Today a new law comes into force in Scotland which reduces the limit of alcohol to be consumed prior to driving it appears it has not been widely advertised in England and of course it could affect anyone who has a pint just on the English side and then drives 500 yards into Scotland a rough guide would be about three quarter of a pint of normal beer ( not premium ) and about a glass of wine . Christmas is with us so extra care should be taken first thing in the morning going to work . My take on this is that it's not worth going to a pub with the intention of drinking half a pint and then driving but for some guys who like a drink the morning after would be a massive concern .
Sensible law to reduce the amount people think they are safe to drive with. I have personally seen the misery a drink driver can cause to innocent peoples lives. The issue I see here is that we were governed in this island by one set of rules in relation to motoring offences until now. We now have the scenario where you could lose your licence in Scotland for being over the 50mg limit, and that means a years minimum ban but would have been legal in England and Wales, but the same ban will apply. I know people can relate to speed limits being different in some parts of the country, but this is a step change on the penalty scale being totally different in 2 parts of the United Kingdom. Dangerous precedent being set here I feel.
Probably a way of giving the Scots a slap for trying to get independance. I'm one for the 50mg but that means no pint with my sunday dinner at Wetherspoons
It's the bloody SNP that introduced it. This along with their heavily massaged crime figures that show they're winning the war on crime (they just didn't count half the crime so it looked good),their average speed cameras on the A9 (according to police less than 10% fatalities blamed on speed) to cut road deaths,gives a good insight as to what Scotland would be like if they got full control
its crazy to set any limit, as people are not sure how much they can drink? best just to have a full NO DRINK AT ALL and driving policy, easy to know if you have had to much then
My take is simple, I don't drink when I'm driving so I don't have the worry, it's not the law that worries me it's hurting someone, especially a child when I know I have had a drink, even if I was under the limit. Hay guys this is not a soap box it's just my mind set, each to his own
Pretty much for the most part that's what this reduced limit is as it takes very little to go over it, but also every person metabolises food and alcohol differently too so one person may be over on half of what another person has and hardly registers during testing! Tbh I see this more as another money makin excercise where fines are more the consideration than public safety. Don't get me wrong I don't agree with gettin hammered and driving around but the amount required to send someone over this new limit most individuals would not even feel any effects what so ever! Can see a lot more pubs closing down shortly up here as a result of no or reduced customers, just like when the smoking ban law caused a spree of closed businesses I feel this will do the same.
This law is just so the SNP can be seen to be doing something about their making a "Safer Scotland" policy and to win votes. I seriously doubt it will save lives as someone who drinks 5 pints then crashes their car and kills someone doesn't give a fuck about the current limit so why should they care about the new one. Drunk drivers are scumbags but this law will just end up penalising people who were being responsible,as you guys down in England will still be able to.
I used to love drink driving, i often crashed but because i was a tad pissed i found it very funny... I also read once that 20% of all road traffic accidents were caused by drink drivers which means 80% were sober. If my maths are correct, and i think they are then its safer to drink drive
A lot of people go up there touring on their bikes, it's a shame we will be worried to have a couple of drinks in the Hotel now, as we may be over the limit the next day! Scotland is an amazing place BTW
I never ever drink and drive, take a taxi every time, however, I am not sure I could say the same about the morning after and if they lower the limit this issue will become more of a problem.
I agree, with a lot of what's already been said. This is just more SNP bullshit that will do nothing to deter the diehard drink drivers. It seems to me that it's aimed at people who may be a touch over the limit the morning after. As for crime statistics and the police in Scotland - my car was recently spray painted as were the fences, footpaths street signs in the area where I stay. I took the car to the not so local police station where a young police officer in a fairly apologetic manner explained to me that as the paint could most probably be removed it was not classed as vandalism and as such wasn't a recordable crime. A week later the front page of the local paper had some police spokesman spouting on about how their efforts had had a drastic impact on car crime and vandalism. I am in no way advocating drink driving under any circumstances but anything related to road safety brought forward by the SNP or anything at all said by the Scottish police, I view with scepticism, it seems to me that their main objective is revenue collection and road users are the easy option.
