Take care out there - Its that time again

Jack McH

 

Have you ever seen one of those crappy driving simulators?
I'd probably be rubbish even when sober, they are more like a computer game than the real thing, so I'd not put any confidence in findings from those things.
Equally, some people react slower than others, are we going to ban the sober slow reactors, because maybe we should.
I know what you are saying about the loss of reaction time after drink, but its very possible that someone who has had one drink will still be faster than another person, we are all different.

 

I was once in a steadily growing crowd gathered to watch the coppers deal with a man who was clearly very, very drunk, and was trying to get into his car to drive while the coppers were doing their best to stop him from doing so. It was immensely funny because while swaying about all over the place, and about 50% of the time being supported by the coppers because he'd have fallen over if they didn't catch him, he was trying in his loud slurred voice to convince them he was sober enough to drive. A few times he tried to make a break for it and get into his car but each time the coppers just grabbed him, restrained him, then let go again. Then came the climax of the show. The man made a bolt for it, jumped into his car, slammed the door shut, then flicked the V's at the coppers, before pointing his car key..... at the back of the driver's seat. He'd jumped in the back and was attempting to start the car from the back seat. There was much laughter and joviality from the audience, before the coppers calmly opened the door and arrested him for being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle. If he hadn't done that, as he was not in the car prior to that, at most the coppers could have nicked him for drunk and disorderly but by jumping in, he'd just upped the stakes, and got laughed at by many people.

 

I dont think I've ever gone 36 hours without driving in recent times, so are you saying I should never drink?
Realistically, I doubt many people have, and what is considered a Heavy drinking session?

As I say we are all different, most of the coppers doing the tests are very likely to have had a drop, wonder who tests them?

 

How not to take a breathalyzer test.

 

Well twenty years ago one of my B.I.L was a traffic cop London Met,
At start of shift they ALL had to do two LION MACHINE breath tests and confirm calibration

There again locally the Police on the early shift 06:00 start, and no local transport, one officer gave his two colleagues a lift to work every morning
One day the two colleagues, turned him in on arrival for BT and he was kicked out of the force
NOW THAT IS FRIENDS FOR YOU

Jack McH

 

Shouldn't have tempted fate with that post should I? ....

I was ... the bloke who drove into me yesterday clearly wasn't though

 

I hope you're okay "M".

 

An interesting idea. How about testing all drivers and those with reactions as slow as drivers over the limit get an immediate ban, those who can safely drive after drinking more than the limit get an increased allowance, and those who can't cope after 1 small drink get a reduced allowance?

 

I personally think too many people are allowed to drive in general, regardless of alcohol tolerance/resistance (whatever we call it).

Say you pass your test when you're 20. Unless you do something really, really daft, you can then drive until you are 75, and longer if you sign a self cert to say you are fine. That's a long time for things to happen in. Eyesight and reaction time deteriorating, health problems that could, quite frankly, make you drop dead at the wheel, mental health problems that could make you more reckless or less able to concentrate etc, etc.

I firmly believe that there should be a mini test every few years. Commercial drivers have to do it, so why not everyone else?

It also bothers me that earlier versions of the test missed a lot. When I did mine, I had to do an early version of the theory and hazard perception tests. The latter measures your ability to spot potential hazards as they develop and measures how quickly you respond to them. Of course none of that helps with general attitude towards driving. My attitude is that I alone am in control of and fully responsible for about 2 tonnes of steel that can travel at considerable speed and do immense damage if I get it wrong. Sadly, many people's attitude seems to differ, and be more along the lines of 'I'm right, everyone else is wrong, the law is for other people, and I'll never crash because I'm perfect'.