Skip to main content

Very under the influence

When a doctor crashed his car in the UK recently police were quickly at the scene of the incident and breathalysed the driver. He was found to have a blood alcohol count three times that of the permitted level. He explained that immediately after the crash he crawled from his wrecked BMW, opened a bottle of vodka he had with him and drank from this in a bid to steady his nerves. However this explanation was not believed in court as the man had been drinking the night before and was thought to still have
December 18, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

When a doctor crashed his car in the UK recently police were quickly at the scene of the incident and breathalysed the driver. He was found to have a blood alcohol count three times that of the permitted level. He explained that immediately after the crash he crawled from his wrecked BMW, opened a bottle of vodka he had with him and drank from this in a bid to steady his nerves. However this explanation was not believed in court as the man had been drinking the night before and was thought to still have alcohol in his system. He was banned from driving for 25 months and also fined heavily. Meanwhile in the US state of Florida, a drunk-driver crashed his car into a police vehicle at an intersection. The police vehicle was then shoved forward into another, resulting in damage to all three cars. Unusually, one of the police vehicles damaged in the incident was specifically intended to heighten the dangers of drink-driving. Both police vehicles were displaying flashing lights at the time, so how he managed not to see them is unclear. The man was found to be heavily intoxicated and charged accordingly and the incident occurred during the ‘Pirate Fest’ celebrations taking place that weekend. It is not clear which pirate character he was hoping to emulate. There were no injuries in the incident and the drunk-driver was taken to the nearest police station in one of the two slightly bent police vehicles.

Related Content

  • Police call fortougher alcohol limits for UK drivers
    May 20, 2015
    The British Police Federation calling for the blood alcohol limit to be lowered. This call has also been backed by the campaigning road safety charity, Brake as well as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA). Evidence from Scotland where the drink driving limit was lowered during 2014 has shown a reduction in drink driving offences. This move would bring the UK into line with other European countries with regard to alcohol limits by reducing the level from the current 80mg/100ml of blood
  • Crash and crash again
    February 22, 2012
    Police did not have to travel far when catching one drink driver who crashed his vehicle in the UK.
  • US$75,632 pint of beer illustrates UK drink-drive conviction cost
    February 28, 2013
    A US$75,632 (£50,000) pint of beer was being unveiled in London, England today as part of the Government’s latest THINK! campaign highlighting the impact of a drink-drive conviction. The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has calculated the personal financial cost of drink-driving for the first time, pricing it between $30,253 (£20,000) and $75,632. The calculation reflects the fines, legal costs, rise in insurance premiums and possible job losses faced by those who are convicted. The pricy pint, housed
  • YOUNG MOTORIST
    March 1, 2012
    Police in the US state of Michigan recently managed to stop a vehicle that had been taken without its owner's consent, with a seven year old boy at the wheel. The boy was dressed only in pyjamas and took his mother's Pontiac for a 32km drive before the police were able to apprehend him. The boy had been staying at his mother's house and decided he wanted to go and see his father, so he took the keys and the car. A member of the public saw the boy driving the car and alerted the police who gave pursuit. The