- MALE DRIVERS IN SUFFOLK MOST LIKELY TO FAIL BREATH TEST-I'm sure the men of Suffolk will not be insulted by the implication that they're all a bunch of pissheads that like to drive their cars when inebriated. Interesting to note that bar Ipswich, Suffolk is a very blue part of the country. I wonder what John Gummer and Tim Yeo think of this indrect slur on their constituents?
Friday, May 30, 2008
Minister says Suffolk drivers are pissheads
Well, not directly, but Jim Fitzpatrick at the Department of Transport has put out a press release with the top introduction line of,
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7 comments:
I don't quite follow the thrust of this post.
Surely it's a fact that they've discovered? Not a "slur".
If you said "Dft believes male Drivers in Scotland more likely to eat battered haggis with Irn Bru at the wheel of landrover with muddy wheels and heather hanging from bumper" maybe that would be a slur.
A Labour MP already accused Norfolk people of being inbred.
Is Labour trying to completely wipe itself out of the "East of England"?
What next?
An attack on the key floating-voter, Essex boys and Essex girls (both of which I would defend to the death ... almost), is bound to come soon.
Suffolk has terrible public transport. The government should invest some of that fuel duty asap in public transport for East Anglia.
This, once again, demonstrates this government's lack of understanding of data and research.
It may well be that the police in Suffolk only stop those that actually are driving badly, as opposed to just victimising motorists as in other areas. If that is the case, the "pick up rate", that is the proportion that are over the limit, is likely to be higher - it indicates that Suffolk police might actually be targeting resources better than in other areas.
But I wouldn't expect nuLabour to understand that.
Police can only breathalyse drivers if they have reason to believe a driving offence has been committed and that motorists are under the influence of alcohol.
nd yet the vast majority of testees - 4/5, nationally - pass the breath test.
More here, in an antique post.
Back at Dizzy's more precise point, the inebriates might be from Naarfolk or from God's Own County and merely passing through Suffolk.
What this actually proves is that Jim Fitzpatrick, and his Labour colleagues, have failed yet again. How? By not providing Suffolk residents with decent public transport so that they can go out of an evening have a few drinks and then get home again without having to use their cars. Yet more evidence that the current Labour government is one whose first reaction is always to oppress its citizens and to blame them for its own myriad failures.
Underlying this is the puzzle over the mixing of roles by DfT Ministers. Jim Fitz is responsible for
* Aviation
* Environment
* Shipping
* Road Safety
(Aaah: there is the inebriation responsibility at the end of that list.)
Tom Harris:
* Rail and light rail
* British Transport Police
* Highways Agency and the strategic roads network
* Major ports planning decisions
Rosie Winterton has:
* Regional Transport Strategy
* Local Public Transport
* Walking, cycling and sustainable transport
* Local roads and traffic
* Access and equality
* Europe
And Aunty Ruth is, well, Aunty Ruth, but "Previously she was Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Minister for Women from May 2006. Prior to this she was Secretary of State for Education and Skills from December 2004." which suggests that she should have the skills to educate males to not drink and drive, in order to protect walkers, cyclists, communities and women.
Role data found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/ministers/
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