The drink driving figures for Christmas 2006 are out and they are worse than last year in Yorkshire. I'm amazed they managed to catch more people because there are fewer traffic police on the roads. As the roads become busier we need more traffic police but the exisintg officers have to help with regular police duties. What a waste of their training. There are shocking examples of bad driving on the roads at the moment and I really feel that during an upcoming journey someone will involve me in an RTA. Take a 10 minute drive and you are guaranteed to encounter someone; speeding, cutting up, tailgating, driving in an overtaking lane but not overtaking anything, not indicating, using a mobile phone etc etc.
But drink driving is the worst crime. I know it can be expensive to get home after a night out. Tough. I know of a pub whose car park is usually full (especially on a Saturday afternoon). On an evening the car park is also busy. People try to hide their vehicles by parking them down the side street. I have nothing against that particular pub (in fact I like to go there when I'm in the area; it has just had a really cool interior renovation) I just don't want anyone to get hurt. And I'm not being preachy; members of my own family have been in trouble for drink driving and the same applies to them. What can be done? There are some ideas around. Personally I favour alcolocks which prevent a car from starting until the driver passes a breath test. In Sweden all vehicles will have alcolocks by 2012.
Will alcolocks work? Can someone else blow into the machine for you? They are on trial in Bristol and Birmingham but civil liberties groups have already grumbled. I don't think a drunk person has the right to decide whether to start the engine. But then again I'm in favour of speed limiters being fitted on vehicles that would prevent a breach of the speed limit in danger areas like accident blackspots, school areas, supermarket car parks etc. I like the idea of people being physically prevented from commiting a crime like in A Clockwork Orange, the 'Justice' episode of Red Dwarf where Lister sets himself on fire and the Simpsons episode where Lisa conditions Bart against stealing cupcakes by electrifying one.
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