Enter, The Day of Idiots
January first, the freshest day of the year. That is if you haven’t drunk yourself silly the previous year, and have to wake up to a thumping headache, dry mouth and a bucket full of regret by your bed. This is when you ought to stay in bed, sip some water and slowly build up the strength to make some bacon on toast. Your first day of the year is officially a waste, and that’s alright. Some, However, take it upon themselves to get out and about in the new year, regardless of the heavy hangover they’ve given themselves. They insist that in the new year it’s a new them, that they have stuff to do and that they’re going to start now. These are our January first idiots.
New year’s day had the most recorded drink-driving offences in a single day in 2017¹, and a quarter of drivers admitted they had driven even though they knew they may be over the limit from drinking the night before¹. It would be ill advised to assume all last years bad drivers have changed their ways in the twelve months since. This means even if you don’t drink and drive, you are likely to come across a vehicle driven by someone who drink drives and so your risk of being a victim of drink driving is higher than you’d expect. This makes new years day the worst day for anyone to go out in their car in the morning.
As well as clouding your judgement (which would make you more likely to make the mistake of drink driving), alcohol delays your reaction times, makes your coordination poor and impairs your senses². All of these things are required to drive safely, and just a slight delay in reaction times on the road can be the difference between a near miss and the sickening crunch of a crash. A sharp eye may spot an unlikely danger in time to avoid it but glazed over ones will miss even the most obvious of hazards. Where a steady hand will navigate the tightest corners in the road, a wayward one will crash on a straight road.
Despite having some of the safest road systems and drink driving laws in the world, fatalities caused by drink driving are at their highest levels since 2012³. In 2016 240 people lost their lives in drink drive crashes. Compared with 2015, this is an 18% increase³.
It seems despite the years of campaigning and law making, the message against drink driving may be becoming less effective. With more and more people taking an irresponsible approach to their driving habits, it is important to learn to spot dangerous motorists on the road and steer clear of them. To help me, I asked my Dad, an officer of fifteen years on the traffic police in Kent, for advice about sharing the road with drunk drivers.
First, look out for signs that a vehicle is being driven by somebody who is drunk.
Signs that a vehicle may be driven by somebody over the limit are:
- The vehicle is wandering in the lane and seems unable to drive in a straight line.
- The vehicle is breaking the speed limit.
- The vehicle is driving unusually slowly.
- The driver has the window down, even when it is very cold.
- The vehicle is breaking other traffic laws, for example running red lights.
- The vehicle is moving erratically, making sudden changes of speed and direction.
What to do if you think you have spotted a drunk driver:
- Try and keep your distance from the vehicle and let the vehicle go, do not try to keep up with it.
- If it’s going unusually slow, overtake it and GET AWAY.
- When possible, call the police. By getting the driver off the road, you may save a life.
Start 2019 wisely, stay in bed, and have a cup of tea. If you really have to go out into the world early, or are among the poor souls that has work new years day, just remember, not everybody is an idiot, but every idiot has to be looked out for, and the price you could pay for their carelessness could not be higher.
References
1: “Most Drink-Drivers Caught On NYD Every Year”. Confused.Com, 2018, https://www.confused.com/press/releases/2017/most-drink-drivers-caught-on-nyd-every-year. Accessed 31 Dec 2018.
2:“The Effects Of Alcohol On The Central Nervous System | Futures Recovery Healthcare”. Futures Recovery, 2018, https://futuresrecoveryhealthcare.com/knowledge-center/alcoholism-effects-central-nervous-system/. Accessed 31 Dec 2018.
3: Allen, James. “Drink-Driving Casualties At Highest Level Since 2012”. Sunday Times Driving, 2018, https://www.driving.co.uk/news/drink-driving-casualties-highest-level-since-2012/. Accessed 31 Dec 2018.
