4. Road Accidents There are far too many road accidents in this country： too many deaths and too many people injured. One wonders who are most to blame： drivers or pedestrians¹. Some people say that the blame cannot be put fairly without considering the roads and the whole transport system. In crowded cities like London, Birmingham or Manchester, road conditions are so chaotic² that both driver and pedestrian often endanger lives through no fault of their own. Such deficiencies as too many road signs, faulty traffic lights, sudden narrowing of a street, congested parking are all a sure indication of bad ioad conditions. On the other hand, many experts are convinced that the larger part of the blame for the death toll³ must be put on persons and persons alone： drivers who drive too fast and without any consideration for others, drivers
　　One Day We May Need to Use This Ambulance
　　who think they are safe at the wheel even though they have drunk too much alcohol, drivers who, out of some curious sense of power, are incapable⁴ of understanding that their car is a lethal⁵ weapon if improperly⁶ used. Pedestrians, likewise, must share the guilt⁷： stepping off the pavement without first looking to the left or right, crossing roads when the traffic lights are against them, jumping off a moving bus. To be fair, pedestrians, drivers and road conditions are all to blame. One looks forward to the day when the motor car has been replaced by some less dangerous means of transport.
　　5. At the Scene of the Accident
　　Policeman：   Now, sir, I,m sorry to have kept you waiting. I had to look after the traffic on the road until some more police arrived. You,re the driver of the blue car, I believe. Mr.Simpson：   Yes. Policeman：   Just a few questions, sir. Do you feel all right？
　　Mr.Simpson：   Yes, I'm…… I'm fine now. I was a little shaken up at first. Policeman：   Well, I'll try not to keep you long. I just want a few details, and the rest of the information I can get tomorrow. Can I have your name and address, please？
　　Mr.Simpson：   Jeremiah Simpson, 15 Portland Crescent, Leeds. Policeman：   Have you got your driving licence and insurance certificate with you？
　　Mr.Simpson：   Yes…… Oh, here they are. Policeman：   M'hm…… Thank you…… Oh…… Yes, they're all right. Now, were there any passengers in the car？
　　Mr.Simpson   Er yes, er my wife and a friend - a young lady. My wife was itting in the back and her friend in the front passenger seat. Policeman：   Where are they now？
　　Mr.Simpson：   The ambulance has just taken them to hospital. You spoke⁸ to the ambulance driver before he set off. Did he say anything about the young lady？
　　Policeman：   He said that her injuries looked worse than they really were. The other woman——that'd be your wife, I assume——appeared to be suffering from shock. Mr.Simpson：   Yes, I know. They advised her to go to hospital for a check-up, just in case. Policeman：   Mm. Was the young lady wearing her seatbelt？
　　Mr.Simpson：   No, unfortunately. I told her to put it on, but she couldn't adjust it. I didn't think it was worth stopping the car because we were only going a few miles. Policeman：   Did she go through the windscreen？
　　Mr.Simpson：   No, she was very lucky. But she hurt her leg on the dashboard. Paliceman：   Mm. It could've been much worse. Now, sir, will you tell me in your own words what happened？
　　Mr.Simpson：   Oh…… Well, as you can see, I was travelling along this？main road when suddenly er the other car came out of er that sidestreet. It all happened so quickly. I just didn't see him until he hit me. Policeman：   I've just spoken to the other motoriest and he says that you were speeding. Mr.Simpson：   What？
　　Policeman：   Is this true？
　　Mr.Simpson：   That,s a lie. My wife and Becky'll tell you that I stopped at the  away. pedestrian crossing just down there. You can see it's only fifty yards I could hardly have reached thirty miles an hour by the time I got here. Goodness knows what would've happened if I'd been going faster. Policeman：   The other driver said that he stopped at the junction⁹. When he pulled out there was nobody coming, so you must have been speeding. Mr.Simpson：   Well, it' s not true. I've witnesses to prove it. He couldn't have stopped. The lighting¹⁰ is very good here along this stretch Policeman：   Yes.He should have stopped.Why did you stop at the pedestrian crossing？
　　Mr.Simpson：   There were two old ladies on it. I'm always a bit careful with old people because they're likely to walk across the road without looking properly. Policeman：   I shouldn't worry, sir. We don't think you were speeding——even without measuring the skid¹¹ marks. Mr.Simpson：   Er, was he-er, the other driver-drunk？
　　Policeman：   I don't know yet.He's admitted that he's had one or two drinks,but says it was only two half-pints. We're going to give him a breathalyser test to see whether he's over the limit. If he is, he'll be asked to have a blood test. Mr.Simpson：   Well, I haven't touched a drop all night！
　　Policeman：   No, sir. It's surprising how much a driver's breath smells even if he's only had one drink. Well, sir, I don't think I need to detain you any longer. We shall want written statements from you, your wife and the young lady tomorrow. Mr.Simpson：   Yes…… What'll happen to my car？ It's obvious that with that badly-damaged wheel I shan't be able to drive it. Policeman：   We'il have to take some measurements of the skid marks and the positions of the cars. We' 11 arrange to have it towed away when we've finished. If you ring the police station tomorrow, they'll tell you what to do. Mr.Simpson   Thank you very much. Policeman   Oh, er, by the way, is the young lady staying with you？
　　Mr.Simpson   No, she's a friend of my wife. She's staying at the Station Hotel. Her name is er Becky Softe. She has a friend with her and she'll need to be told about the accident, I suppose. I——I don,t know……
　　Policeman   We'll see to that. I expect you'll want to go to the hospital to see how your wife is. Mr.Simpson   Yes, er I must go there now. I told my wife to wait there until I could collect her in a taxi. I hope they don't keep her in. Policeman   If you feel well enough, you can get a taxi just around the next corner. Mr.Simpson   Yes, I'm fine. Goodnight. Policeman    Goodnight.
　　6. The Alcohol Limit and the Punishment The limit of the amount of alcohol a driver is allowed to have in his blood is 80 milligrams for every 100 millilitres of blood： that is about one and a half litres of beer, or one double whisky. If the driver is convicted of “being drunk while in charge of a motor vehicle”, the usual sentence is a ） a heavy fine. b ） disqualification from driving for 12 months. If the driver causes an accident, the sentence can be stricter. For example, a drunken driver who killed a pedestrian was sent to prison for 9 months, as well as being fined and losing his licence for a year. （A demonstrator who destroyed a tennis court as a protest was sent to prison for 18 months.）
　　7. How Do Police Detect Drunk Drivers If the police suspect you of having drunk more than the limit （see above） they can ask you to blow into a breathalyser, which is a plastic bag； if the crystals inside turn green, the police can take you to a police station and take a blood sample. If the driver has had a drink less than 20 minutes before he is stopped, the breathalyser cannot be used. Officially the police can stop you only if they think you are driving badly, but in practice they sometimes simply stop drivers, and give them the breathalyser test.
　　8. Different Opinions on the Alcohol Limit Chief Inspector¹² Kale （Head of Southern Police） would like the alcohol limit lowered and sentences made tougher. Mrs. Nash （a lawyer） is often professionally involved in drinking and driving cases. She thinks judges are too kind, and that seniences should be made tougher. Dr.Smalby has been asked to explain the effects of alcohol. He says fhat it slows down reactions, and affects vision. Mrs.Houghton, whose six-year-old son, Tommy, was killed by a drunken driver. She thinks the driver should have been sent to prison for life.
　　Mr.Lambert knocked down a pedestrian while slightly drunk. He feels very guilty, and is convinced it would not have happened if he had not had a few drinks. Mr.Crosby lost his licence six months ago, and, as a result, his job. He feels he was driving quite properly, and that the law was, and is, far too stiict. Mrs.Austin lost her licence after having three whiskies. She was driving because her husband was drunk. She thinks she drives perfectly¹³ well after three whiskies and that the law is unfair. James Connery （a famous racing¹⁴ driver） thinks that everybody reacts differently to alcohol. （He would be quite safe after drinking three whiskies. ） He thinks the limit should be raised. Gabrielle Savage¹⁵ （a famous film actress） thinks ihe law should be abolished because it stops people having a good time.

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