Drunk in charge

[Scary Des]

Simon you are missing the point

It isn’t the same issue as on the roads:-

There are 27million cars in the UK and only half a million boats.

Cars have to travel on road where they are often only a few feet apart boat have the whole ocean.

As most merchant navy people will tell you if you don’t look out the window for half an hour you are unlikely to hit someone in a car half a second is unsafe.

And what makes you think that the drink driving laws work with more cars and less Police statistically less drunks are going to get caught.

I think Doug has it right, there is too much law and we are too keen to add more

Des

[thorper]

Originally Posted by Scary Des

I think Doug has it right, there is too much law and we are too keen to add more

I appreciate that we don't really want more laws.

However - what is your alternative solution to stopping people drinking and boating?

[havener]

Originally Posted by Scary Des

Simon you are missing the point

It isn’t the same issue as on the roads:-

There are 27million cars in the UK and only half a million boats.

Cars have to travel on road where they are often only a few feet apart boat have the whole ocean.

As most merchant navy people will tell you if you don’t look out the window for half an hour you are unlikely to hit someone in a car half a second is unsafe.

And what makes you think that the drink driving laws work with more cars and less Police statistically less drunks are going to get caught.

I think Doug has it right, there is too much law and we are too keen to add more

Des

Sorry Des, I really can't agree with you, except agreeing that the road and the sea are not the same!

If you suddenly feel unwell at the wheel of a car, you can pull over. A minor shunt remains just that, not a possible sinking it would be at sea. And road surfaces rarely move, do not tend to have waves, your car is not affected by wind, tides, etc.

I agree that road drink/driving is poorly policed, but that's an argument for policing it better, not forgetting about the principle behind the law!

And as for not looking out of the window for half an hour and still being safe, in the open sea I agree - but try doing that through Dover TSS in fog, or off the Casquets, or in the Solent. You will hit loads!!

Or of course, you just end up hitting a lighthouse or the coast! It happens - remember Exxon Valdiz? Drink was a major part in that disaster...

Simon

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by thorper

.... what is your alternative solution to stopping people drinking and boating?

Is it really an issue sure there are a few headline grabbing incidents where the press call for action but on the whole I think there really isn’t a problem. Des

[Jimbob]

If there are enought incidents then the media will potentially force change good or bad.

I think it comes down to basic seamanship in some incidents, last year i read an amount of reports which came down things like no kill cord, no lifejacket, some basics that could have prevented some loss of life

The drinking incidents, i suppose we are self policing and i hope it remains this way, thats not to say i agree with the loss of life caused by this.

a few stop checks during cowes week would sort out if its a real problem or isloated incident,,,i really dont know

[Bigmuz7]

It wont..... Folks need a bit of self control. If some of us had a bit more of that, regulators wouldn't feel the need to step in. Fortunately most of us have it. But the few that dont, are the problem. They spoil it for evry one

[hard1]

Isn't there too much interference in our lives already? Any regulatory changes have to be policed otherwise there's no point and introduction of these laws will inevitably lead to a revenue raising exercise (called tax) and licensing etc etc. You think it's expensive to go boating now?

Just wait for another 5 years..

Of course, many here would stand to gain through the introduction of such mandatory testing and licensing and why shouldn't they, but that doesn't make it a Good or even Necessary Thing.

The Nannies are having a "Health & Safety" field day in the UK right now. You cannot protect people from themselves; they will continue to invent even more creative ways of killing or hurting themelves themselves however many laws you pass. Education is a better way....

[Rogue Wave]

When I am driving profeshunly or even just for munny I believe that it is wrong to drink so I don't! Likewise when I am training.

However if I go out boating soshally I do tend to have a few drinks, but never more than one or two............ cases of Magners!

I think it should be an offence but conceed that policing it would be hard

[Yuley]

Whose going to police and enforce such laws?

Suffolk Police have a launch that runs out of Ipswich / Harwich but
they're kind of busy looking out for drug/human smugglers across 100's
of square miles of North Sea.

If you create a new 'water traffic' police force who's going to pay for it?

Answer: All us regular 'sensible' boaters through new licenses and tests.

The type of people who drink 5-8 pints of Stella and then drive a 200HP
boat at 45mph in the dark will still do it, and stick two fingers up at any
laws passed.

Same as always..the 95% of law abiding individuals will get penalised and have their exisitng freedoms reduced to accomodate the antics of the 5% of law breaking chavs.

[Rogue Wave]

All you've done there is difficulty state! So in answer to your signature I's say you weren't part of the Solution.

if it was illegal to do it then I probably wouldn't as it isn't I do!

On the very rare occasions I have driven over the limit on the roads I didn't expect to be caught and wasn't but the fact that it is soshally unnaceptable and one might get caught means it didn't happen very often. The sentence has quite long reaching effects whch also interests me in obeying the law. If it was just a 60 kwid fine then lets have some more drinks!

Link the water offence to your car license and really hurt the pocket will keep things in order

The death sentence would be a good way of reducing people and drugs smugglers enthusiasm don't ya think?

[Yuley]

I think you missed my point....I'm fairly confident that most of the posters on here may at some time have driven a boat after a lunchtime pint or two (myself included) but at the same time excercise reasonable self control and
judgement as to what is sensible.

For example, drinking enough to have twice the legal blood alcohol level and then going out for a night-time 40knot blast is very much in the NOT sensible camp, and precisely the type of behaviour likely to increase the chances of draconian legislation being brought to bear against the whole of the sailing/motoring/PWC community.

However the type of person prone to this type of behaviour is also the same type of person prone to ignoring the very legislation designed to prevent it.

These people will continue to buy powerfull boats and take them out without experience or training or consideration for other water users etc etc etc.

Meanwhile the VAST majority of British law abiding boat users will be saddled with increased costs and regulations that they neither asked for or deserve.

Legislation is not the answer...education most definately is.

Rant over!

[havener]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

The death sentence would be a good way of reducing people and drugs smugglers enthusiasm don't ya think?

Seems to work in Singapore....

[Rogue Wave]

What stops you from having 4 pints in the boozer and then driving home?

the fact that you are a law abiding citizen or that you'll lose your licence for a year and maybe your job,face very stiff insurance premiums for a whileand be a soshal parriah. It's mostly the latter for me that stops me having that 2nd pint

that's not education that's punishment Also how much would your education program cost

[Justwin]

The reason that I wouldn't have 4 pints then drive home has nothing to do with any loss of licence, fine, increased insurance premium or any 'handed out' punishment for that matter. The reason is simply that I think I would have more than a little trouble sleeping at night if I wiped out a couple of innocent people due to my alcohol fuelled stupdity. As I said before, does common sense account for nothing anymore?

As for more legislation on the water all I'll ask is, Has the fact that there are laws against drinking and driving on the road totally erradicated it? I think not... As Yuley says there will always be a minority who won't give a damn if there are laws or not.

[Yuley]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

What stops you from having 4 pints in the boozer and then driving home?

My Wife!

[Rogue Wave]

Nice one