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Original poster

To think it's really not hard to NOT drink and drive.

73 replies

Catchingbentcoppers · 14/04/2019 18:08

Fuck sake. My cousin has just been done for drink driving. With her 3 year old in the car. Apparently it's not her fault, she only had a 'couple' and, get this, 'thinks the breathalyser machine thingy was wrong'.

I'm so fucking angry I can't even respond to her message just now. I don't think I want to respond at all other than to tell her I think she's a fucking disgrace for putting her son and god knows how many other people in danger. Fucking shameful. I don't know why I put this in AIBU as I know I'm not.

OP posts:

HopeClearwater · 14/04/2019 23:49

Does anyone know if you lose your licence immediately if you are caught drink driving a second time

You lose it the FIRST time!

And then again the second time. Etc

Original poster

Catchingbentcoppers · 15/04/2019 08:19

Well I did message her back. I didn't hold back and now she's not talking to me as I am 'unsupportive'. Which is absolutely fine with me. Turns out that she not only had her own DS in the car, but her nephew too.

OP posts:

NicoAndTheNiners · 15/04/2019 08:30

I live rurally and so many people in my village or a nearby village have been done for drink driving it's untrue. If I go out I get a taxi back or drink soft drinks.

A woman from up the road hit my parked car one evening and she was nearly 4x the drink drive limit. She couldn't stand! She was falling over, was unaware she'd hit the car and couldn't understand why her car wouldn't move and then tried to fight the police!

Someone else local hit a bus while drunk. Bizarrely you're still allowed to drive while waiting to go to court. Two weeks later she was drink driving again and a head on smash. The other car which had an elderly driver trapped in it burst into flames and the drunk woman ran off and left them stuck in the burning car! Luckily other pulled the trapped driver out. Drunk driver got a 4 year jail sentence, she has small kids! She deserves the prison sentence but I feel sorry for her kids.

Another drunk driver killed two teenagers near me just before Xmas. Apparantly was so drunk before driving he was falling off his bar stool in the pub! I think other people need to take car keys off drunk people or see them into a taxi! I know it's not really their responsibility but if it helps prevent such a tragedy then it's worth doing.

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Driving & parking

TapasForTwo · 15/04/2019 08:31

Why on earth does she expect any support?
She chose to drink and drive.

ExplodingCarrots · 15/04/2019 08:35

She's one of them that can't take any responsibility and everything is everyone else's fault. I hope she loses her license .
I lost a very close family member in a RTA (no drink involved) so I hate people who drive recklessly. Some people are too arrogant to think they'll get caught. They'll have a couple of drinks and think they're 'fine'.

SimonJT · 15/04/2019 08:38

I had a car written off by a drink driver last may when I had my son in the car, there is no excuse at all for putting another persons life at risk.

Drink driving is absolutely disgusting.

Original poster

Catchingbentcoppers · 15/04/2019 09:36

She's one of them that can't take any responsibility and everything is everyone else's fault.

She's very much like this anyway but one would hope she would realise how fucking stupid she'd been and at least be remorseful. But nope.

OP posts:

Mari50 · 15/04/2019 11:43

I live in Scotland and since our limit was lowered I wouldn’t entertain having any alcohol and then driving. I find it really weird when I visit friends down south and they have a pint or a glass of wine with dinner and then drive. That said I’m not sure that changing the limits have had the effect on drunk driving that was hoped for, I’m sure there was some research showing very little change published recently.
But it’s very easy not to drink and drive. I do think the morning after issue is trickier though, but again our limits are so low you just don’t take the risk....

Grimbles · 15/04/2019 11:54

Breathalysers are actually complete inaccurate. The only way you can get an accurate reading is doing a blood test. I knew someone who came up above the limit (in Australia where the limit is lower) on a breathalyser test shortly after eating a tarimisu (she hadn’t consumed any other alcohol for days)

Eating alcohol in a dessert doesn't make it less alcoholly than drinking it...

TapasForTwo · 15/04/2019 12:40

You wouldn't expect just one portion of tiramisu to contain enough alcohol to put you over the limit though.

BrokenWing · 15/04/2019 12:51

That said I’m not sure that changing the limits have had the effect on drunk driving that was hoped for, I’m sure there was some research showing very little change published recently.

I think it has reduced the number of drink driving convictions, but not the number of drink related road accidents expected from data in other countries. Part of that is claimed to be due to reduced police resources (to be at scenes of minor accidents).

CanoeDoYouThinkYouAre · 15/04/2019 13:05

Nico Are you Lincolnshire area? The case before Christmas was appalling, even during the trial he really didn't seem to give a shit.

Backwoodsgirl · 15/04/2019 13:12

Here drinking on dirt roads is legal (we have a lot of them) it’s a common sight to see someone driving along drinking a “car beer”

I have family who are police, they say if they pull over any car after 11:30pm there is a 50% chance that they are over the limit.

Grimbles · 15/04/2019 13:22

you wouldn't expect just one portion of tiramisu to contain enough alcohol to put you over the limit though

Why wouldn't you?

Graphista · 15/04/2019 14:14

I've several friends and relatives who've been left permanently and severely disabled after being hit by drunk drivers, one lost her almost term baby (this wasn't even allowed to be mentioned at court)

Another drunk driver I knew killed himself and his wife driving over the limit after a heavy night.

I too am in Scotland where the limit is effectively don't drink and drive at all which I think is better it's much clearer.

Personally I think they should lose their licence permanently, their car and I would make it an offence to sell, or make available to drive, a vehicle to someone who's been convicted of drink driving.

Make the penalties severe and the majority will stop, those left will be easy to spot and deal with.

TapasForTwo · 15/04/2019 14:23

Grimbles because when I make it I don't put enough alcohol in it to be a problem for drivers. It shouldn't be that boozy.

havingtochangeusernameagain · 15/04/2019 15:49

Another drunk driver killed two teenagers near me just before Xmas

This happened near me in November 2016 too. They were running across a crossing when the lights for them were green. It was a 30 limit. He was drunk, doing 40, and didn't see the red light. Two lives snuffed out. What was even more disgusting was that he was in the Army and the Army made no apology for his shocking behaviour.

redredrobins · 15/04/2019 15:59

If he worked in Tesco would you expect Tesco to apologise?
The military is a job just like any other.
He was still a prat though.

Grimbles · 15/04/2019 16:45

Tapasfortwo

Did you make the tiramisu in question then?

TapasForTwo · 15/04/2019 16:49

Clearly not

GreigLaidlawsbarofsoap · 15/04/2019 19:35

OP I'm glad you were straight with her and find it bizarre she thinks you should be supportive of her behaviour. She's broken the law, endangered the lives of two children and potentially been dangerous to other innocent people in the same area. What are you supposed to do, give her a round of applause I suppose. What a tube.

TapasForTwo · 15/04/2019 19:58

Grimbles this is the recipe I use. It has 3 tablespoons of rum between 6 people, so it won't tip any drivers over the drink drive limit

Pinkyponkcustard · 15/04/2019 20:07

That is awful op, I can’t believe she’s not contrite. Won’t social services do anything, she’s not fit to look after children.

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