Man who helped design breathalysers is banned for drink driving in Powys
www.countytimes.co.uk
Richard Lacey appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court this week.

Richard Lacey, 70, appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to a single charge of drink driving, in Powys, last month.

Lacey, who is now retired but revealed he actually helped design breathalysers when he was in employment, had to use one of the devices after police were called to the scene of a road traffic collision on the A479 near Talgarth on November 23.

Lacey had mounted a roundabout in his Peugeot 208 Gt Puretech, damaging a wheel and leaving the vehicle completely immobile.

…

Representing himself at the hearing, Lacey said: “I’ve really got nothing to say. I misjudged how much I’d drunk.

“I had a couple of glasses of wine with lunch and a few pints of beer.

“I’m retired. I designed breathalysers and used to work with the police.”

Lacey was disqualified from driving for 13 months; he can reduce this ban by 13 weeks if he completes a drink drive awareness course.

He was also fined £600 and told to pay a £240 surcharge and £85 costs.

  • JackEnglish
    281·
    23 hours ago

    Why is it called “drink driving” and not “drunk driving”?

    “Drink driving” sounds like something a very drunk person would say.

    • Redfox8@mander.xyz
      11·
      23 hours ago

      Even one beer can potentially put you over the legal limit, ergo you won’t necessarily be drunk, as you’d judge it.

              • Cypher@lemmy.world
                31·
                22 hours ago

                A 50kg person will not have the same result as a 100kg person after the same amount of alcohol.

                Yea, you’re wrong.

                • Ben Hur Horse Race@lemm.ee
                  11·
                  21 hours ago

                  yeah, you’re dick.

                  if you think I don’t know that body weight effects blood APV and you’re helping then you come off like a dick while trying to be helpful.

                  if you just like to write more information on a topic then hit enter twice to get a new line so you can write “you’re wrong” as a separate statement because you spend time doing things like that, you’re a dick.

                  also, someone else already pointed out your mileage will vary per person, which I agreed with, of course. You either didn’t take the time to see what you said had already been posted, or you did see it and you just like to write “you’re wrong” to someone you don’t know on the internet, because you are a dick.

    • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      21 hours ago

      This is the same country where you can see a public figure stumble out of a bar, vomit, and pass out, and you’re not allowed to report “he was drunk” unless you walked over and did a blood-alcohol test. You’re not even allowed to imply it through understood shorthand.

    • HumanPenguin@feddit.ukEnglish
      1·
      17 hours ago

      A guess. But to prevent folks claiming they are not drunk.

      The UK has a long history of people thinking they can handle drink. When the law changed (1967), there were loads of news articles. With people claiming it did not affect their ability to drive.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_tqQYmgMQg

      So the media likely used the word drink intentionally to indicate. Drinking alcohol is the crime. Not being drunk or not.

    • Psythik@lemmy.world
      64·
      20 hours ago

      Because the Brits love to say things in a silly way and I’ll never understand why. Making words sound childish and immature is their favorite pastime.

    • Zip2@feddit.uk
      51·
      23 hours ago

      Just because you’ve had a few drinks, doesn’t mean you’re drunk.