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A driver who popped out to his local fish and
Page 33
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chip shop was driving home when he had a minor collision with another car. Because he was on a busy road, he could not stop immediately, so drove around the block and back to the site of the crash. By this time, the other car had gone, so the driver headed home to enjoy his supper with a tew cans of beer and some wine.
Shortly afterwards, the police turned up at his home, breathalysed him and charged him with drink-driving.
In court, two expert witnesses did a 'back calculation' to work out what the defendant's blood alcohol levels would have been at the time of the collision and the case was dismissed.
In legal jargon, this is known as the 'hip flask defence'. It covers the consumption of alcohol after any crash, otherwise known as 'post-driving consumption'.
However the courts will not just accept a driver's word that he or she had a couple of drinks afterwards. Medical experts must be produced in court who can calculate the driver's blood alcohol levels at the time.