We don't drink and drive ...

[Nik]

RIDERS LESS LIKELY TO RISK DRINKING AND RIDING

FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION: 23RD November 2009
While one in six deaths on our roads are caused by drivers over the legal alcohol limit, motorcyclists are half as likely as other motorists to take the risk of drinking before riding, according to the MCI, marking the start of Road Safety Week 2009.

The latest analysis of drink-drive statistics show that in 2008, of the motorcycle riders tested following an accident, 1.4 per cent failed a breathalyser test compared to an average of 2.7 per cent for all road user casualties as a whole).

The MCI is supporting Road Safety Week 2009’s call to all road users to commit to not drink even a drop of alcohol before driving, nor consume any other illegal drug, to help reduce the number of accidents and casualties on British roads.

For road users as a whole, the group most likely to drink and drive were those under 17, with 11.8 per cent of young people in this age band failing the test. Only 1.2 per cent of these positive tests were given by young motorcyclists.

Motorcyclists aged between 20 and 24 were most likely to fail a breath test, with 2.4 per cent of tests taken by riders in this age band positive for alcohol. However, this figure is still less than half that of the average for all road users between 20 and 24, of whom 5 per cent gave a breath test positive for alcohol.

In 2007, at least 15,935 people in the UK were killed or hurt by drink and drug-drivers. That’s: 1,328 people every month, 306 people every week, 44 people every day, 2 people every hour.

In 2007, 478 people were killed by drivers over the drink-drive limit in the UK. Women are much less likely than men to cause drink drive crashes. However, nearly a third of the casualties in drink drive crashes are women; often passengers in cars driven by young men.Nearly one in six convicted drink-drivers are caught the morning after.

The MCI advises:-

* Never drink any amount of alcohol if you’re riding. You don’t have to be over the limit for your skills to be impaired.

* Never drink late at night if you’re riding early the next morning. If you get caught out later than you thought, take the bus or go pillion next morning.

* Don’t let mates drink and ride.

* Don’t hassle anyone into accepting a drink they don’t want.

Sheila Rainger, MCI Director of Communications, said, “The demands of riding a motorcycle are greater than those of driving a car and it is good to see the majority of motorcyclists recognizing this fact by refusing to mix drinking and riding.

“However, there is no room for complacency. As vulnerable road users, motorcyclists need to stay sharp. The MCI is backing the Road Safety Week 2009 call to all riders to commit to ‘not a drop, not a drag’ before starting the engine, and as Christmas party season approaches, urging riders to be aware that alcohol can stay in your system well into the morning after.”

END

[wurzel]

For road users as a whole, the group most likely to drink and drive were those under 17, with 11.8 per cent of young people in this age band failing the test


Surely what this means is actually "teens get pissed and think that going for a drive is a good idea" rather than "young drivers more likely to be drunk" as other than the odd moped rider all those would have been on the road illegally anyway

[Strider]

* Never drink late at night if you’re riding early the next morning. If you get caught out later than you thought, take the bus or go pillion next morning.


Hmmmm, which is why too often cop bikes park up just along the road from the rally on a Sunday morning, all those leaving at 8am or earlier ......... WHY??? meaning why do people do it? :unsure:

[Grav]

Some folks set off early cos they have a long ride ahead of them. They drink on Saturday afternoon and then get an early night so they are fit for riding on Sunday. Not everyone is so sensible though and some get home safe by sheer luck at times.

[bill?]

some get home safe by sheer luck at times.


yup, I remember a shindig where I set orft early cos the in-laws was coming over and we was taking them out for Sunday lunch. all the way home it was wobble wobble thinking wot the feck am I doing.

[Biker Buster]

Rode with a skinful once in 1980/1981 scared myself shitless! Never done it since.

One of the reasons, I think, for the statistic, is that we know we are fairly vulnerable out there, but most motorists feel totally invulnerable and therefore careless and moreover, thoughtless.

[Sir Ewok]

Rode with a skinful once in 1980/1981 scared myself shitless! Never done it since.

One of the reasons, I think, for the statistic, is that we know we are fairly vulnerable out there, but most motorists feel totally invulnerable and therefore careless and moreover, thoughtless.

The other reason is that there are no cup holders on a bike (or ashtrays either).....:o

[John Hopkins]

The other reason is that there are no cup holders on a bike (or ashtrays either).....:o

Yeah you have to keep your cig in your gob while riding unless you ride a goldwing.

John

[gothtec]

I tried riding a bicycle home from the pub... not a pleasant experience... Purely on that I didn't drink before riding.... Then again I've gone Teatotal (various reasons including medical)

[knuckle]

The Belgium ruling party is putting in a new law that will forbid inexperienced drivers from a drinking limit of 0.2% that will be the limit of anyone with a driving license held for less than 2 years of any age group. That limit amounts to eating a liqueur chocolate.


But now comes the worse part..... this law will not only be applied to inexperienced drivers. The law will also be applicable to trucks drivers, bus drivers, police that all makes sense BUT.....


........here comes the stinger... to include ALL motorcycle riders! Regardless of time licence held.


12852

Yes, we're singled out, again! So why single out motorcycle riders? Studies have shown that in fact most motorcycle riders are very responsible when it comes to drinking & riding.

Here in the UK a just published a report (thanks Nik) says that motorcyclists are half as likely to drink & ride compared to cagers. (maybe because in a cage you have better balance!) :rolleyes:

It's only time until some wanker politician will copy this.

[John Hopkins]

Sooo...

About these bottle holders..

John

[harry]

The other reason is that there are no cup holders on a bike (or ashtrays either).....:o

I put an ashtray and ciggie lighter on me trike, only funny because I don't smoke.:eek:

[Biker Buster]

I had a cycle bottle holder fixed to my las bike. I had an empty bean can janned in it, and it was full of (Mildly) soapy water and a wee rag. Ideal for cleaning the salty splatter off the visor this time of year.

Never thought I could have jammed a beer can in it in the summer.. Hmmm..:blink:

[pyro]

Interesting, when I was young (oh no, hes talking about the 70's again...) we used to drink and drive all the time, those of you who frequented the 'Hole in the wall' in the Borough SE London, will know just how much, my first big accident was cos I was pissed.
I was a courier and it was common to go to the pub after work on a Friday then hit the Music Machine in Camden, usually a mental ride back to Norbury would follow at around 2-3 am, a certain amount of speed would have been snorted as well.

I have no idea how we lived so bloody long. Later in my career I did an anti-terrorist driving course, one of the days they gave me a pint and then told me to drive the obstacle course, one pint was fine, two pints I started making mistakes, by the third pint I realised just how much it had affected me.
Have not drank and driven since.

Speak to a lot of people I used to knock around with and none will admit that they did D&D, but trust me they all did.

[Sir Ewok]

Yep! been there, bought the T-shirt. Went on a pub crawl and because my old banger would start with a locker key, I used to take the rotor arm off. We came out of the pub and I put the rotor arm back in but failed to close the bonnet properly. Driving past the local park, the bonnet came up & off, flying across the road into the park. I just drove to the next pub & started drinking again. At the end of the session I was going to drive home but a mate decided to give me a lift as the cops would spot me a mile off. The next day we went back for it and the local kids were using it as a sled, it had been snowing for days. I got the hinges welded back together and it was still on when I scrapped the car..........:o

[critch]

i remember riding to the farmyard in the late eighties and having 6 pints on the way, everybody i rode with did....

wouldnt do it now though, its fekkin amazing ive got to this age!

[Sir Ewok]

Never expected to get to 21, that was OLD when you were 15-16, another couple of weeks and I will make 61........ Bloody old even now!!!;)

[ChopperFXR]

Thought better of posting.

[harry]

Thought better of posting.

Yeah me too. I might tell you of my drunken escapades but aint puttin' it in writing for the old bill to read. :eek:

[Nik]

Yeah me too. I might tell you of my drunken escapades but aint puttin' it in writing for the old bill to read. :eek:

Surely they'd have to prove times and dates an' stuff - you could just be making it all up. :)

Me? I used to drink-drive like a bastid when I was younger, as did everyone else I know. I'm stunned, looking back, that I made it through those years alive and in one piece. :eek2::whistle::D

[John Hopkins]

Yeah me too. I might tell you of my drunken escapades but aint puttin' it in writing for the old bill to read. :eek:

A lot of those laws we broke wern't laws when we broke them.

John

[harry]

A lot of those laws we broke wern't laws when we broke them.

John

They were according to "Sarge" a local bike copper and last of the old school. He was the type to slap you round the back of the head for overtakin on double whites etc. Bloody good rider too none of us could out run him. Keeping up on one of his I'll show you how to ride a bike lessons was entertaining too.
He was wrong about one thing though he said I'd never see 18 but I did both age and weight.

loads of us went to his funeral, I still smile when I recall his wife saying to me " He wouldn't hear a word said against you boys ".

'Cos he said all of them to our faces. :thumbsu: :thumbsu:

[John Hopkins]

I can remember in 1959 when my lights had failed, trying to follow the white line at the edge of the road to get home, there was no centre line at that time, It was a dark moonless night and as usual at that time there was some fog. A turning off to the left meant that the line disappeared for long enough for me to end up in the drainage ditch at the other side of the turnoff.

In those days it was quite acceptable to go out for a drive to a country pub for lunch and a few drinks before driving home, there were very few vehicles on the road so people were used to seeing cars weaving across the road, not always drunk drivers either, most cars had quite a bit of play in the steering wheel and it was common to have to keep turning the wheel to each side of the slack. Motorbikes, on the other hand, were much safer due in part to the steering damper.

John

[Sir Ewok]

We don't drink & ride but some get stoned..........:p