A suspected drink-driver has been arrested following a collision between an elderly cyclist and a silver Audi A3.

Thames Valley Police reported that the incident occurred at 6:25pm on Sunday, July 9 on the B4009 at the junction of Wyld Court Hill and Yattendon Road in Hampstead Norreys, Thatcham.

The cyclist - a man in his seventies - remains in hospital in a serious condition.

The 39-year-old man from Reading was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving, drink driving and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Investigating officer PC Jamie Payne of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said: “We are investigating this collision in which a man has been seriously injured and one man has been arrested.

“We are asking anyone with information or dash-cam footage of the incident to please come forward.

“If you have information we would ask you to contact us either through our online reporting site or via 101 quoting reference 43230303933.”

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23645161.audi-driver-arrested-following-collision-elderly-cyclist/

On 10/07/2023 01:25 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> A suspected drink-non-driver has been arrested following a collision between an elderly cyclist and a silver Audi A3.
> Thames Valley Police reported that the incident occurred at 6:25pm on Sunday, July 9 on the B4009 at the junction of Wyld Court Hill and Yattendon Road in Hampstead Norreys, Thatcham.
> The cyclist - a man in his seventies - remains in hospital in a serious condition.
>
> The 39-year-old man from Reading was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless unqualified driving, drink unqualified-driving and unqualified driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Ah... sounds like he was just a chav-cyclist pretending to be a driver.

> Investigating officer PC Jamie Payne of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said: “We are investigating this collision in which a man has been seriously injured and one man has been arrested.
> “We are asking anyone with information or dash-cam footage of the incident to please come forward.
> “If you have information we would ask you to contact us either through our online reporting site or via 101 quoting reference 43230303933.”

> https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23645161.audi-driver-arrested-following-collision-elderly-cyclist/

QUOTE: New figures published by the Department for Transport suggest 15% of road deaths are caused by drunk drivers.

The UK saw 43,704 positive or refused breath tests in 2020 making it the ninth most common crime committed in the UK.

It comes as death caused by drunk driving can see offenders sent to prison for 14 years.

Whilst those people caught drunk behind the wheel who haven't had an accident can be charged £2,500, lose their licence and potentially face a spell behind bars of up to six months. Now, advice on how to spot a drunk driver and what to do if you suspect someone is under the influence has been shared by car expert Ollie Green from Collect Service Go.

Drivers under the influence have difficulty judging speed when driving, so it's best to watch out for fluctuating speeds and sudden increases and decreases in acceleration or deceleration.

For specific numbers, acceleration is commonly over 15-20 miles per hour above the speed limit when intoxicated, whilst slow driving under influence is typically 10 miles per hour below the speed limit.

Visible issues when braking:

Drunk drivers may have problems with their ability to judge distances when stopping.

Warning signs could also be stopping too far from other vehicles or the KErb, abrupt and sharp stops, and stopping at an odd angle.

Noticeable driving issues:

Drunk drivers have trouble obeying the basic rules of the road, especially when it comes to staying in the correct lane and understanding traffic rules.

You should watch out for people who are weaving in and out of lanes and traffic, switching lanes without indication, driving without headlights on, and driving with a tire on or over the lane lines.

Other signs of dangerous driving to look out for include hitting a curb or parked/moving vehicles, and driving on the wrong side of the road.

Check to see if their judgements are impaired:

When you’re driving, you’re subconsciously and consciously making calculations and judgments based on what you can see in front of you..

However, if drunk behind the wheel, drivers tend to take far more risks than sober ones.

When looking out for poor judgement, be aware of drivers who are tailgating, making illegal turns or U-turns, running red lights or ignoring road signs.

What to do if you suspect somebody is drink driving

Stay as far away from the other vehicle as possible:

Do not try and pass past the vehicle or get the driver’s attention as you may end up putting yourself and others at risk of a crash.

Try and get the details of the car:

Try to get a good look at the licence plate number and any other distinguishing details of the vehicle such as the make, model and colour.

Just make sure you don’t compromise your own safety while trying to get this information.

Call 999 and report everything back to the police:

Pull your car over into a safe space designated for parking before making the call.

Give the exact location of the vehicle, including the name of the road or cross streets and the direction the vehicle is travelling.

You should also give a complete description of the vehicle and the reasons for suspecting the driver. ENDS

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/21254246.spot-drink-driving-suspect-driving-influence/

On 10/07/2023 04:21 pm, swldx...@gmail.com [the Chief Chav] wrote:

> QUOTE: New figures published by the Department for Transport suggest 15% of road deaths are caused by drunk drivers...

....or by drunk chav-cyclists purporting to be drivers, as in the case
mentioned in the thread title by the Chief Chav.

England’s “scandalous” drink driving limit is “behind the times” and should be tightened so motorists can no longer get behind the wheel after having a pint of beer or glass of wine, doctors have said.

Police advise against any drinking before driving but the law in England and Wales, set in 1967, states that the legal limit is 80mg per 100ml of blood - equivalent to one or two drinks.

This is the highest in Europe and above Germany and France, where the limit is 50mg - about a small glass of wine.

In Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic the limit is 0.

The British Medical Association on Tuesday passed a motion to lobby the government to bring the limit into line with other European countries and Scotland, where it was lowered to 40mg in 2014.

Driving at the 80mg limit increases the risk of having a car crash by nearly three-fold compared with being sober, previous research has shown.

Australia and New Zealand also have a limit of 50mg.

“I wish to see the harm of alcohol on our patients reduced,” Sir Ian Gilmore, BMA president, said. “It’s scandalous that two countries in Europe have a level of 80mg: Malta and the UK.”

He added: “The level to which we reduce it is, I think, up for debate. My preference is to go down to 20 mg per 100ml, as many countries such as Scandinavian ones have already.

“It allows for almost zero tolerance but takes account of a pretty strong aftershave that morning.”

Critics, pointing to data from Scotland, claimed lowering the limit would not reduce road traffic accidents and harm the pub industry, particularly in the countryside.

Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “Scotland lowered the drink driving limit several years ago. It was predicted to reduce traffic accidents and road deaths but subsequent evaluations showed that it did nothing but damage the pub trade.

Proposing the motion, Dr Simon Minkoff, a GP from Manchester, said: “The 80mg limit is associated with a 2.7 times increased risk of collision. Our law is behind the times.

“It’s no longer evidence based. And it exposes society to too much unnecessary risk. Society has moved on and so should our response.”

Drivers who are found to be over the limit can face a maximum penalty of six years in jail, an unlimited fine and a ban of at least one year.

Some 220 deaths and 6,480 casualties on UK roads last year were caused by drink driving, according to government data.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bma-drink-drive-limit-reduction-b2370312.html

Interesting comment, that wasn’t countered in the article:

QUOTE
Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of
Economic Affairs, said: “Scotland lowered the drink driving limit several
years ago. It was predicted to reduce traffic accidents and road deaths but
subsequent evaluations showed that it did nothing but damage the pub trade.
ENDQUOTE

Perhaps ‘damage the pub trade’ was its real purpose.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> England’s “scandalous” drink driving limit is “behind the times” and
> should be tightened so motorists can no longer get behind the wheel after
> having a pint of beer or glass of wine, doctors have said.
>
> Police advise against any drinking before driving but the law in England
> and Wales, set in 1967, states that the legal limit is 80mg per 100ml of
> blood - equivalent to one or two drinks.
>
> This is the highest in Europe and above Germany and France, where the
> limit is 50mg - about a small glass of wine.
>
> In Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic the limit is 0.
>
> The British Medical Association on Tuesday passed a motion to lobby the
> government to bring the limit into line with other European countries and
> Scotland, where it was lowered to 40mg in 2014.
>
> Driving at the 80mg limit increases the risk of having a car crash by
> nearly three-fold compared with being sober, previous research has shown.
>
> Australia and New Zealand also have a limit of 50mg.
>
> “I wish to see the harm of alcohol on our patients reduced,” Sir Ian
> Gilmore, BMA president, said. “It’s scandalous that two countries in
> Europe have a level of 80mg: Malta and the UK.”
>
> He added: “The level to which we reduce it is, I think, up for debate. My
> preference is to go down to 20 mg per 100ml, as many countries such as
> Scandinavian ones have already.
>
> “It allows for almost zero tolerance but takes account of a pretty strong
> aftershave that morning.”
>
> Critics, pointing to data from Scotland, claimed lowering the limit would
> not reduce road traffic accidents and harm the pub industry, particularly
> in the countryside.
>
> Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of
> Economic Affairs, said: “Scotland lowered the drink driving limit several
> years ago. It was predicted to reduce traffic accidents and road deaths
> but subsequent evaluations showed that it did nothing but damage the pub trade.
>
> Proposing the motion, Dr Simon Minkoff, a GP from Manchester, said: “The
> 80mg limit is associated with a 2.7 times increased risk of collision.
> Our law is behind the times.
>
> “It’s no longer evidence based. And it exposes society to too much
> unnecessary risk. Society has moved on and so should our response.”
>
> Drivers who are found to be over the limit can face a maximum penalty of
> six years in jail, an unlimited fine and a ban of at least one year.
>
> Some 220 deaths and 6,480 casualties on UK roads last year were caused by
> drink driving, according to government data.
>
> https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bma-drink-drive-limit-reduction-b2370312.html
>

--
Spike

There were 220 deaths on Britain’s roads in 2020 where a motorist was over the drink drive limit, only slightly down on 10 years ago when there were 240 fatalities.

Drunk drivers accounted for 15% of road deaths.

Final figures for 2020 released by the Department for Transport (DfT) estimate a total of 6,480 people were killed or injured in drink drive accidents..

This represented a fall of 17% from 7,800 in 2019 and is the lowest figure recorded.

The total number of collisions where at least one driver was over the alcohol limit decreased by 14% to 4,620 in 2020, the lowest number of drink-drive collisions recorded.

Around 6% of all road casualties involved a drunk driver.

The DfT, however, said it is important to note that the number of reported drink-drive collisions and casualties is likely to have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the national restrictions implemented from March 2020 onwards leading to a reduction in traffic and collisions.

The falls in drink-drive collisions between 2019 and 2020 are broadly in line with the reduction in overall road collisions over the same period.

Hunter Abbott, managing director of breathalyser firm AlcoSense, said: “The fall in overall drink drive casualties needs to be viewed in the context of Covid.

“Traffic was down by a quarter in 2020, with weekdays slumping to 35% of pre-Covid levels in April.

“What these figures don’t tell you, however, is how many more casualties were caused by ‘lethal but legal’ drivers – those who were above the point of intoxication where effects on cognitive function occur, but below the official drink drive limit.

The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is the highest in Europe and the joint highest anywhere in the developed world.

“The UK Government should bring our limit down to help remove legal but lethal drivers from our roads,” added Abbott, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS).

RAC road safety spokesperson Simon Williams welcomed the overall picture of the number of drink-drive-related collisions on our roads being at a record low.

However, he also noted that the figures were gathered during the height of the pandemic. “Unfortunately, the wider picture shows the percentage of drink-drive fatalities on our roads as a proportion of all fatalities has increased, meaning the campaign against drink-driving is just as important as it has ever been,” he said.

“Drivers themselves tell us they want to see more roadside breathalyser testing taking place as well as alcolocks fitted to vehicles of repeat drink-drivers to prevent them from reoffending. Our message is simple and stark: if you’ve been drinking, don’t drive.”

Note that the final figures for 2021 are available, so quite why this was
posted is a mystery…

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

Ah, perhaps that explains it.

> There were 220 deaths on Britain’s roads in 2020 where a motorist was
> over the drink drive limit, only slightly down on 10 years ago when there
> were 240 fatalities.

<rest snipped>

--
Spike

Drink-driving is one of the biggest killers on our roads with even small amounts of alcohol impairing driving and increasing risk. In England and Wales, it’s legal to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (80mg/100ml). This is the highest limit in Europe.

In most of Europe, including Scotland, the blood alcohol limit is 50mg/100ml, and in many countries it is even lower. For example, in Sweden, the legal limit is 20mg/100ml for all drivers – effectively zero tolerance – while Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic do not allow drivers to drink any alcohol at all.

There is no failsafe way to tell how much alcohol will put you over the limit, or to convert the BAC limit into how many units you can have: the concentration of alcohol in blood depends on various factors. These include your weight, age, gender, or how much you have eaten before drinking. That’s why the only safe amount to drink if you’re driving is nothing at all – not a drop.

In the UK if a driver is found to be over the drink-drive limit, and/or driving while impaired by alcohol, they can receive a maximum penalty of six months in prison, an unlimited fine and an automatic driving ban of at least one year.
Drink-drive rehabilitation courses

Drivers who have been found guilty of drink-driving and who have been banned for 12 months or more may be offered the chance to take a rehailitation course to reduce their driving ban

6x
more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, if you have 50-80 mg alcohol per 100ml blood, compared to 0ml
3x
more likely to die on the roads, if you have 20-50mg alcohol per 100ml of blood, compared to 0ml
46%
more likely to be at fault in road collisions, if you have 10mg alcohol per 100ml, compared to 0ml

If a driver kills someone while under the influence of alcohol, they can be charged with causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs (Section 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991, section 3)), which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

In the UK, the police can stop and breathalyse you if they have reason to suspect you have been drinking – for example, if you are driving erratically. They can also breathalyse you if you have committed another traffic offence (such as speeding or driving without a seat belt) or if you are involved in a crash.

In many countries, the police have the power to stop and breathalyse drivers at random, with no need to suspect the driver is under the influence. For example, police may randomly test drivers near pubs and clubs late at night. Random testing is allowed in most EU countries and has been found to be highly effective in reducing drink-drive casualties without over-burdening the police and criminal justice system.