Last night on my way home from a party my husband and I got stopped by the police.
It was the early hours of the morning and because they could smell alcohol in the car, (from my husband I add), they breathalysed me which proved clear, the little green light stayed green so I was allowed on my way.
During a brief chat with the police officer she told me that she had stopped several drivers that evening and had made several arrests for being over the limit. She said it was a nice change to actually get a 'non-result' from someone as most of the people she had stopped had either been over the limit or had given a boarder line reading indicating they'd taken a drink.
I just don't get why people drink and drive, getting a taxi back to my home from the friends we'd been partying with would have cost £35, had I of proved positive then the fines alone would have been in the hundreds of pounds not to mention the wasted money by insurance premiums when I get my licence back.
Why are people so stupid they'll take the risk? Don't they realise it's going to cost a lot more money in the long run than a taxi ever could?
Don't they get that if they drink and drive it could kill someone?
Don't they get that it's the run up to Christmas and so the police are more likely to stop them if they're out late at night or, (as in my case), they're out in the car in the early hours of the morning??
A car is a lethal weapon in the hands of a moron who's had a few, it will kill someone if it runs them over or hits their car.
Perhaps stiffer penalties are the answer? The officer I spoke to said that she's often arrested people she's arrested for drink driving who are banned and behind the wheel despite the ban so it seems that the current penalties aren't stiffer.
My suggestion would be taking their cars off them and crushing them, a 5 year ban, having to take the driving test again, a £5,000 fine, (with attachment to earnings order if they're employed, or money taken from benefits) and at least a year in some really harsh jail, and when they come out, a years worth of community service.
The police and motor insurance providers have the ANPR system and the MIB system, (which I admit isn't infallible but it works at least a good 90% of the time), so why can't the motor industry such as car dealers and auctions be a part of this system and not be allowed to sell a car to anyone convicted of drink driving?
Make it harder for them to buy a car in the first place.
OK so they could buy a car privately, or perhaps get a friend to buy a car for them from a dealer or at auction, but that could be made a real risk for the friend if it's found they bought a car for someone who is on a ban by disqualifying them from the road, taking their car from them, giving them huge fines and making them take a re-test if they've helped someone buy a car.
I mean, if a friend of yours asked you to run the risk of fines, imprisonment, having your own car lifted, a ban and a re-test just because you've helped a mate out, would you run the risk? I know I wouldn't.
The battle against drink drivers is one the police and courts aren't winning. The whole system is a joke and they need to do something to get these drink drive morons off the road.
My mother survived my grandmother didnt
