new drink driving laws.

Wee_Willy_Harris

anewman wrote: »

Oh, and why are the police allowed to stop at random and breathalise people? I thought there had to be some sort of reasonable or just cause to stop someone but seems the law changed at some point and they pull people over willy nilly (Nazi Policing? Cash grabbing?)

We don't (yet) have random breath testing.

goldspanners

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

We don't (yet) have random breath testing.

don't kid yourself, all the police have to do is say you looked as if you were driving suspisiously.

i got pulled over regularly, my at the time very noticable works van was parked outside the local frequently and was on a main road just a few yards away from the local police station. on my way home i would get pulled over the police would use various excuses to pull me saying i seemed to be going to fast,or driving erratically,or i had crossed the centre line in the middle of the road,none of which were true but poor excuses to pull me as they thought i had been drinking in the pub all night.
i never touched a single drop if i was driving so they never got anything on me and it wound them up especially the female officers for some reason,she actually gave me a lecture about smoking aswell as at the time i smoked and she could smell it from my clothes.

Wee_Willy_Harris

The officer still needs "reasonable grounds to suspect" that you may have alcohol in your system. Being parked outside a pub would seem to satisfy that requirement. Frankly, if it bothered you so much, why not just park somewhere else?

anewman

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

We don't (yet) have random breath testing.

They do it in South Wales. I have seen them park up in lay bys to pull cars over at random on popular drinking times, and know of someone aged over 50 who was pulled at random and breathalysed who hadn't drank a drop. Unfortunately it seems we do have random breath testing

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article4965348.ece
?

Mankysteve

Indeed the officer were not pulling you randomly. They were pulling you because you been parked out side a pub then drove away. While it may be little unfair to presume that you had been drinking it must be a great way of catching drinking driver and it would give the police "reasonable grounds to suspect". Unfortunately the odd person will get a slightly inconvenienced but if it stop many a person being killed then so be it. Air port security is an inconvenience an probably wasted more time than the stops you've does.

Wee_Willy_Harris

anewman wrote: »

They do it in South Wales. I have seen them park up in lay bys to pull cars over at random on popular drinking times, and know of someone aged over 50 who was pulled at random and breathalysed who hadn't drank a drop. Unfortunately it seems we do have random breath testing

Nope. We have random stops, but not random breath tests. Reasonable grounds still apply. Of course, now as ever, reasonable is a very subjective term. But it was always thus.

anewman

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

Nope. We have random stops, but not random breath tests. Reasonable grounds still apply. Of course, now as ever, reasonable is a very subjective term. But it was always thus.

If I considered it reasonable to not provide a breath sample when asked and I knew there was nothing to suggest I had been drinking, why does *their* reasonable suddenly supersede *my* "reasonable"? and why if I provide a negative sample am I not compensated for my wasted time?! yet if a positive sample is provided money has to go their way. All in one small group of people's favour and not someone else's

Wee_Willy_Harris

anewman wrote: »

If I considered it reasonable to not provide a breath sample when asked and I knew there was nothing to suggest I had been drinking, why does *their* reasonable suddenly supersede *my* "reasonable"? and why if I provide a negative sample am I not compensated for my wasted time?! yet if a positive sample is provided money has to go their way. All in one small group of people's favour and not someone else's

You are perfectly free to refuse a breath test. That is your right and no-one will force you to take one.

ailuro2

One of the other things under review is the right to demand a second test down at the police station when people are just over the limit, as they know by the time they get there and are processed some of the alcohol will be out of their system. With roadside breath testing devices now being much more accurate than years ago they are looking to change it to the first test being classed as accurate enough for an arrest and conviction.

If I know I'm going to be driving I never drink the night (or day:p) before. It doesn't take much to give me a hangover, and I'm pretty under the weather all day.

If driving was unavoidable I just wouldn't drink the night before... no matter how much folk told me to 'hae a drink' (in Scotland some parts think it's odd not to at least have a couple of drinks at the start of the night - but what's the point in that? If I drink I'm doing it for the inebriation, not because I'm savouring the flavour of a wee blue WKD:rotfl:)

goldspanners

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

The officer still needs "reasonable grounds to suspect" that you may have alcohol in your system. Being parked outside a pub would seem to satisfy that requirement. Frankly, if it bothered you so much, why not just park somewhere else?

why should i need to? it seemed to wind the police up more than me so i quite enjoyed it.

being parked outside a pub is a weak reason to pull you over,what if i worked there? would you like being pulled over every night on the way home from your work?