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What Breathalyzer What!?!

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Breath test: In this file photo of December 15, Roland Thomas volunteers for a breathalyser test as part of a training exercise for officers of the Police Traffic branch – T&T Newsday

It seems our leaders have surrendered to the many global agendas which abound. BU followed with interest Pastor Victor Roach voicing his satisfaction in the media at the soon to be introduced breathalyzer legislation in Barbados.

It is generally known the leading cause of vehicular accidents in Barbados is linked to all manner of reasons BUT we have not seen any hard numbers which place driving under the influence close to the top of the pile.

Why has the Government Information Service not rolled out a comprehensive educational program about how to correctly use our roads, especially the ABC Highway? Why have we not heard a clamour to rollout the demerit points system which has been in abeyance for over a decade now? Why not install cameras at our most busy and dangerous junctions to capture motorists who make late wuns? Why have we not seen traffic cops empowered to ticket for multiple traffic offences on the spot? Why have we not improved our traffic court process to make a driver with 50+ offences a thing of the past.  Why do we turn a blind eye to the buddy system practiced in and around the courts which influences the number of CRDs issued?

A story was told to BU recently about a former senior policeman who years ago felt that to introduce the breathalyser in Barbados would have a negative impact on tourism. We need to see the hard numbers which support the logic of rolling out the breathalyzer over other systems which based on the current data is likely to save more lifes.

Here is what the Barbados Road Safety website lists as the most reasons for the cause of accidents, there is obviously no mechanism to capture driving under the influence.

Reasons for the vast majority of accidents are:

  • loss of control, medical reasons/problems occurring while driving
  • undue care and attention by drivers
  • distractions
  • impatience
  • negligence
  • speeding
  • not being cautious
  • mechanical faults, inc. under/over inflation of the tires
  • not paying attention to safety laws/signs,
  • environment
  • weather and road conditions
  • other road users

Let us focus on implementing systems which are likely to save MORE lifes and jump of the bandwagon in the process.

  • the district/neighborhood, school zones.

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    85 responses to “What Breathalyzer What!?!”

    1. Raymond Avatar
      Raymond

      BAFBFP!
      My brother I soba.Ain’t drink a rum fa long but ya lef out a drink-Tanqueray !Dey should get me to test all o dem at cattle wash and Bathsheba and someting bay!All jokes aside. Da can’t happen here in dis country even if it doan belong ta we!(Dey wish!)Down wid de breathalyzer!

    2. ac Avatar
      ac

      Bajans love they rum and Pork.You could also add pokey.
      End of story

    3. Saying Nuttin Avatar
      Saying Nuttin

      Every Saturday cricket is played all over Barbados. copious amounts of alcohol are consumed after the game yet the incidence of accidents is not significantly increased until the wee hours of the morning. I have no problem with breathalizer tests. I also have no problems with a police quota system for tests to be conducted. We cannot allow North American standards of sobriety to be adopted as ours. Can you imagine drinking 2 banks and being legally determined to be drunk. MADNESS. The legal standard for being drunk should be a reflection of Barbadian culture and tradition. The test should be administered in all accidents and as a last resort in incidents when the police, because of erratic driving have a reason to suspect that the driver is seriously impaired.

    4. roundtable1001 Avatar
      roundtable1001

      Now wah is dah dat bajans Like again?

    5. ac Avatar
      ac

      @sayin Nuttin
      Question: Are you saying the legal standard for being drunk should be based on culture and tradition .
      What about the forigners living in Barbados don’t they have their culture and tradition also.?

    6. Hants Avatar
      Hants

      @ Saying Nuttin

      The Legal standard in Ontario allows for typically 1 drink per hour.1 beer,1 glass of wine,1 shot of scotch or rum.

      Therefore if you go to cricket from 12pm to 5pm you can have 3 or 4 drinks and still pass a breathalyzer.
      Of course if you drink doubles you will fail.

      I think this would fit Bajan culture also.

    7. J Avatar
      J

      Saying nutting wrote “The legal standard for being drunk should be a reflection of Barbadian culture and tradition.”

      The effect of alcohol on the human body is SCIENTIFICALLY based on biology, not on culture nor tradition.

      What next?

      Shall we have our own Bajan standard for being pregnant? Pregnancy too is scientifically based on biology. And neither culture nor tradition can change biology.

    8. J Avatar
      J

      @Hants

      Or if you drink 3 or four drinks in half an hour you will be drunk, regardless of culture or tradition. And drunk people are rarely able to determine whether they are drunk or not.

    9. Hants Avatar
      Hants

      @J
      Therefore if you go to cricket from 12pm to 5pm you can have 3 or 4 drinks and still pass a breathalyzer.

      That is over a period of 5 hours which is acceptable.

      3 or 4 drinks in half an hour is a quick path to being drunk.

    10. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      J
      I have to agree with you. Some men/women would have to drink a whole brewery to get drunk whilst a person like me would get drunk as soon as the order is placed. Non alcoholic wine would get me drunk. Don’t ask me how it happens. Ok, maybe just a mind thing. Ok, ok, okkkkkkkkkkkk.

    11. Saying Nuttin Avatar
      Saying Nuttin

      The legal standards in North America are predisposed to creating fines and revenue. There is no way that 4 banks in an hour can make a drinking Bajan drunk. You forgot that the goodly Doctor stated that as one becomes a regular alcohol drinker the production of enzymes in the liver to process alcohol is enhanced. Therefore if you have a culture of drinking as is the case in Barbados then an enhanced ability to process and tolerate alcohol is very likely to develop. You cannot set a standard on the exception. If you did that , then, because of people like Bonnie, the legal standard would be zero drinks.

      And at J; if the legal standard is scientifically based then why are standards across the world not homogenous; why such a difference between being legally drunk in Australia as opposed to Europe as opposed to Canada? Before you respond you should know that even in the US and Canada different states and provinces and cities have different standards for being legally drunk. There is no one standard.

      It has also been proven that some ethnicities like the native american have much lower tolerances to alcohol consumption so Ethnicity and culture and tradition can play a part in increasing alcohol tolerance.

    12. ac Avatar
      ac

      @sayin Nuttin

      All of which you have stated i too confusing. In that case we all can come up with our own way of testing.

    13. Saying Nuttin Avatar
      Saying Nuttin

      No the government sets the standard. My advice is simply that it should not be set to North American like limits of 1 beer per hour. Either you didn’t read my posts carefully or you are deliberately being obtuse. there is nothing confusing about what I am saying.

    14. Sargeant Avatar
      Sargeant

      Funny place this Buhbados where the natives could hold their likker more so than any of their counterparts in other countries of the world. North American standard? No Sireebob we can outdrink any comer and still remain standing not to mention driving. In fact we drive betta when we full up with de likkers and when we say we want one for de road um is six roads we talking bout.

      As a matter of fact we gwine adopt this song and play it before most events, fuhget “in plenty and in time of need”.

    15. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      Sargeant
      Dah bad. ‘fuhget in plenty and in time of need”.
      Sarge, my ROK done wid me one time.He mussy feel dat I pushing de ‘marrid’ ting too quick. But I believe in ‘strikin while de ‘iron’ hot’.
      Post dis whun fa ma; “Broken hearted melody”. Think it is sung by Sarah Vaughn.
      Help ma out.

    16. Sargeant Avatar
      Sargeant

      The course of true love never did run smooth…….

    17. DR. POOPERTALLIAN Avatar
      DR. POOPERTALLIAN

      Ah wonder if Bonny is as hot as she comes across ? Ah wonder if she is just hot-air. Ah wonder if Bonny can make two rounds of anything or if she would just burn out . Ah wonder !

    18. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      Sargeant
      Tanks luv for the tune and for de good advice. I shall continue to pursue my ROK.

      Dr. Poop
      Ah wonda if you is Stevie Wonda? Ya wonda-ing very much. Doan get loss, hare? And ’bout de two or mo rounds, just put it down ta you will nevva find out. So jus keep wonda-ing. Ok Stevie?
      mwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
      And by de by, very few men survive de 1st round. If ya doubt me ask a few ‘good’ women. LOLLLLLLLLL

      p.s: go ova by Jokes corner. I gun put a joke out day jus fa you. Is a true joke.

    19. Alex Fergusson Avatar
      Alex Fergusson

      I agree with Bonny Peppa and Sargeant that there should be breathalyzer.

      Because, somebody has to be pissing drunk to pay $42,000 of the taxpayers money to rent tents for that DLP New Year’s bashment fete in the Park.

    20. Alex Fergusson Avatar
      Alex Fergusson

      THE DLP HAS TO BE PISSING DRUNK TO WANT TO TAKE-UP $75 MILLION OF OUR TAX DOLLARS TO PURCHASE SAMLORDS CASTLE OR BAILOUT CLICO, BUT NOT USE $60 MILLION OF THAT TO PAY BARRACK – EVENTHOUGH USING HIS BUILDINGS EVERY DAY.

    21. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      Alex
      Correct me if I wrong but it in unda wunna regime dat dis man Barrack shoulda been paid? This started about 5yrs ago, I think.

      p.s: you gotta be pissin drunk too fa sayin dat you agree wid me bout breathalyzer tests? me n you in na blasted friends. (not fa true, jus kiddin).

    22. Alex Fergusson Avatar
      Alex Fergusson

      Hapy New Year Bonny Peppa. Whey!! Friends!!!!!

      Still, anytime the wolves and the lambs are laying down together, the lambs have to be in the wolves guts.

    23. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      Alex
      Happy New Year to you also and may you live as long as you want but don’t want as long as you live.

      How you know sa good? My guts hay fulla ‘lam-stew’.
      Gotcha

    24. mash up & buy back Avatar
      mash up & buy back

      Bonny peppa

      You got a sense of humour out of this world.

      I don’t know wha’ happen to Rok that he tekkin so long to fix up wunnah bizness.

      I wouldn’t mind attending de wedding and eating some good lamb stew to,especialy if it is dat soft nice black belly lamb.

      Uh,uh,uh,too sweet.

      Rok man,fix up yuh business wid bonny soon man and get de whole ting over and done wid.Yuh can’t keep a big woman like she waiting so man.

      Pull up yuh pants and wipe yuh nose do.

    25. DR. POOPERTALLIAN Avatar
      DR. POOPERTALLIAN

      I am against any wedding of Bonny to Clyde (ROK) . either Bonny will burn the rock (ROK) or ROK (rock) will crush the pepper. The question is however:

      Is Bonny as hot as she comes across ?

      Those in favour say–Bonny !
      Thos against say -Never pepper !

    26. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      mash up
      And I love persons wid a sense of humour also. Gotta like sum laffin if ya wannabe wid me man. How a sound?
      Anyway tanks fa de nicements.wish ROK could be as observant, but……….. De Sargeant advise me not to leggo. You gotta be at we ‘big-day’ fa sure. All of BU will be cordially invited of course.I want a big attendance too caus de moe people ya invites, de moe giftses ya get fa open. Ya undastan?

      Dr. Poop
      Ya rushin de brush, ya rushin de brushhh man.You chance ta object gun be at de weddin. Not befoe. Tek ya time.

      Now on to the question posed.
      Those in favour say – Bonny.

      I say, without a doubt or a shout, BONNY.
      (ya could vote fa yaself doe?)
      If not, I sorry as france, my vote done cast a’reddy.

    27. ac Avatar
      ac

      @SayinNuttin
      You are impossiblel !

    28. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      ac
      We ‘peoples’ disappear into thin air, ya realize? Wonda whay we went wrong? Ya tink we did too pushy? I doan tink so neitha. Accordin to the song, “I miss you (ROK) already and you’re not even gone”.
      Please come back to me. (ROK)

    29. ac Avatar
      ac

      @Bonny Peppa
      At leas yuh kno wuh yours at . mine seem to be totally lost in cyber world.
      girl me kno fret.he’ll be back. nobody ever say no to ac she a hot tamale.

    30. David Avatar
      David

      It is generally well known around Barbados the accident on the ABC involved drunk driving, in this case the breathalyser would not have been necessary because the individual was out stone cold. In the other case because of the alertness of an employee at the car fixit shop the deed was exposed.

    31. ac Avatar
      ac

      @David

      So what’s your point?Pontificate if you care to.

    32. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      David
      If we’re talking about the same incident/accident, she doesn’t even have a licence, I was made to understand. Don’t know how true. Sad very sad.

    33. David Avatar
      David

      @ac

      Prefer to reserve judgement until certain actions take place.

    34. ac Avatar
      ac

      @David
      When are you going to put a pic on the blog.

      @Bonny
      My recent comment to you came true I am estatic . Not even drunk . Stay tuned.
      LOL!

      @whoever
      This breathalizer test reminds me of the people in the USA who are against gun control. They rather see the homicide rate climb than have gun control laws.

    35. Bonny Peppa Avatar
      Bonny Peppa

      ac
      I glad fa ya. na luck my side sa far. I’ll just do like Dusty Springfield, ‘Wishing and hoping’.

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