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[Big_Al]

Hi everyone,
                     After 34 years of driving I have finally been pulled for a breathalyzer test.

Been to a mates for the evening on Friday (No  alcoholic drinks of course)  He lives about 25 miles away in a small quiet country town.

I left at just after midnight and the route back is via bendy unlit country roads. I was in SWMBO's Vectra and  so with those headlights was not not doing a "Lewis hamilton" just a steady 40 sometimes 50 mph.

Noticed a car pull out from a farm entrance and follow me for 4 -5 miles. After reaching the next town in a lit up area , the blue lights go on and I am pulled over.

" Good evening Sir" says plod,  we have stopped you because we consider you were driving with "a bit too much caution" and would you have any objection to a breathalyzer test?

No objection to the test, but how else are you supposed to drive on a fairly minor road that you don't know at all, unlit, with poor headlights (compared to the Omega) I would have  thought that 40 -50 mph was not driving with "a bit too much caution" but quite average.

Breathalyzer of course read " ZERO" much to plod's displeasure.

But there you go - by doing these checks they do deter people from drink driving which can only be a good thing.

I think I must be getting old if I am now driving  with "A bit too much Caution" !

[Debs.]

  Well, who`d have thought it; too much caution!......must`ve been a VERY quite night for the Police!  

[Big_Al]

 Debs, Unless I was doing only  4  -  5 mph  and thought Iwas doing 40 -50.
It may be an age thing !  

[tunnie]

when i was taking my driving test... a mate failed his, for doing 50mph in a 60 zone.

The 60 zone was less that 1/4 mile long, it went from 50 - 60 - 30 zones..

He did 50 though the 50 zone...  stayed at 50 in the 60, and braked to 30..

he failed for driving with too much caution  

Plod & the DVLA all want you to drive exactly on the limit

[waspy]

when i was taking my driving test... a mate failed his, for doing 50mph in a 60 zone.

The 60 zone was less that 1/4 mile long, it went from 50 - 60 - 30 zones..

He did 50 though the 50 zone...  stayed at 50 in the 60, and braked to 30..

he failed for driving with too much caution  

Plod & the DVLA all want you to drive exactly on the limit

I will drive at what speed i see fit, not what they want & if that's not the limit then tuff. If they want you to drive at the limit, then why do the police drive at 60mph on the motorway :-?

[Mr Skrunts]

lol, the plos.

I realised I was doing 35 mph in a 30 zone one night whilst the police were behind me.  So as I went into the 40 zone I carried on at the same 35 mph hoping that they hadnt followed me long enough.  They sompletly ignored me untill I went into a 60 zone and only speeded up to 45.  

They then pulled me and asked why I wasnt driving at the normal speed limit.

I went on to reply that I had only bought the car that day and was enjoying it so much I wasnt paying attention to the speed but rather the comfort of the car (an 85,000 miler XJ6) they begrudingly let me drive off telling me to pay attention to the limits

They make me laff  I thought the speed limits were the maximum for the roads and not the minimum.

[hotel21]

when i was taking my driving test... a mate failed his, for doing 50mph in a 60 zone.

The 60 zone was less that 1/4 mile long, it went from 50 - 60 - 30 zones..

He did 50 though the 50 zone...  stayed at 50 in the 60, and braked to 30..

he failed for driving with too much caution  

Plod & the DVLA all want you to drive exactly on the limit

A gross assumption and wildly wrong....

You should drive at the speed thats safe for the conditions, and your ability, whilst within the limits....

[Mr Skrunts]

I once got breathalised by a trafic team on new years eve when I was about 19.

"asked if I had been drinking"

Of course I replied.

"how many have you had Sir"

8 or maybe 10 pints I replied.

"would you mind blowing into our bag sonny"

No Dad, not a problem with a big smile on my face, would you like me to get out of the car 1st I asked.

"No , that wont be neccesary"

few minutes pased, we wen through the deep breath thing and blow into the bag slowly etc.....

"Right Sir, (Reading me my rights) Having had in excess of 8 pints " ......

"er pete, 2 ticks"

"excuse me Sir"

"it's negative"

"Sir, May I ask what have you been drinking tonight"

Coke and lemononade I replied.

"OMG" Laughing his bootds off

"Cant fault you Sir, with it being New Tears Eve and all, we cant be too carefull"

"Off you go and drive carefully"

Wishing them a Happy New Year I did so

But what made me mad was the fact that they both smelt off whiskey and the 2nd officer was gently swaying

They were on duty and driving a TRAFFIC CAR?

[dippydave]

glad the test wasn't too painful for you! I had my first one last year and had to be told several times that it was a serious thing - i kept laughing at how funny it was! they tested me as they smelt alcohol in the car and i'd admitted to having a drink. it was 4am, i had a pint at 9pm previously and my passenger was the one smelling - she was giggling her head off!

I also failed my first driving test for being too cautious. waiting on a double parked road for oncoming traffic when apparently i should've barged my way through!!  

ah happy days.

[mars]

when i was taking my driving test... a mate failed his, for doing 50mph in a 60 zone.

The 60 zone was less that 1/4 mile long, it went from 50 - 60 - 30 zones..

He did 50 though the 50 zone...  stayed at 50 in the 60, and braked to 30..

he failed for driving with too much caution  

Plod & the DVLA all want you to drive exactly on the limit

Sounds similar to a stretch of road on my driving test. Although I passed, the examiner did comment that I had stayed at 50ish in the 60 stretch of road. It is a really short stretch of 60!
 

[tunnie]

when i was taking my driving test... a mate failed his, for doing 50mph in a 60 zone.

The 60 zone was less that 1/4 mile long, it went from 50 - 60 - 30 zones..

He did 50 though the 50 zone...  stayed at 50 in the 60, and braked to 30..

he failed for driving with too much caution  

Plod & the DVLA all want you to drive exactly on the limit

A gross assumption and wildly wrong....

You should drive at the speed thats safe for the conditions, and your ability, whilst within the limits....

Have to disagree from experiance.

When i was taught to drive, i was told to drive exactly on the limit, at all times, unless it was wet.

People are failed all the time at the DVLA during their test for driving under the speed limit!

I went over a 30 limit twice in my test.....

I was also never taught an emergency stop in the wet.

I used to love doing the emergancy stop, one lesson was in the wet, and i asked if i could do one, was told No! As its never done in the test.

So i replyed, ohh so we never get emergancys in the wet?  

I was told what ever the limit was, stay as close to it as possible!  

Which i did, and passed first time!

[rickyboy]

when i was taking my driving test... a mate failed his, for doing 50mph in a 60 zone.

The 60 zone was less that 1/4 mile long, it went from 50 - 60 - 30 zones..

He did 50 though the 50 zone...  stayed at 50 in the 60, and braked to 30..

he failed for driving with too much caution  

Plod & the DVLA all want you to drive exactly on the limit

Sounds similar to a stretch of road on my driving test. Although I passed, the examiner did comment that I had stayed at 50ish in the 60 stretch of road. It is a really short stretch of 60!
 

Correct, unless there is bad weather you should be driving at the limit.  Mabye not true in the old driving test but can assure you that the new driving test will require you to drive at the speed limit, no more, no less.

If everyone did drive at the speed limit on motorways, mabye we wouldn't need to sit behind a mile long que of traffic in the fast lane doing 65-70mph with no traffic in the inside lane.  Rural roads are different depending on bends and blind summits, you can't take every corner at 60mph but my miggy likes to try!  

[Kevin Wood]

When i was taught to drive, i was told to drive exactly on the limit, at all times, unless it was wet.

 

Sounds like you weren't taught to drive, but to pass the test.

I've been pulled over 4 times. Once for a breath test in the UK (was followed out of a pub car park; fair enough. Once for a breath test in France during the Le Mans 24h; certainly fair enough given the number of p!ss heads around there. Once in the UK just to check the car was mine; fair enough, I thought. I was in the Westfield and I'd damn well have wanted it to be pulled over if it had been nicked. The most bizarre one was in South Africa when I was simply asked if I had any pork in the car. I had actually just finished eating a ham sandwich but they didn't see the funny side of that.

I think provided your guilt / innocence is established with the minimum of inconvenience it's not a problem.

Kevin

[Entwood]

When I took my PCV there was a stretch of road that went from 30 limit to 60 limit, and was downhill towards a roundabout ... the coach I was driving was pretty old and the brakes did not feel that special. However you HAD to get to over 50 on that stretch ( other traffic permitting) or you would fail your test for "not making progress".  

On my test I wellied it at the 30 post, got to fifty for 2 seconds then eased off, and told the examiner why ... he just smiled and said nothing .. but I passed ....

[markey mark]

When i was taught to drive, i was told to drive exactly on the limit, at all times, unless it was wet.

 

Sounds like you weren't taught to drive, but to pass the test.

I've been pulled over 4 times. Once for a breath test in the UK (was followed out of a pub car park; fair enough. Once for a breath test in France during the Le Mans 24h; certainly fair enough given the number of p!ss heads around there. Once in the UK just to check the car was mine; fair enough, I thought. I was in the Westfield and I'd damn well have wanted it to be pulled over if it had been nicked. The most bizarre one was in South Africa when I was simply asked if I had any pork in the car. I had actually just finished eating a ham sandwich but they didn't see the funny side of that.

I think provided your guilt / innocence is established with the minimum of inconvenience it's not a problem.

Kevin

thats the trouble nowadays kevin people arnt taught to drive just to pass a test !! thats why the roads are full of numptys that carnt drive !!