caught drink driving what to do now?

CrazyKitten

Rb wrote: »

Exactly.

I know a guy who was banned for three years as a result of being caught over the limit the morning after a night out. In this day and age, I think anyone who drink drives should be taken off the road permanently.

coughxt mornin is a bit ridiculus unless he stoped drinkin at 5am n was workin at 8 like!


but ur mates a fool for cause te hassle for his family n himself!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Dinter

My brother was knocked off his motorbike and left in a coma for three weeks by a car that made an illegal right turn without having the common sense to look left or right before he did it. He may have done it dozens of times without incident before but this time was different.

It was an extremely trying time for my family and now several years later still has repercussions as we watch his slow and painful recovery back to where he was before it.

The driver being the absolutely disgusting, amoral animal that he is didn't stop and has never had to account for his actions.

Within a week of this incident barriers were introduced so that other cars could no longer make this turn. The reason they had to install barriers was that people still considered themselves above the law and appeared to believe that they had some god given "spidey sense" that allowed them warning of any of the many and varied eventualities that could occur when they decide that it's safe to "bend" the law from behind the wheel of a car.

That is why I disagree with people breaking speed limits as they see fit. They could have superhuman driving skills but the dog that's gotten out of its garden and wanders out in front of them, forcing them to swerve at high speed into the path of an oncoming car or to mount a footpath probably hasn't got the road awareness that they believe they have.

True you might flout speed limits and never have or ever will have an incident. But, God forbid it happens, that you do end up wasting some poor lad who's only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time will you really be able to justify it to yourself by saying, "on the many occassions I've done it before nothing happened"? Would you not prefer that you could answer your conscience honestly and say I was doing what was considered safe.

As Dragan so melochonically stated earlier there is a huge difference between knowing your loved one was lost through an accident and knowing they were lost through avoidable driver's carelessness. That your relative's life was worth less than someones desire to get home in time for dinner.

ShiverinEskimo

Summed it up perfectly Dinter. Best wishes for your brother.

Steve

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Sorry - I thought I was discussing this with someone intelligent. You're missing my point completely. I'm not saying everyone should go slow - I'm saying its never suitable or justifyable to go over the limits regardless of road condition.

And I'm saying that it's not necessarily safe to assume that the posted limit is a safe speed.

What speed do you consider 'safe' on a windy back road that doesn't have enough clearance for two cars to pass on a wet and foggy morning?

If motorway speed limits were removed, what speed would you feel comfortable driving at?

(no need for the insult BTW:()

menoscemo

Dinter wrote: »

That is why I disagree with people breaking speed limits as they see fit. They could have superhuman driving skills but the dog that's gotten out of its garden and wanders out in front of them, forcing them to swerve at high speed into the path of an oncoming car or to mount a footpath probably hasn't got the road awareness that they believe they have.

A dog does not force anyone to swerve and cause an accident. A good driver will just knock the dog down and carry on regardless of what speed he is driving at.

Marcus.Aurelius

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Sorry - I thought I was discussing this with someone intelligent. You're missing my point completely. I'm not saying everyone should go slow - I'm saying its never suitable or justifyable to go over the limits regardless of road condition.

What about Gardaí on a call?

What about ambulance drivers? Fire Dispatch? Overtaking someone driving at 90 kph safely and effectively?

I drive at 200-220 kph chasing cars and honestly, I'm fairly certain that most accidents I attend involve morons killing each other below the speed limit.

It's an arbitrary rule, and I don't mind people travelling along at 110/112 kph in a 100 zone, so long as they're driving well. Not so for the moron at 150 kph who's moving too fast compared to the other traffic.

Speed is subjective. Always.

If you drive along at 80 kph and see me flying past at 150 kph chasing someone, it will look very fast indeed. For me, its run of the mill, happens every day. You can get used to anything.

That said, you don't seem all that open-minded in the debate at all.

Dragan

menoscemo wrote: »

A dog does not force anyone to swerve and cause an accident. A good driver will just knock the dog down and carry on regardless of what speed he is driving at.

Talk about arguing the little points.

A "good driver".

What about the bad ones.

In my opinion a "good driver" would not be going any appreciable distance above the speed limit.

Marcus.Aurelius

Dragan wrote: »

In my opinion a "good driver" would not be going any appreciable distance above the speed limit.

What would be appreciable? I would consider 20 kph over to be pushing their luck in a 100/120 zone, but I've zero tolerance around seriously built-up areas and near schools.

Steve

menoscemo wrote: »

A dog does not force anyone to swerve and cause an accident. A good driver will just knock the dog down and carry on regardless of what speed he is driving at.

I agree in principle about not swerving for a dog.
A good driver would be thinking ahead and expecting a child to run out and be travelling at a speed where he could stop in time though.

Dinter

menoscemo wrote: »

A dog does not force anyone to swerve and cause an accident. A good driver will just knock the dog down and carry on regardless of what speed he is driving at.

Ok an escaped drey horse then or a lowflying duck or an lost mental patient or a car driven by a foreigner on the wrong side of the road or a tree being blown down or a jack knifing truck or a landslide or a feral deer or an oil slick or someone doing graffiti on an overpass or the car in front having a blow out or a car coming through the central divider or any number of other things that I don't have time to write because I'm off home.




Thanks ShiverinEskimo.

Steve

Dragan wrote: »

In my opinion a "good driver" would not be going any appreciable distance above the speed limit.

See my post above re what a good driver would do.

A bad driver would be driving along just under the government issued 'speed target' which is of course 'safe', and allows him plenty of time to avoid the dog or, god forbid, a child.*



*Warning: may taste of sarcasm

Steve

Dinter wrote: »

Ok an escaped drey horse then or a lowflying duck or an lost mental patient or a car driven by a foreigner on the wrong side of the road or a tree being blown down or a jack knifing truck or a landslide or a feral deer or an oil slick or someone doing graffiti on an overpass or the car in front having a blow out or a car coming through the central divider or any number of other things that I don't have time to write because I'm off home.

As I said, obeying the speed limit doesent mean it's safe, using your head does.

Sorry to hear about your brother.

Okay I'm just home from work and as this has been todays topic that i contributed to more than any other I was observing the goings on. i take the M50 from Sandyford to the Cherrywood exit and I live in Killiney and on my route home today I saw, in no particular order:

- 2 pedestrains walking the hard shoulder of the M50 slip.

- a woman turning left at a junction where theres a sign sayin no left turn because he stayed in the wrong lane to skip the traffic of the designated left turn lane, ended up too far up and decided "feck it ill go left anyway"

- a guy nearly drive out in front of me without looking

- a guy driving an articulated lorry decide for no reason other than he could, that he was going to pull onto the roundabout despiute their not being enough space, knowing full well that he could because his vehicle was larger than everyone elses.

- a cyclist cycling between lanes on the dual carriageway at loughlinstown and then cutting in front of a car suddenly to "get left".

- a van in front of me insist on doing 45mph in the fast lane of the M50.

- a van behind me tailgating me as a result of this. This guy then came off at the same exit as me and at the next set of lights stared into the car and then tried to race me when the lights went green (which is funny cos if I were that way inclined my car would destroy his van...fookin egomaniacal tw@ts ... that sh1t really pissed me off sorry)

- a guy doing 20 mph in a 40 mph zone and changing his mind 4 times about which lane he was in and shuffle between the 2 without indicating.


None of these people were speeding (speeding being defined as travellling above the speed limit), in fact most were goin less than the speed limit. In fact bar the last road before my estate i didnt see anyone speeding, due mainly to the volume of traffic dictating that you couldnt) and yet, all of these people posed a danger to other road users.


my point is that yes speed is important. But lambasting everyone on here who admits that they occasionally creep up to 35mph in a 30mph zone is hugely unfair. id love to see a poll showing honestly how many of those people actually have sat behind the wheel of a car. Idealistically its great if u NEVER speed. Unfortunately the other factors (for example looking out for the idiots I mentioned above) mean that u cant realisticallt concentrate 100% of the time on maintaining the speed limit and if u do then u are in danger of having an accident with the aformentioned types.

IMO Irelands biggest problem with the roads is the horrendous standard of driving in this country. Sidetracking all of your energies onto speed and ignoring all of these other factors is stupid.



Dinter, sorry to hear about your brother, he's another victim to the sort of idiocy I have highlighted on my drive home, another inconsiderate driver. I hope his recovery continues.

sunny2004

can we not all get alone.

Maybe we all need a drink !

Dinter

Dinter wrote: »

Ok an escaped drey horse then or a lowflying duck or an lost mental patient or a car driven by a foreigner on the wrong side of the road or a tree being blown down or a jack knifing truck or a landslide or a feral deer or an oil slick or someone doing graffiti on an overpass or the car in front having a blow out or a car coming through the central divider or any number of other things that I don't have time to write because I'm off home.

/facepalm,

if you considered all that while driving down a motorway, you'd slow down for each and every bridge, gap in the fence etc and be rammed up the rear by another driver who is less paranoid.

Real life demands that you have some trust in the environment around you being relativly stable, otherwise you would be completely paranoid and unable to function!

Tigger

Marcus.Aurelius wrote: »

What would be appreciable? I would consider 20 kph over to be pushing their luck in a 100/120 zone, but I've zero tolerance around seriously built-up areas and near schools.

as it should be
i was pulled coming into carrik on shannon on the bike by a bike cop
i had been doing probably 80mph but the road was clear an d wide and it was sunny

i saw him as soon as i went past and pulled over to wait for him

he asked for lisence and then asked about tax insurance etc but took me at my word

my mate came pootering up on a new duke and pulled over nearby to wait for me

yer man then goes follow me to the to of us and we get to scream along after him for about 10 miles till he turns off
seen him later that day ticketing these idiots in a 30mph zone near a ice cream shop

i like garda that think right

i have never been ticketed in all my years driveing taxis vans and as a bike courier
mainly because i drive as the conditions deserve

people who think the limits are black and white are the ones who drive at 40 mph in the 60mph zones and then keep at 40 in the 30 zones

my mums mate once complained that she was done at 38 in a 38 sur i says thats the same as 86 on a motorway

Tigger

Deleted User wrote: »

/facepalm,

if you considered all that while driving down a motorway, you'd slow down for each and every bridge, gap in the fence etc and be rammed up the rear by another driver who is less paranoid.

Real life demands that you have some trust in the environment around you being relativly stable, otherwise you would be completely paranoid and unable to function!

i slow for bridges over motorways
the oftebn ahve speed traps

Marcus.Aurelius

Tigger wrote: »

i slow for bridges over motorways
the oftebn ahve speed traps

Got to admit, I like the way you think.

If that's what you could call it.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Okay I'm just home from work and as this has been todays topic that i contributed to more than any other I was observing the goings on. i take the M50 from Sandyford to the Cherrywood exit and I live in Killiney and on my route home today I saw, in no particular order:

- 2 pedestrains walking the hard shoulder of the M50 slip.

- a woman turning left at a junction where theres a sign sayin no left turn because he stayed in the wrong lane to skip the traffic of the designated left turn lane, ended up too far up and decided "feck it ill go left anyway"

- a guy nearly drive out in front of me without looking

- a guy driving an articulated lorry decide for no reason other than he could, that he was going to pull onto the roundabout despiute their not being enough space, knowing full well that he could because his vehicle was larger than everyone elses.

- a cyclist cycling between lanes on the dual carriageway at loughlinstown and then cutting in front of a car suddenly to "get left".

- a van in front of me insist on doing 45mph in the fast lane of the M50.

- a van behind me tailgating me as a result of this. This guy then came off at the same exit as me and at the next set of lights stared into the car and then tried to race me when the lights went green (which is funny cos if I were that way inclined my car would destroy his van...fookin egomaniacal tw@ts ... that sh1t really pissed me off sorry)

- a guy doing 20 mph in a 40 mph zone and changing his mind 4 times about which lane he was in and shuffle between the 2 without indicating.


None of these people were speeding (speeding being defined as travellling above the speed limit), in fact most were goin less than the speed limit. In fact bar the last road before my estate i didnt see anyone speeding, due mainly to the volume of traffic dictating that you couldnt) and yet, all of these people posed a danger to other road users.


my point is that yes speed is important. But lambasting everyone on here who admits that they occasionally creep up to 35mph in a 30mph zone is hugely unfair. id love to see a poll showing honestly how many of those people actually have sat behind the wheel of a car. Idealistically its great if u NEVER speed. Unfortunately the other factors (for example looking out for the idiots I mentioned above) mean that u cant realisticallt concentrate 100% of the time on maintaining the speed limit and if u do then u are in danger of having an accident with the aformentioned types.

IMO Irelands biggest problem with the roads is the horrendous standard of driving in this country. Sidetracking all of your energies onto speed and ignoring all of these other factors is stupid.



Dinter, sorry to hear about your brother, he's another victim to the sort of idiocy I have highlighted on my drive home, another inconsiderate driver. I hope his recovery continues.

Good post, not much to add to that really, van reversing down a sliproad on the mad cow last week, etc, etc, etc, not drifting a few km's over the limit.

Bad driving causes more accidents than excessive speed!

ShiverinEskimo

Marcus.Aurelius wrote: »

What about Gardaí on a call?

What about ambulance drivers? Fire Dispatch? Overtaking someone driving at 90 kph safely and effectively?

I drive at 200-220 kph chasing cars and honestly, I'm fairly certain that most accidents I attend involve morons killing each other below the speed limit.

And all have great big flashing blue lights and great big loud sirens. And even so - those people who were killed in those accidents may not have been if the drivers in question adjusted their speed accordingly for the conditions.

Marcus.Aurelius wrote:

It's an arbitrary rule, and I don't mind people travelling along at 110/112 kph in a 100 zone, so long as they're driving well. Not so for the moron at 150 kph who's moving too fast compared to the other traffic.

Driving well? What the hell is that? Can you quantify 'Driving well'? Straight line? between the white lines? I fail to see how "driving well" will save you when something crosses your path and you are forced to stop quickly.

Marcus.Aurelius wrote:

If you drive along at 80 kph and see me flying past at 150 kph chasing someone, it will look very fast indeed. For me, its run of the mill, happens every day. You can get used to anything.

Congratulations, you're a hero. Read my point above about blue lights and sirens.

Marcus.Aurelius wrote:

That said, you don't seem all that open-minded in the debate at all.

Not really - The speed limits and laws are there for a reason and should be upheld by the Public and are not discretionary - as a member of the Gardai you of all people should be encouraging that.

Tigger

Tigger wrote: »

i slow for bridges over motorways
the oftebn ahve speed traps

So do I, same reason - a quick peek up the slip roads as I pass.

Tigger

Marcus.Aurelius wrote: »

Got to admit, I like the way you think.

If that's what you could call it.

its hard to type accuratly while over taking

Tigger

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

And all have great big flashing blue lights and great big loud sirens.
.

do you know what blue and twos do

i've driven paramedic cars and the lights make people brake not look: not move :brake

Marcus.Aurelius

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

The speed limits and laws are there for a reason and should be upheld by the Public and are not discretionary - as a member of the Gardai you of all people should be encouraging that.

I'm sure you realise that enforcing the law and improving road safety are two completely different things. I didn't write the laws and I don't have to agree with them to enforce them.

Safe driving is defensive driving. Good driving is defensive driving. Take an IAM course if you really want to improve your skills, not just the ability to drive at a reasonable speed for the conditions.

Quit reinforcing the brainwashing rubbish of the RSA. And Tigger's right, blues and twos rarely improve things when you're moving fast. People are utterly unreliable and stupid in groups!

ShiverinEskimo

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

And all have great big flashing blue lights and great big loud sirens. And even so - those people who were killed in those accidents may not have been if the drivers in question adjusted their speed accordingly for the conditions.



Driving well? What the hell is that? Can you quantify 'Driving well'? Straight line? between the white lines? I fail to see how "driving well" will save you when something crosses your path and you are forced to stop quickly.



Congratulations, you're a hero. Read my point above about blue lights and sirens.



Not really - The speed limits and laws are there for a reason and should be upheld by the Public and are not discretionary - as a member of the Gardai you of all people should be encouraging that.

I just love the way you're criticizing a professional police driver about road safety!

Tigger

Deleted User wrote: »

I just love the way you're criticizing a professional police driver about road safety!

thats what the tinterweb is for

ShiverinEskimo

Marcus.Aurelius wrote:

I'm sure you realise that enforcing the law and improving road safety are two completely different things. I didn't write the laws and I don't have to agree with them to enforce them.

Safe driving is defensive driving. Good driving is defensive driving

And yet you see fit to turn a blind eye to drivers exceeding the speed limit because they are driving 'well'.

Tell me this - if you see someone exceeding the 100k speed limit by say 10 or 15kph and turn a blind eye, what happens when further up the road that person hits a pedestrian and stops about 10 metres after the point of impact? Would the fact that they were "driving well" a minute before the incident make the fact that perhaps it was avoidable had you done your job and pulled them over for speeding?

I realise i'm getting pedantic now but my point has been consistent throughout - there is never an excuse for driving at speeds greater than the limit. Its everyone else that is throwing increasingly inciteful scenarios at me to try and prove there are situations where it is deemed "safe".



Oh, and BTW, SteveC - apologies for the insulting post towards yourself. I'll edit it now. Was not my intent to insult you.

Tigger

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

And yet you see fit to turn a blind eye to drivers exceeding the speed limit because they are driving 'well'.

well i'm in sales so yes i mind my own business

Tell me this - if you see someone exceeding the 100k speed limit by say 10 or 15kph and turn a blind eye, what happens when further up the road that person hits a pedestrian and stops about 10 metres after the point of impact? Would the fact that they were "driving well" a minute before the incident make the fact that perhaps it was avoidable had you done your job and pulled them over for speeding?

why was the pedestrian on the road

I realise i'm getting pedantic now but my point has been consistent throughout - there is never an excuse for driving at speeds greater than the limit. Its everyone else that is throwing increasingly inciteful scenarios at me to try and prove there are situations where it is deemed "safe".

you are wrong also why not ask the copper about this stuff he's just there

Marcus.Aurelius

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

And yet you see fit to turn a blind eye to drivers exceeding the speed limit because they are driving 'well'.

Tell me this - if you see someone exceeding the 100k speed limit by say 10 or 15kph and turn a blind eye, what happens when further up the road that person hits a pedestrian and stops about 10 metres after the point of impact? Would the fact that they were "driving well" a minute before the incident make the fact that perhaps it was avoidable had you done your job and pulled them over for speeding?

Not really. If the person walked out 10 meter/sec equiv later the 100 kph car would hit him anyway. You can't think like that.

ShiverinEskimo

Tigger wrote: »

why was the pedestrian on the road

What has that got to do with anything.

Marcus.Aurelius wrote:

Not really. If the person walked out 10 meter/sec equiv later the 100 kph car would hit him anyway. You can't think like that.

You've changed my scenario to suit your argument. The fact remains the extra 10 or 15kmph makes a huge difference to the stopping distance of the vehicle and could be critical in avoiding injury or death to any kind of other road user up ahead.