the morning after drinking a large quantity of alcohol. However, it is hard to believe that the unfortunate Mr Stretton in his position was unaware of these risks, and so there must be a likelihood that he was suffering from personal problems, rather than just having made a genuine miscalculation. It also raises the question of whether there might have been some kind of tip-off, as the chances of an offender being spotted at 10 am must be infinitesimal unless his driving is extremely erratic.

May 2005

Drivers Face Breath Test Lottery
SOME POLICE FORCES in England and Wales conducted up to nine times more breath tests on motorists than others in 2003, according to Home Office figures. The number of tests ranged from 390 per 100,000 of population in Hertfordshire, to 3,390 per 100,000 in Derbyshire. But Hertfordshire Police had 52% of tests returned positive or refused, while Derbyshire had just 5%.The implication of this report is that Herts are not being sufficiently zealous in pursuing drink-drivers, but surely the figures show the opposite. Hertfordshire obtained 203 positive results per 100,000 of population, while Derbyshire only got 170, despite carrying out nine times as many tests. So which force have been doing their job in an intelligent, targeted manner, and which blundering about harassing the innocent? Nowadays, drink-drive offending is a hard-core phenomenon, and the police response must recognise that.
Police 'Lovers' Aim to Nab Drink-Drivers
OFFICERS from Avon and Somerset police will pose as romantic couples in country pubs to catch drink drivers. Motorists will be stopped in pub car parks if the officers suspect them of drinking too much to drive. They will be breathalysed and arrested if found to be over the limit. The campaign, thought to be the first of its kind, will be carried out in villages near Bristol to catch people tempted to drive home after a drinking session. Three male and three female officers will mingle with drinkers while assessing their alcohol intake.Unless you observe them for a long period of time, it is impossible to tell with any certainty whether pub customers are going to be offenders. If you haven’t seen them arrive, you won’t even know whether they are drivers in the first place. This seems to be a highly labour-intensive operation that is unlikely to yield worthwhile results, and may well antagonise licensees if they feel the police are keeping their customers under surveillance. Such a couple would also draw attention to themselves by the length of their stay and the lack of alcohol consumed. And why should pubs be singled out, when most offenders will probably have been drinking in clubs, restaurants, leisure centres or private houses?

January 2005

Doctors Urge Limit Cut
MOTORISTS should be banned for a year if they drive after consuming more than one alcoholic drink, according to the British Medical Association and safety campaigners. They called on MPs to back an amendment to the Road Safety Bill to reduce the present 80 mg alcohol limit to 50 mg. They estimated this would prevent 65 deaths and 230 serious injuries a year. Supporters of the proposal, who include the Association of Chief Police Officers, said it would bring Britain into line with 21 of the 25 European Union countries. However, the BMA does not want the country's minimum 12-month ban relaxed to accompany a lower limit. Only Denmark operates a more severe penalty. Some countries allow offenders to resume driving after a fortnight. Opponents said it would antagonise moderate drinkers, particularly in rural areas, and prove difficult to enforce. A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “We have one of the best road safety records in the world and our penalties for drink-driving are among the toughest. We are not convinced that lowering the limit is the answer.”
Well, we’ve heard all this before, and the arguments against it are set out in detail elsewhere on this site. Even with a lower limit, it would be unreasonable in the extreme to impose a year’s driving ban on someone with a BAC of 55 mg who had not had an alcoholic drink for more than ten hours. The figure of saving 65 deaths a year is highly questionable, as this would appear to represent the entire number of fatalities involving drivers who at any time drive with blood alcohol levels between 50 and 110 mg, regardless of whether they had been drinking prior to the accident. I also question the police’s public support for this measure, as I believe the views of senior traffic officers were probably the single biggest factor behind the government’s sensible and welcome decision a few years ago not to cut the limit.

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