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Conference terri::cars_uk

Title:	Cars in the UK
Notice:	Please read new conference charter 1.70
Moderator:	COMICS::SHELLEYELD

Created:	Sun Mar 06 1994
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2584
Total number of notes:	63384

175.0. "Survey on Random Breath Tests" by AYOV29::ISMITH (See those shores! What shores?) Fri May 27 1988 09:59

    I would like to try a survey, using the next two notes, on our
    attitudes to random breath testing. The Home Office minister, Lord
    Ferrers, told a gathering of Police chiefs a couple of days ago
    that the public wasn't yet ready for it, and that they could be
    alienated from the police by an over zealous 'witch hunt'.
    
    Well, was Lord Ferrers right? Are we ready for it?
    
    To register your vote for or against simply reply to one of the notes
    following this one designated as YES or NO.
    
    Any discussion of the rights and wrongs of random breath testing
    should be in this note.
    
    The Polling Station is now open....
    
    
    Ian.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
175.49	Parliament say no to random testing.	YARD::SAXBY	Isn't it 5.30 yet?	`Wed Jan 17 1990 11:23`	22
	Yesterday Police chiefs lost their attempt to have random breath testing introduced when parliament voted against it. Apparently there were fears that this would be the first step down a slippery slope leading to the Police having the right to stop anyone with the intention of discovering whether they had, or intended to, commited a crime. Personally I believe that the Police already have sufficient powers to check people who they SUSPECT of drinking and driving. The fact that they are able to introduce such effective campaigns at Christmas suggests that the real problem is that the Police just don't have enough manpower to fully use the powers they already have. Who, as has been asked before in this conference, is going to carry out all these random tests? Surely not Police officers who would be better employed catching murderers, rapists, burglars, etc. than stopping people who they have no reason to believe have commited a crime (IE Drinking and driving). Mark
175.50	One way they do it	MINDER::HESLOPB		`Wed Jan 17 1990 12:03`	3
	Where I used to live the police found it no problem stopping anyone they wanted. They just invented an offence, speeding being the favorite.
175.51	Hic!	SHAPES::KINGHORNJ	Mine's a pint of Wallop	`Wed Jan 17 1990 12:27`	8
	The police already have the power to effectively do random test, witness the three police cars parked near the Cresent just before lunchtime on December 21st pulling in every third car! Purely routine you understand !
175.52	...snap...	LASHAM::NICHOLLS	The Diet Starts tomorrow	`Wed Jan 17 1990 12:35`	1
	They were doing the same outside Hampshire House the day before!
175.53	The Power is the deterrent	IOSG::THOMPSONR	with an IQ of a demented grape.....	`Thu Jan 18 1990 11:33`	8
	I don't believe the police are as concerned about resources to carry out the breath tests as you'd think. It seems to me that they are more interested in the deterrent factor - the fact that a potential drunk-driver will think twice about drinking because they feel that they are more likely to get stopped if these powers exist (even if this isn't the case in reality). Ruth.