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Drug driving 'eyes' ad

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I just saw this video on the TV.

"A new Think! Road safety 2009 tv advert explaining that Drugs have an involuntary effect on the eyes that you cannot control, and how the police are able to spot this. And how the penalties of drug driving is the same as drink driving. Department for Transport."

I'm all for education about the dangers of drug driving. However this is pure scare tactics and not even completely true. "Drugs" do not all affect your eyes noticeably. Even for the ones that do, I'd think a driver's eyes wouldn't be the thing that gets people pulled over, but nervousness, erratic driving, etc (police please correct me if I'm wrong). I think this advert will have the desired effect on some kids, but for many/most it will only provide amusement or further diminished trust for (mis)information from the government.

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd think a driver's eyes wouldn't be the thing that gets people pulled over, but nervousness, erratic driving, etc

    :yes:

    It's like they are saying it's just the eyes that will get them pulled over, they aren't actually showing the dangers of drug driving, infact the lad driving seems to be driving perfectly fine, it is the eyes of the passenger in the back that gets him pulled! Not really the right impression to give is it.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I just saw this video on the TV.

    "A new Think! Road safety 2009 tv advert explaining that Drugs have an involuntary effect on the eyes that you cannot control, and how the police are able to spot this. And how the penalties of drug driving is the same as drink driving. Department for Transport."

    I'm all for education about the dangers of drug driving. However this is pure scare tactics and not even completely true. "Drugs" do not all affect your eyes noticeably. Even for the ones that do, I'd think a driver's eyes wouldn't be the thing that gets people pulled over, but nervousness, erratic driving, etc (police please correct me if I'm wrong). I think this advert will have the desired effect on some kids, but for many/most it will only provide amusement or further diminished trust for (mis)information from the government.



    Police officers who do field testing for drugs are trained to spot all sorts of things, including eye dilation e.t.c.
    I don't know exactly what it entails as I'm not trained to do it, but I'm told by those officers it's easy to spot someone who has done drugs recently if you know what you're looking for.

    Even so, you're only arrested on suspicion at the roadside. You get blood/urine tested back at the station anyway.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    Police officers who do field testing for drugs are trained to spot all sorts of things, including eye dilation e.t.c.
    I don't know exactly what it entails as I'm not trained to do it, but I'm told by those officers it's easy to spot someone who has done drugs recently if you know what you're looking for.

    Even so, you're only arrested on suspicion at the roadside. You get blood/urine tested back at the station anyway.
    If someone was pulled over it probably wouldn't be too difficult to tell. But the video suggests it would be extremely obvious to an officer while in a car, which I find hard to believe.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    its a clamp down, how can they prove anything without a test?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    either way, dont drive when under the influence, you risk your liscence and others lifes
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I saw this last night and commented on how stupid it was. As you said it gave the impression that you can tell from driving past a vehicle. You'd have to have bloody good eyesight to drive past someone at 30mph and be able to see how dilated their pupils are.

    People are pulled over for road traffic offences or just general checks on the vehicle and its occupants, it's only once you talk to a person that you would be able to see the effects of drugs.
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