The report that follows was taken from the BBC news website. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford_and_worcester/10432023.stm
Two british students have been killed in america by a drink driver. The students had been working at a summer camp at Warrensburg Two British students have been killed in a suspected drink-drive accident in the US.
Dominic Hartley, from Bredon, Worcestershire and Emily Lewis from Aberdeen were hit by a car in New York state last Thursday night.
The 21-year-olds had been working at a summer camp in in Warrensburg. A third Briton was injured.
Car driver, Peter Goldblatt, 39, has been charged with drink-driving and aggravated vehicular homicide.
Popular student
The three Britons were among a group of seven people standing at a road side when they were hit, New York state police said.
Mr Hartley had just completed the first year of an HND in water sports at Swansea Metropolitan University.
A university spokesman said: "We are deeply shocked by this tragic accident as Dom was a very talented student who was dedicated to watersports and adventure activities.
"He was very popular with the student group and made a marked impression on university life and will be much missed by students and tutors alike. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Media reports on lowering the drink driving divide public opinion.
Media reports on lowering the drink driving limit seem to have the general public divided. In responses posted on the newspapers website the general opinion seems to be divided into two camps. Those who call for a full ban on drink driving and a lower limit and those who think the ban could be a large blow to civil liberties with the introduction of random breathalysing.
A major report has called for ministers to introduce one of the toughest drink- driving regimes in Europe.
It proposes slashing the legal limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg and for police to carry out random breath tests.
The news story prompted over 300 comments on the daily mails website.
A single alcoholic drink triples a driver's risk of dying in a vehicle crash, according to a review of research into drink-drive limits published yesterday.
One small beer or glass of wine is enough to lift a driver's alcohol level by up to 50 micrograms per 100ml of blood, the new drink-drive limit proposed by Sir Peter North in a report yesterday. Even at that low level, the chances of a fatal accident are three times higher than in a driver who has drunk no alcohol.
Comments on the Sky News website included:
“Drinking and driving should be illegal. End of. There should be no alcohol in the blood stream when driving. The guide lines are silly because people have different body mass and tolerance levels. So for the sake of parity there should be a complete ban.”
“Here we go again...this is not about saving lives but is governments way of making more money...I totally feel that you should not drink and drive at all, but if you’re caught drink driving and are over the limit the most you get is a ban for a few months to a year or so and a fine...and a lot of these people that are banned (and not only for drink driving I must add) still then drive illegally and if they get caught again what happens...another ban on top of the ban they already have...get to grips the first ban didn’t stop them so what use is adding to it. My partner and I take it in turns when we go out...one of us drinks and the other one doesn’t drink and drives, but if we both want a drink we use cabs or public transport...simple as that.”
The debate around the subject still continues and the affects of lowering the limit on local businesses such as rural pubs and customers remain to be seen.
A major report has called for ministers to introduce one of the toughest drink- driving regimes in Europe.
It proposes slashing the legal limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg and for police to carry out random breath tests.
The news story prompted over 300 comments on the daily mails website.
A single alcoholic drink triples a driver's risk of dying in a vehicle crash, according to a review of research into drink-drive limits published yesterday.
One small beer or glass of wine is enough to lift a driver's alcohol level by up to 50 micrograms per 100ml of blood, the new drink-drive limit proposed by Sir Peter North in a report yesterday. Even at that low level, the chances of a fatal accident are three times higher than in a driver who has drunk no alcohol.
Comments on the Sky News website included:
“Drinking and driving should be illegal. End of. There should be no alcohol in the blood stream when driving. The guide lines are silly because people have different body mass and tolerance levels. So for the sake of parity there should be a complete ban.”
“Here we go again...this is not about saving lives but is governments way of making more money...I totally feel that you should not drink and drive at all, but if you’re caught drink driving and are over the limit the most you get is a ban for a few months to a year or so and a fine...and a lot of these people that are banned (and not only for drink driving I must add) still then drive illegally and if they get caught again what happens...another ban on top of the ban they already have...get to grips the first ban didn’t stop them so what use is adding to it. My partner and I take it in turns when we go out...one of us drinks and the other one doesn’t drink and drives, but if we both want a drink we use cabs or public transport...simple as that.”
The debate around the subject still continues and the affects of lowering the limit on local businesses such as rural pubs and customers remain to be seen.
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Drink drive limit to be lowered under new plans
A new Whitehall report due to be published is calling for the drink-drive limit to be halved and random breath testing to be introduced in an effort to tackle alcohol-related road accidents.
The report, released later today, calls for drastic changes. The study, commissioned by the former government, is expected to propose changes to lower the drink-drive limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml to 50mg - as it is with most of Europe.
It suggests that more than 150 lives a year could be saved by cutting the current limit.Combined with the current mandatory 12-month ban, it would give the UK one of the toughest regimes in Europe.
It is thought Sir Peter North, who led the research, will recommend that novice drivers have an alcohol limit of just 20mg and drivers be refused the right to demand a second breathalyser test at a police station according to reports from the BBC.
The number of drink-drive related fatalities has been significantly reduced in the last 30 years due to government campaigns and police crackdowns.
In 1979 1,640 people were killed in accidents caused by alcohol, but in 2007 the figure had dropped to 410.
The police argue that any amount of alcohol can affect a person's ability to drive. So they have a simple solution to the "how much can I drink?" question.
Speaking to the BBC’s website Pc Jon Lansley, a traffic officer with Hampshire Police, suggests the answer is simply do not drink anything and drive.
Pc Lansley said: "Make sure you have a designated driver - whether that be a friend or a taxi to get you home.
"The last thing I want is to have myself or a colleague pull you over. You'll be arrested, you're likely to go to court, it will change your life.
"You're going to lose your licence for 12 months, at a minimum. You're looking at loss of job, possible loss of family as a result of what's happened."
The review has also looked at how to address the problem of driving under the influence of drugs.
The report, released later today, calls for drastic changes. The study, commissioned by the former government, is expected to propose changes to lower the drink-drive limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml to 50mg - as it is with most of Europe.
It suggests that more than 150 lives a year could be saved by cutting the current limit.Combined with the current mandatory 12-month ban, it would give the UK one of the toughest regimes in Europe.
It is thought Sir Peter North, who led the research, will recommend that novice drivers have an alcohol limit of just 20mg and drivers be refused the right to demand a second breathalyser test at a police station according to reports from the BBC.
The number of drink-drive related fatalities has been significantly reduced in the last 30 years due to government campaigns and police crackdowns.
In 1979 1,640 people were killed in accidents caused by alcohol, but in 2007 the figure had dropped to 410.
The police argue that any amount of alcohol can affect a person's ability to drive. So they have a simple solution to the "how much can I drink?" question.
Speaking to the BBC’s website Pc Jon Lansley, a traffic officer with Hampshire Police, suggests the answer is simply do not drink anything and drive.
Pc Lansley said: "Make sure you have a designated driver - whether that be a friend or a taxi to get you home.
"The last thing I want is to have myself or a colleague pull you over. You'll be arrested, you're likely to go to court, it will change your life.
"You're going to lose your licence for 12 months, at a minimum. You're looking at loss of job, possible loss of family as a result of what's happened."
The review has also looked at how to address the problem of driving under the influence of drugs.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
New government - and alcohol policy
Alcohol concern reports the following:
Front cover of reportThe new government coalition is proposing a number of actions relating to alcohol – including banning the sale of alcohol below cost price, reviewing alcohol taxation and pricing, overhauling the Licensing Act and allowing local authorities to shut down permanently any shop or bar found to be persistently selling alcohol to children. Details in the Coalition’s Programme for Government.
For more details please visit: http://programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk/crime-and-policing/?dm_i=4OQ,4DY1,15YDYO,FUQO,1
Front cover of reportThe new government coalition is proposing a number of actions relating to alcohol – including banning the sale of alcohol below cost price, reviewing alcohol taxation and pricing, overhauling the Licensing Act and allowing local authorities to shut down permanently any shop or bar found to be persistently selling alcohol to children. Details in the Coalition’s Programme for Government.
For more details please visit: http://programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk/crime-and-policing/?dm_i=4OQ,4DY1,15YDYO,FUQO,1
Monday, 14 June 2010
Paul Gascoigne recovering in hospital following car accident
Paul Gascoigne is reported to be in a "comfortable" condition after being involved in a car accident last night according to various media reports.
The accident, involving a Vauxhall Astra, is reported to have happened at about 9.45pm, on the city's Quayside. The car, in which 43-year-old Gascoigne was a passenger, is believed to have left the road before hitting a lamppost next to Newcastle's historic Guildhall, close to the Tyne Bridge.
A Northumbria police spokesman told the Guardian newspaper: "For reasons yet to be established, the car left the road and collided with a lamppost. A female driver and two male passengers were taken to hospital with injuries which were not described as life-threatening.”
"The condition of the two men in hospital has been described as serious but not life-threatening. The woman has been discharged."
A 36-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and bailed pending further inquiries.
The accident, involving a Vauxhall Astra, is reported to have happened at about 9.45pm, on the city's Quayside. The car, in which 43-year-old Gascoigne was a passenger, is believed to have left the road before hitting a lamppost next to Newcastle's historic Guildhall, close to the Tyne Bridge.
A Northumbria police spokesman told the Guardian newspaper: "For reasons yet to be established, the car left the road and collided with a lamppost. A female driver and two male passengers were taken to hospital with injuries which were not described as life-threatening.”
"The condition of the two men in hospital has been described as serious but not life-threatening. The woman has been discharged."
A 36-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and bailed pending further inquiries.
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Drink Driving arrests now total 27 in effort to stem drink driving dangers around the World Cup
Leicestershire Police are urging people to look out for each other and “make drink driving unacceptable in your family".
Police are calling for families to look after each other by agreeing that drinking and driving is unacceptable. The total number of people arrested has risen to 27 since the beginning of the campaign following positive breath and field impairment drug tests on drivers on the roads of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Speaking on the Leicestershire Police website, Chief Inspector Nick Glynn said: “Sadly there’s still a hard core of drinkers who insist on taking a risk with their own and other people’s lives. We all can do our bit to keep the roads safe through the summer and talk to the people who are closest to us to underline that drinking and driving is dangerous and unacceptable.
He also added, “We want everybody to enjoy themselves, support England through the World Cup, and ensure that if they’re having a drink, they make the right choices to get home by public transport, taxi or designated driver.”
The Leicestershire Road Safety Partnership campaign runs from June 1, 2010 until Wednesday June 30, 2010. The Partnership is requesting that communities keep their eyes and ears open this summer, appealing to them to make a note of the registration plate and the direction of travel and call the police on 0116 222 2222 if they see a person who appears to be drunk, leave a premises and then enter a vehicle to drive away.
Please support the Leicestershire police and their targets and hopefully we can make Leicester roads safer.
For more information visit: www.leics.police.uk
Police are calling for families to look after each other by agreeing that drinking and driving is unacceptable. The total number of people arrested has risen to 27 since the beginning of the campaign following positive breath and field impairment drug tests on drivers on the roads of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Speaking on the Leicestershire Police website, Chief Inspector Nick Glynn said: “Sadly there’s still a hard core of drinkers who insist on taking a risk with their own and other people’s lives. We all can do our bit to keep the roads safe through the summer and talk to the people who are closest to us to underline that drinking and driving is dangerous and unacceptable.
He also added, “We want everybody to enjoy themselves, support England through the World Cup, and ensure that if they’re having a drink, they make the right choices to get home by public transport, taxi or designated driver.”
The Leicestershire Road Safety Partnership campaign runs from June 1, 2010 until Wednesday June 30, 2010. The Partnership is requesting that communities keep their eyes and ears open this summer, appealing to them to make a note of the registration plate and the direction of travel and call the police on 0116 222 2222 if they see a person who appears to be drunk, leave a premises and then enter a vehicle to drive away.
Please support the Leicestershire police and their targets and hopefully we can make Leicester roads safer.
For more information visit: www.leics.police.uk
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Health watchdog NICE calls for minimum alcohol pricing
A minimum price should be set for alcohol to combat Britain's binge drinking epidemic, an NHS's watchdog has recommended.
Amid a sea of media attention surrounding the debate, the guidance body has recommended a multitude of measures that include a proposed ban on advertising and making alcohol less easy to buy by raising the minimum prices.
Other potential measures could include cutting how much holidaymakers are allowed to bring into the country from abroad and reducing the number of shops selling alcohol, as well as the days and hours it can be bought according to the BBCs website.
The advice comes from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (aka NICE) - the Government's health advisory body – and is the strongest call yet for action in the ever growing storm surrounding the UKs alcohol regulations and drinking problems.
So far the coalition government agrees that alcohol misuse is a problem, but does not support a minimum price action being taken.
The idea does however have strong backing from doctors and health campaigners, and the Scottish government is already trying to introduce a minimum price.
Speaking to the BBC on the subject, Dr Robin Purshouse, of Sheffield University, who did research on alcohol pricing for the Scottish Government, estimated that a minimum price on every unit of 40 pence would result in about 1,000 fewer premature deaths a year, about 40,000 fewer hospital admissions a year, and about 10,000 fewer violent crimes and criminal damage incidents per year.
Dr Purshouse told the BBC, "There's a wide range of factors that relate to people's alcohol consumption, but price is widely recognised as one of the greatest levers,"
"And if you look at the prices people pay, then the people who drink the most tend to pay less for the alcohol that they purchase."
Amid a sea of media attention surrounding the debate, the guidance body has recommended a multitude of measures that include a proposed ban on advertising and making alcohol less easy to buy by raising the minimum prices.
Other potential measures could include cutting how much holidaymakers are allowed to bring into the country from abroad and reducing the number of shops selling alcohol, as well as the days and hours it can be bought according to the BBCs website.
The advice comes from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (aka NICE) - the Government's health advisory body – and is the strongest call yet for action in the ever growing storm surrounding the UKs alcohol regulations and drinking problems.
So far the coalition government agrees that alcohol misuse is a problem, but does not support a minimum price action being taken.
The idea does however have strong backing from doctors and health campaigners, and the Scottish government is already trying to introduce a minimum price.
Speaking to the BBC on the subject, Dr Robin Purshouse, of Sheffield University, who did research on alcohol pricing for the Scottish Government, estimated that a minimum price on every unit of 40 pence would result in about 1,000 fewer premature deaths a year, about 40,000 fewer hospital admissions a year, and about 10,000 fewer violent crimes and criminal damage incidents per year.
Dr Purshouse told the BBC, "There's a wide range of factors that relate to people's alcohol consumption, but price is widely recognised as one of the greatest levers,"
"And if you look at the prices people pay, then the people who drink the most tend to pay less for the alcohol that they purchase."
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Leicester police launch campaign to combat drink driving
Police today launched a World Cup-themed campaign to warn people of the consequences of drinking and driving.
Officers are concerned that the combination of barbecue season and world cup celebrations could increase the likelihood of drink driving offences.
The Don't let the Side Down campaign was due to be launched at Leicestershire police headquarters in Enderby today.
Speaking to the Leicester Mercury, Chief Inspector Nick Glynn, of Leicestershire police's operations department, said: "Everybody knows the dangers of drinking and driving, whether it's after a family barbecue, a football match or driving to fetch more alcohol at half time when you have already had an alcoholic drink.
"Your reactions are impaired, increasing chance of a death or injury in a road traffic collision.
Driving or attempting to drive whilst above the legal limit or unfit through drink carries a maximum penalty of 6 months' imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 and a minimum 12 months driving ban.
DriveMyCarHome.co.uk offers a unique service that seeks to help people avoid the trap of drink driving. We can drive you home in your own car after a night of celebrations safely and efficiently. Please visit http://www.drivemycarhome.co.uk/ for more information on our service and pricing.
The Don’t let the Side Down campaign is run by the Leicestershire Road Safety Partnership.
Information about people who drink and drive can be passed to police on 0116 222 2222 or, anonymously, to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Officers are concerned that the combination of barbecue season and world cup celebrations could increase the likelihood of drink driving offences.
The Don't let the Side Down campaign was due to be launched at Leicestershire police headquarters in Enderby today.
Speaking to the Leicester Mercury, Chief Inspector Nick Glynn, of Leicestershire police's operations department, said: "Everybody knows the dangers of drinking and driving, whether it's after a family barbecue, a football match or driving to fetch more alcohol at half time when you have already had an alcoholic drink.
"Your reactions are impaired, increasing chance of a death or injury in a road traffic collision.
Driving or attempting to drive whilst above the legal limit or unfit through drink carries a maximum penalty of 6 months' imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 and a minimum 12 months driving ban.
DriveMyCarHome.co.uk offers a unique service that seeks to help people avoid the trap of drink driving. We can drive you home in your own car after a night of celebrations safely and efficiently. Please visit http://www.drivemycarhome.co.uk/ for more information on our service and pricing.
The Don’t let the Side Down campaign is run by the Leicestershire Road Safety Partnership.
Information about people who drink and drive can be passed to police on 0116 222 2222 or, anonymously, to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
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