How to spot drink drivers?

Savman

On a trip from Kilkenny to Dublin late last night I came across a few cases of what I suspected to be drivers "over compensating" by driving wayyyy below the limit (I'm talking below 60km in a 100km zone with little traffic on the roads).

That, coupled with the odd swerve, led me to just presume the driver has had a drinky winky or 3. Maybe it's just that every bad driver I come across after midnight I just assume is a drink driver when I may meet these drivers during the day and they'd just be another careless driver.

What are people's views on this, do you reckon it's possible to spot Drink Drivers and what's the key giveaways?

Obviously ye can't know for certain but I think I can tell when someone's driving erratically (crossing over lanes on roundabout, timid speed, refusal to overtake, general ignorace of road markings, erratic speed - unnessecary speeding up/braking).

Answers on a postcard...;)

Wishbone Ash

In my experience, drink drivers are much more commonplace in the late afternoon and early evening.

maidhc

If I am tired and driving home late I think I display some of those tell tale signs... In particualr driving slow.

I know I should do what the NSC say and stop, have a coffee and go for a quick snooze, but I just can never make my mind up which motorway service station has the best coffee, so I stay going.

Wishbone Ash

maidhc wrote:

which motorway service station has the best coffee

LOL

Silvera

Did you call the gardai?

If you have suspicions that a driver may be drunk, call the local garda station (or 999/112 which will put you through to the nearest station).
After all, you could save somebody's life by doing so!

311

If it's windy out and an elderly person is driving a car ,they might not have the strenght to control the car at a higher speed.
Also the wind will blow them a lot more if it's a small car.

just a thought

Pherekydes

When the guy, who drove into my Trajet (not the smallest car on the road) at 40 without a last-second screech, couldn't stand upright without leaning heavily on his car I guessed he was slightly inebriated. (Okay, he was blind drunk)

Driving like a timid mouse is not, in my opinion, a useful indicator of drunkenness. Weaving over the road, scuffing the kerbs and over-compensation might be.

Car Mad

one day i saw a fella driving at about 4 o clock swearving all over the road and he was drinking out of a can.it wasnt coke neither

Savman

I was trying my best to give them the benefit of the doubt, "oh maybe its an old granny" but some of them were really takin the p***.
The issue of driving while knackered might be best left to another thread although it is a problem, you get this with people leaving their high beams on etc (even after 7 flashes :eek:).

I think it'd have to be really bad and I'd have to be certain before I'd ring the Gardai.

You just never know...

311

Came across a checkpoint tonight ,there was 5 or 6 cars pulled in with a garda at each vehicle with their heads in the car windows.
Very professionaly done .

Car Mad

_Brian_ wrote:

Came across a checkpoint tonight ,there was 5 or 6 cars pulled in with a garda at each vehicle with their heads in the car windows.
Very professionaly done .

only a normal check point tbh.tax no insurance yes nct yes.continue on wait random breath test '' wha u must be joking im only on my way to the pub now:rolleyes: '' ''ok continue on dont be drink driving you hear.''course not guard wouldnt dream of it. *under breath sucker:D shur i never killed anyone;)

dudara

I've come across a few, and they usually seem to drive way too slowly and carefully, but give themselves away with the odd vicious swerve.

Car Mad

dudara wrote:

I've come across a few, and they usually seem to drive way too slowly and carefully, but give themselves away with the odd vicious swerve.

yup they didnt see that straight patch of road coming:D oh wait this is ireland no straight roads here well there is but drunk drivers use back roads:p

LostinBlanch

What about this guy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfyb0qxQDHw

Mitch Connor

i was out on saturday night, went to the pub for a few drinks after a meal. My gf did the driving, and we were dropping some friends off. Didn't see one gardai checkpoint on the way, despite going past a good few pubs. I haven't seen a checkpoint since the random breath tests came in. I don't drink and drive myself, i don't even drive the next day, so it wouldn't be of any bother to me - but the fact i have seen none is a bit odd. Was certain i would see a few on Saturday night, christmas period 'n all.

godtabh

Tauren wrote:

i was out on saturday night, went to the pub for a few drinks after a meal. My gf did the driving, and we were dropping some friends off. Didn't see one gardai checkpoint on the way, despite going past a good few pubs. I haven't seen a checkpoint since the random breath tests came in. I don't drink and drive myself, i don't even drive the next day, so it wouldn't be of any bother to me - but the fact i have seen none is a bit odd. Was certain i would see a few on Saturday night, christmas period 'n all.

I'm the same.

By any chance did people see the "super" check point on the M50 last night? Looked like the M50 anyways from the RTE News at 9

VERYinterested

Dead giveaway is no lights turned on in the dark.