Drink Driving Hits the Headline Again

With drink-driving seemingly never out of the news, Book Theory Test Today investigates the latest controversy surrounding the drinking and driving culture.

The Book Theory Test Today blogger says: “As a young boy I used to think drink-driving was sipping on a can of Coke while at the wheel. When I found it what it really was I couldn’t believe drivers could be so irresponsible. It’s a topic that certainly makes my blood boil.”

You would think, with the coverage it gets and the devastation that drink-driving can cause, drivers would get the message. Apparently not! In my general perusing of the motoring stories hitting the headlines, I came across an article that reveals 12 million British motorists take to their vehicles, over the limit, after a heavy night of drinking.

The Book Theory Test Today blogger says: “I’m sorry to say chaps that we’re letting the side down. According to recent research 40% of men admitted to the offence compared with just 25% of women.” 

It’s just staggering, especially when you consider how much drink-driving is featured in theory test resources highlighting the dangers and the amount of money that’s spent on hard-hitting advertising campaigns.

The overall figure of 12 million British motorists committing the offence means that one in three of the 38 million drivers on UK roads are putting their own lives and the lives of others at risk.

The Book Theory Test Today blogger says: “My sentiments on the subject of drink-driving are widely shared by other commentators. It’s certainly a scourge that’s plaguing UK highways, but what’s the solution?”

In a statement from Justin Meddows, a representative of motor insurer Admiral, which commissioned the survey, he said: “It’s scary. They are putting their own lives and the lives of others at risk.”

Scientific evidence shows that a motorist who drinks six pints prior to midnight would still have alcohol present in their blood stream until 2pm the following day.

The Book Theory Test Today blogger says: “What I find most controversial about this topic is that people continue to consume alcohol despite knowing that they will be driving the next morning. In fact, the survey conducted by Admiral revealed that 27% of people ignore the fact that they will be driving and carry on drinking.”

In a bid to reduce the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream, many motorists think that stopping at midnight, drinking water, coffee or milk and then sleeping for eight hours speeds up the process of expelling alcohol from the system.

However, Roger Singer, of Drink Drive Education, says that: “There is nothing you can do to speed up the rate at which alcohol leaves your system.”

The Book Theory Test Today blogger says: “In my opinion there’s little deterrent to stop this from happening at the root. Severe action only occurs when someone is injured or killed. There needs to be a complete rethink when it comes to tackling drink-driving.”

Tags: book Theory test today news, Driving Safety, UK driving law

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 at 8:31 pm and is filed under Book Theory Test Today News, Driving Safety, UK Driving Law. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.