the horrors of drink driving

gerrycollins

I know there is a rant and rave thread but i felt this needed its own slot

Last night i was driving south on the M50 for Bray,a road I travel each day for the last 6 years, so there i was doin the speed limit overtaking a van and about to rejoin the left lane when i was approaching the junction outside Bray where the M11 merges into the M50,for those who dont know it basically it a reverse Y junction with a total of 4 lanes merging into 3 and then one of those turns off to Bray leaving the 2 motorway lanes to continue on to Wexford

The traffic coming down the merging road was heavy so i stayed in the outside lane to allow traffic to merge

when this lad IMO decided he wasnt going to merge properly and drove across the hatched markings but instead of turning to drive on he went flying across the road literally 10 feet away from me an into the middle of the road

Now as we all know that lovely cheses wire is now on our motorways.but this fella basically at about 80KPH drove across the road and the middle grass but the cheese wire got him and he went slightly over the other side of the motorway,where 3 cars were passing at the same time, but the wire stopped him and bounced him back onto the grass and he spun twice before stopping

I slapped on the brakes pulled in near where the car came to a halt and got on the mobile to call 999 others who were around stopped too,the white van that i just overtook and some of the cars that were merging with him at the time.some of them went to the car to see about people,i was sure they were dead

Anyways while on the phone the driver ,male 30's,was out and staggering around obviously in shock and two men tried to calm him down but he ran away????

Another few men who stopped gave chase to the driver as the emergancy services were giving me the runaround on the phone over whos area of responce it was, but eventually was told that someone was on the way so i hung up

the men who gave chase never came back?the were on the other side out of view so i went to tell them that the guards were on the way when i looked at the driver they had him pinned to the ground,he wasnt in shock he was too drunk to know what was going on

So this drunk driver nearly took 7 cars out of it only for the intervention of fate,god whatever

For the love of god and anything you hold dear to you please dont drink and drive,you could all be reading over coffee this morning about a massive car pile up last night on the M50 where at least 5 cars involved 2 of them with pregnant women ,my wife included who the driver would have made first contact with,would have increased the death toll on our roads

Drinkin and driving dont go together and anyone who does and drives into a lamp post and dies without taking any innocent bystanders with them gets all they deserve

sorry for it so long rant over(still raving mad over this muppet lat night tho)

Boggle

Welcome rant - people who drink and drive should be barred from bloody cars for at least 10 years(if not life), if not barred from drinking as they clearly cannot control themselves. Its amazing how many people I know think its a bit funny to drive while pissed. Should see london - its like a national bloody sport over here!!

Some people just dont have a clue...:(

Wibbs

Welcome rant indeed. I've seen similar in my time. I've had the misfortune of seeing the result of a drunk driver hitting another car at speed and killing the 2 occupants. I drove up on that particular mess late one night many moons ago. The innocent parties car was damn near cut in half. The young man and woman in the car were obviously and very visually, very badly injured. I won't describe the sight, but it's one that won't ever leave me. By the time the ambulance arrived the man was dead and the woman died soon afterwards. TBH I wouldn't have wanted to live with injuries like that. I'm damn near shaking with both sadness and anger writing this.

The drunk guy hadn't a mark on him. He could barely stand, but like your guy, tried to run off. He was in his mid twenties. He kept on saying that it wasn't his fault. He "done nuthin wrong". Luckily another bloke had stopped at the scene of carnage and between us we stopped him til the guards showed up(v quickly too). There have been few times in my life where I've wanted to actually, physically kill someone. That was one of them. If the other chappie hadn't been there I'm not sure what I would have done(he expressed the same feelings). The (pretty shaken)garda who took our statements said the chances were he'd probably get off, or get sod all of a fine. I felt for him as he told us that it was something he saw all too often in his career.

I've never driven drunk(or had a drink) in many years of driving. I drink like a fish so if I can resist the temptation.. Speed cameras on the M50 are not going to stop the carnage on our roads when people(especially in more rural areas) can drive drunk with impunity. I know it's a tired old cliche, but putting garda cars outside huge pub car parks with random breath testing would go some way to help. I mean, no one can tell me that the drivers in those huge car parks that are outside most pubs are all staying sober. My arse.

lazygit

Wibbs wrote:

I know it's a tired old cliche, but putting garda cars outside huge pub car parks with random breath testing would go some way to help. I mean, no one can tell me that the drivers in those huge car parks that are outside most pubs are all staying sober. My arse.

I wonder how many of those drivers are L drivers, soon to have a No alcohol limit...
you can be sure its very few! its time the government got off its ass and set it that if
you even have one drink your off the road, but there probably to afraid of the rural pub owners

smarty

I would like to see a mandatory sentence for drink driving.

And if the jails are full, dress the people up in high visibility jackets and let them work building our roads.

gerrycollins

lazygit wrote:

I wonder how many of those drivers are L drivers, soon to have a No alcohol limit...
you can be sure its very few! its time the government got off its ass and set it that if
you even have one drink your off the road, but there probably to afraid of the rural pub owners

it doesnt matter who or what kinda driver you are one drink impares your driving i dont care who says that depends on the size of you and the meal or no meal in you its all crap and bull simply put drink driving kills and it only a matter of time before it happens to someone who "does it all the time"

as for the rurual pub owners f**k them

peasant

I still don't get that "constitutional issue" that seems to prevent random spot checks.

Nobody objects to random spot checks at airport security, now do they?

Having drunk drivers on the road pretty much equates to having a bomb or a highjacker on an airplane ...

Guy:Incognito

I take it the lads held onto the guy till the gards arrived and he was carted off?


I came accross a crash on my way home last night aswell but coultnt see what was going on. It was at the T junction just before the balrothery roundabout headifn away from the square. Everything seemed to be on the same side of the road so I assume one car stopped at teh lights and got rear ended by someone? Anyone know what happened?

I live in a road just off seskin view road and that junction is one of 2 watys out of my estate. I've seen a few people fly through those lights as if they didnt even notice them. One guy skidded between me and the car that was in front of me with a horrified look on his face like he only noticed the lights as he went through them. I was blessed I had taken off slowly and there was 15-20 feet between me and the guy in front.

bogmanfan

This is something I just can't get my head around. I'm teetotal myself, but most of my friends drink and none of them would get into a car after drinking. And if they did, I'd let them know exactly what I thought of them. The government has totally failed in their 'efforts' to curb our ridiculous accident rate.
They set up checkpoints for road tax and insurance, why not breathalyse everyone that passes through these?
Where is the problem with random checks? In my 28 years, I've never been in a car where the driver was breathalysed. If they catch an average of 700 drivers a week (according to the Indo) with so few checks, chances are they'd catch tens of thousands if they had a one-month blitz. If people thought they'd get caught, they wouldn't do it. A nice prison sentence or 10-year driving ban might make them think twice.
One of the problems is our high legal limit. Most people think they can have 1 or 2 drinks and still be fine. Some might be, some mightn't. The bottom line is that at just under the legal limit, you are over 5 times more likely to be in an accident. The solution is an ultra-low legal limit, where even one drink would be enough to fail a breathalyser test.
And as for rural pub owners, f**k em is. They'll gladly serve pints to their regulars, knowing they'll be driving home.

Guy:Incognito

bogmanfan wrote:

They set up checkpoints for road tax and insurance, why not breathalyse everyone that passes through these? .

Because it was illegal, they had to have just cause. The law was changed recenntly to provide for random tests but not sure if its in yet.

Turner

A garda can take a breath sample of somebody at the side of the road only if..

The Garda thinks they have consumed alcohol

They have comitted an offence under the road traffic act (speeding/dangerous overtaking etc etc)

They have been involved in an accident.


Mind you the garda doesnt have to take a breath sample, if he thinks you are drunk he can just arrest. And taking a breath sample leaves the garda open to all insundry in a contested court case.

"Garda why did you ask my client to blow into the machine if you were not certain he was drunk"?? "Had you not formed your opinion based on his driving and his demeanour and if you did why did you not arrest him"??


Somebody said 700 drunks are caught a week, if they did a BLITZ they would catch thousands. That would be very good but in 2-3 months time there would be no gardai on the beat or maybe 1-2 gardai covering each station, with many stations closed.

Because all the gardai would be in court giving evidence and attending contested cases and adjournements and even appeals to the circuit court.

hawker

Personally I think most of the driving with drink is taking place in the rural areas. I'm from a semi rural area myself and it does go on the whole time.

It's about time the Government got real and tackled this for once and for all. Surely something could be introduced where a barperson could be given some incentive to drop people home after they've had a few drinks. IN rural areas the clientele come from miles around to have a few drinks and find it impossible to get taxi's as they don't operate from these areas.

I don't think this designated driver scheme is working very well. Howver by giving the barperson the incentive to drive someone home is the only way. It's cuts out driving with drink and could even lead to better profits for that bar.

Traumadoc

I remember a few years ago, a car crash where the car was driven by a "drunk driver " crashed into a another car, The driver died at the scene but the front seat passenger was very badly injured and was loosing blood very rapidly , he was not getting enough blood to the brain and as a result was very confused and agitated as a result had to be held down while we tried to resusitate him- , his last moments alive he was held down by 4 security officers while he tried to fight them off, thats FUBAR.
That said the worst bit is telling the family.

I agree we should have random breath testing - in Australia I was tested regularly -no problem.

Stark

Wibbs wrote:

The (pretty shaken)garda who took our statements said the chances were he'd probably get off, or get sod all of a fine. I felt for him as he told us that it was something he saw all too often in his career.

Surely if you get into a car plastered drunk and kill two people, you're at least off the road for a few years, criminal charges aside?

Seanie M

Thanks for posting that gerrycollins, seriously. I am glad someone was looking down from above to prevent it being worse. In hindsight, it would have been good to have had a camcorder or your mobile to record some of the goings on etc, if only to act as a lesson, and not as gossip.

Seanie.

gerrycollins

Seanie M wrote:

Thanks for posting that gerrycollins, seriously. I am glad someone was looking down from above to prevent it being worse. In hindsight, it would have been good to have had a camcorder or your mobile to record some of the goings on etc, if only to act as a lesson, and not as gossip.

Seanie.

actually my wife had said to me weeks ago about having a camera in the car just to catch bad drivers,as a matter of conversation and to post here, and on that trip i had said that someone on boards had posted links to car cameras and what about if i got one?

People complain about a nanny state, now if we have to guards or laws that are "nanny" ie smoking ban which is been copied around the world,bag tax also been considered around the world both of which i have no prob with but others i do (so leave that for another day), when muppets and gob****es like this fella think its ok to get into their car after a skinful of pints well feck it all nanny me because there are irresponsible immature and ignorant dickheads out there and if i obey the law which i do then i have got nothing to worry about

yes the other 6 lads held him till the guards came

gerrycollins

sorry for swearing mods just really really vexed about this i was always against drink driving but until you see it with your own eyes........

John R

You'll be happy to know that the Nanny State was alive and well less than half a mile from the location of this incident. There was a gatso van on the other side of the motorway just past the N11 turn-off, with no doubt a couple of guards keeping the road safe from dangerous drivers.

drdre

you are right drink and driving donot go together and its only stupid idiots that do that.

i know that road really well.i pass it nearly every day.

silverski

Does anyone have a link to the In car camera setup.

I see so many scary things on the road very day. have called 999 on many occasions. But it would be help to have some evidence for the Garda.


Many thanks

Silverski

DublinWriter

OP you cite a pretty bad example, but drive past any of the Dublin suburban 'uber' pubs on a Friday and Saturday night and the car parks will be chocka.

You don't serviously think that they are all designated drivers do you?

The guards should do what they do in Australia and set up breath-checks just outside the carparks at closing time.

gerrycollins

DublinWriter wrote:

OP you cite a pretty bad example, but drive past any of the Dublin suburban 'uber' pubs on a Friday and Saturday night and the car parks will be chocka.

You don't serviously think that they are all designated drivers do you?

The guards should do what they do in Australia and set up breath-checks just outside the carparks at closing time.

sorry i dont get what you mean?

gerrycollins

silverski wrote:

Does anyone have a link to the In car camera setup.

I see so many scary things on the road very day. have called 999 on many occasions. But it would be help to have some evidence for the Garda.


Many thanks

Silverski

its in the rant and rave sticky in the current last page

Traumadoc

The other thing is that in australia if its your first offence and you are just over the limit you only loose your licence for a short time 1-12 months - the suspensions increase if you are a repeat offender or are way over the limit. I feel that for many that is alesson that they wont forget.

They also test for drugs- we studied people who presented following MVAs and found many elderly patients tested positive for drugs (sedatives and analgesics). Next time you are stuck behind some old biddy doing 50kmh - she may be on a "trip" so be careful:o