Tis the time of year of random 'pull overs' and breath tests.

Question, i thought the police could only pull you over if they see you doing a crime, think you are about to commit one etc..

Surely they cannot just go on 'you all could be over the limit'? or is there some other law in place.

 

Nope.

Sec 163 Road Traffic Act 1988.

Constable in uniform can stop any vehicle.

Failure to provide a specimen of breath at the roadside is also an offence

 

o'rly.. cheers

I see they want to do the same when you are just walking about too now.. 'Papers please'

But to breath test you:
(1) Where a constable in uniform has reasonable cause to suspect

 

[QUOTE=joper90,Dec 3 2008, 12:31 PM] But to breath test you:
(1) Where a constable in uniform has reasonable cause to suspect

 

I was pulled over for my one speeding offence on the M3 about 8 years ago. I'd been up to London to see Leeds get tonked by Chelsea, got soaked to the skin in February rain, got a parking ticket and someone had put a golf ball sized dent in my bonnet ... so I wasn't too happy when my "luck" continued and and the blue lights appeared behind me.

Accepted the imminent 3 points and the fine and then the traffic guy asked if I'd been drinking as he could smell alcohol on my breath ... having been clocked for speeding I expected to have to undergo the breath test so was pleased when he accepted the (true) story that I'd had one pint about four hours previously.

 

Random breath checks are the norm on the A24 in Sussex nowadays - particularly so at this time of year, and typically in the morning.

I have no problem with it. Anyone stupid enough to DD in this day and age deserves to be banned.

 

Of the times I have been stopped, I always get asked if I have been drinking.

'No officer, i'm teetoal - I never drink'

'Eh? Righty oh then. Blow into this please...'

Oh, and never let them palm you off with the blow tube - it's their rubbish they can take it with them.

 

I'm sure the police would argue that they are not random... as this would be against the law.

As stated above they have to have reasonable cause; however, it is not difficult to imagine that in almost every case they could come up with that "reasonable cause"

 

Nope - they're quite open about it. If you want them to make up an excuse they will do...

Support from the local community means that it has never been challenged and is even reported positively in the local paper that random checks will be in force throughout the Christmas period.

 

I've just a day on the Christmas Drink Drive initiative where I am - 4 officers and myself at the roadside stopping anything with a defect, dodgy lights - or lack of, speeding .... infact any moving traffic offence we saw - thereby giving us a power to breath test.

Everyone was very much OK ... apart from those arrested who blew over (interestingly after work as opposed to pub kicking out times).

No one was given a ticket for anything that we stopped them for - we were just interested in drink drivers ... everything else got a verbal warning.