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Original poster

(Some!) older peoples attitudes to drink driving.

89 replies

CocoDeMoll · 09/12/2018 11:14

I suppose I’m not being unreasonable but I worry this time of year. Where I used to live I barely drive at all because it was a city but now I’m driving every day with my 2 dc it worries me. I often do the same evening journey with them and the amount of times I’ve been behind a car that’s obviously weaving a bit and not indicating etc. There is a big generational divide on the ‘I’ve only had a few’ attitude. My own dad is the worst and Im surprised he’s never been stopped for it. I’m ashamed to say I let him drive me and my dcs earlier this year newborn in my arms and dd on someone’s lap thinking he wasn’t over the limit (till he mounted the curb twice and it became clear). I used to work in a gastro pub and people of a certain age would happily down a skinful with food and think it was then ok to drive. I want to stress that NAOPALT but there’s definetly a diffeeence in attitude.

Do you think a campaign is needed especially this time of year aimed at 60+ year olds? Just want to stress for the third time that I know not all but from what I’ve seen many do have a different attitude to it.

OP posts:
paintinmyhairAgain · 09/12/2018 12:46

i reported exh for drink driving, he was an high functioning alkie, and was picked up by the police and charged accordingly.

starzig · 09/12/2018 12:47

We need engines that don't start without a succesfull breath test and in car technology that disabled mobile phones (even hands free is extremely dangerous)

SilverySurfer · 09/12/2018 12:52

newborn was about 4 weeks not straight out of hospital

I'm sure that would have made all the difference if there had been an accident, not. Both children would have been propelled through the windscreen, regardless of age - utter stupidity.

I am in my 70s and would never have driven after drinking. Incidentally, when I watch police tv programmes there are many more young drivers than old who are found DUI.

I think you need to sort yourself out before attacking other people.

pigsDOfly · 09/12/2018 12:55

Yes, there are some older people who drink and drive, and there are some young/younger people who do the same.

And yes, there are some people who will travel in a car with their children in their arms or sitting on someone's lap.

So how many new campaigns do you think we should have OP. There have been campaigns going on about these things for years.

Unfortunately there will always be people who don't listen to sensible advice and put themselves and their children and other people in danger.

We don't need another campaign but we do need to make the penalties for these offenses harsher, especially for those drunk drivers who kill.

alreadytaken · 09/12/2018 13:01

this thread annoyed me enough to sign in and comment. Brake,, the road safety campaign says "Drivers aged 60-69 actually have less than half the crash rate than drivers aged 20-29. This is likely to be because older drivers tend to be far less likely to take risks such as driving too fast or while distracted. This helps to compensate for any deterioration in health and driving performance, such as slower reaction times.

And of course the majority of drink drivers are male - but the OP chooses to focus on age rather than gender.

Definitely BU.

BrokenWing · 09/12/2018 13:01

Coco there is no need for a campaign. Things will change when everyone says I'm not getting in that car when you've had a drink and I will call the police if you drive as I am disgusted at you drink driving. Take some responsibility for putting your children in that situation and stop solely blaming your dad. I would blame you as the childrens mother if they had been hurt on that journey.

Campaigns can only educate not change YOUR attitude to drink driving and child car safety. You already know what YOU did was wrong, but still did it and put your children at risk, how would a campaign help?

thatduck · 09/12/2018 13:10

What is NAOPALT?

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 09/12/2018 13:15

What is NAOPALT?

Not all older people are like that?

sparklefarts · 09/12/2018 13:17

NAOPALT. ???

sparklefarts · 09/12/2018 13:18

Oops soz

FaFoutis · 09/12/2018 13:25

My (age 60+) FIL thinks it is his right to drink and drive. He got breathalysed once and my MIL shouted at the policemen that he should be out arresting proper criminals.
But my PIL are just about the worst people I ever met so this isn't a scientific survey.

thatduck · 09/12/2018 13:25

Ahh thanks @greatduck

CrabbyPatty · 09/12/2018 13:41

@PurpleWithRed has answered this with the stats, that said - I do think (based on anecdotal experience) that there's perhaps an attitude of older people going slightly over the limit and thinking that because they're not totally pissed its acceptable. Clearly the stats show this isn't leading to as many accidents as younger people going over the limit, but obviously that doesn't make it ok. This links quite interesting, particulary in relation to elderly drivers compared with 17 year olds....
www.licencecheck.co.uk/blog/what-age-range-is-the-most-likely-to-drink-drive

BertieBotts · 09/12/2018 13:42

FWIW a 3yo is safer in their own seatbelt than on someone's lap even though a seatbelt is still not a safe or legal choice for a 3yo.

Cheeeeislifenow · 09/12/2018 13:55

Op. You are spot on .. here in Ireland we had a local politician.. the Healy Rae family, who have no issues whatsoever with a couple of pints and then hitting the road. A lot of Farmers rurally would go out to the pub, have 2 or 3 then drive. Because. It's so rural, you are unlikely to meet other traffic on the road.
My own uncle in law drank 2 bottles of Wine , three pints and then drove it was okay because apparently it was over the course the day and he had eaten.

Buswankeress · 09/12/2018 14:12

In my experience it's not an age thing. I have worked in small village pubs for a couple of jobs, and the tea time patrons were by far the worst - of all ages. They were known as the 'Just up the road' club. As in they were 'only' driving just up the road so it didn't matter. They were on their way home from work, a tradition that seems to be just in rural areas now, and it went across all ages, all social classes and jobs, and was for the most part, men.
It did matter and I fucking hated it. I was told to 'keep my nose out' by both landlords when I raised it as a concern and that I felt strongly about it. It's the reason I won't work in small village pubs now, I didn't want to be in that situation.
It seems to just be accepted in some communities, funny even if they end up in a ditch. Lack of police around, lack of public transport and affordability is not an excuse.
However, there is also the fact that many people don't actually know the limit, and I have been asked what someone can drink and still be safe to drive. They seem quite put out that I can't give them an answer, that I can point them towards the official guidelines, but ultimately it's their decision, and all I can offer is my opinion that none is the safest option.
I did however find the attitude of the older generation was more it's not worth losing your license than it's not worth the risk to everyone else.

5foot5 · 09/12/2018 14:17

And it's nearly always people on the phone is you look as you pass them. Maybe they aren't drunk at all?

^This.

Certainly not trying to minimise the stupidity of drink driving at all, but do you know people are four times more likely to have a crash when using the phone while driving than they are after drinking. Well according to the road safety advert I heard the other day anyway,

And it would be interesting to see the demographic of which age group is more likely to be using their mobile phones.

starzig · 09/12/2018 15:17

Totally agree 5foot5. The number of age 40somethings thst can't do a journey without phone and fussing between different sat nav apps is ridiculous

PlatypusPie · 09/12/2018 15:17

There definitely used to be more ‘I’ll just have one more for the road ‘ attitudes towards drink/driving when I was younger , but we ( I am of the age the OP is complaining about) have had decades of drink/ driving danger campaigns and it has had the correct effect IMO. It’s really not seen as at all acceptable to drink and drive now by my social peers - we bus, train, cab or dine out locally or agree in advance who is going to be the driver. Apart from not killing or maiming ourselves and other people the thought of losing a licence or skyrocketing insurance is a powerful deterrent.

There are usually campaigns ( which are, and should continue to be aimed at all age grouos) around Xmas - summertime, with long boozy barbecues, must produce a fair number of unsafe drivers.

I did read somewhere about the high incidence of drug driving - have certainly seen dangerous actions on the motorway that looks less like the inaccurate driving of a befuddled drunk driver and more like the extreme hyped up risky driving of stimulative drugs. Wonder just what the demographic of those drivers would be.

ginyogarepeat · 09/12/2018 15:33

ashamed?! You should be a damn sight more than ashamed OP - that's terrible parenting to put your children at risk like that. And that was before I read he was driving drunk!! Fucking neglectful is what that is!

FunkyKingston · 09/12/2018 15:43

We need engines that don't start without a succesfull breath test

And how would you stop the drunk driver getting someone else to blow into the breathalyser for them?

Fwiw (and convictions aren't a particularly reliable guide) drink driving is skewed towards males by a raio of about 5:1. Agewise 20-29 is the peak, it then falls steadily until 50 and then spikes again.

However this arguably tells us more about policing rather than actual levels of drink driving.

Penninepain · 09/12/2018 16:06

Funnily enough, I was driving behind a weaving driver early yesterday morning.
Up narrow lanes, and then onto a main road, I followed him for about 6 miles.
He was all over the lane. On the main road he seemed okay at first but deteriorated.

He slowed down to 18 mph and I decided to just get past him.

He was in his 20s and was texting or playing a game. Whatever. He was on his fecking mobile.

Oh, and I am late 50s, stone cold sober, don't play with my toys when driving and acknowledge that shit for brain drivers come in all ages.

SideEyeing · 09/12/2018 16:09

I actually agree with you. I'm only going off people I know, but among my peers (I'm 28) drink/driving has always been a total no-no and not something to even begin considering. It's just not an option. Whereas for my parents (now in their mid-50s) there seems to be more of a 'well it's only 3 pints' attitude. I remember visiting relatives in the countryside when I was younger and we'd then go off to a friend's farm for dinner. My brother and I would be in the boot while they rolled home on country roads having had god knows how much. No one thought anything of it. It seemed 'the norm.' I suppose I always assumed it's one of those things a bit like smoking, where the next generation is far more cautious and aware.

Lunde · 09/12/2018 16:10

We need engines that don't start without a succesfull breath test

These already exist but are more common in other countries than the UK. My (non UK) Local Authority has decided to fit them to all cars owned by the local authority to prevent "morning" after drunk driving as our driving limit is just a quarter of the UK's.

In many countries it can also be a condition of getting your licence back after a ban that you pay to get an alcohol interlock installed.

Amanduh · 09/12/2018 16:17

I know far, far more young people who would do it!