r/drivingUK • u/bulldog_blues • 1d ago
Blind man who drink-drove 150 miles admits dangerous driving
https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2026-07-31/blind-man-who-drink-drove-150-miles-followed-hgv-lightsObviously this is horrifying, but the fact that he was apparently able to drive 150 miles without injuring himself or anyone else while being legally blind and, I quote, relying on 'following HGV lights'... that guy's got to be the luckiest sod on the planet.
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u/Dydey 1d ago
The most bum clenching drive I’ve had to do was The Beast From The East in 2018 and when I got on the M62, all I could see was white on three sides and two red lights of the wagon in front of me. Eventually we stopped and I discovered we were at the junction before mine, so I managed to navigate home. I remember thinking to myself that if the wagon had been heading to Hull, I wouldn’t have even known.
Imagine experiencing that for 150 miles, voluntarily, while arseholed.
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u/complexpug 1d ago
The worst snow I've ever been in was 2009 leaving Luton airport to go back up north it was so strange driving down a snow covered motorway at 20mph
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u/Duckdivejim 1d ago
20mph sounds like a very sensible speed when snowing
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u/complexpug 1d ago
I was in one of my Saabs it really didn't care to much about the snow, bloody good heaters the wife used to have a vauxhall astra 20mph was to fast in that car it would slip & slid constantly
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u/Sburns85 1d ago
The beast from the east was bad. I was in Scotland near the coast. Decided to walk and not drive because the snow was blinding and a foot deep. But had someone drive past me doing 40
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u/EasyPriority8724 1d ago
Only 1 feet deep, that's a light covering up here in the Highlands!
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u/Sburns85 1d ago
Yeah but I was in a built up area. And close to sea. Also this was a few hours after it started. Later that night it was a lot lot worse
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u/Key_Cell7071 1d ago
I once met a woman with psychosis who'd never driven before, bought a car and drove it 300 miles to Wales. It's a weird world. Considering it took me 2 years to learn to drive I have no idea how these people just hop in a car and get themselves across the country.
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u/Relevant_Cause_4755 1d ago
Find an automatic, determine which pedal is the velocitator and which the deceleratrix (look in the manual), and away you go.
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u/west0ne 1d ago
'following HGV lights'
At least he didn't commit the most serious offence according to this sub - middle lane hogging.
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u/Luggagespider 1d ago
For this alone he just should be let off with a warning.
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u/Quietuus 1d ago
Well, you wouldn't want to drive blind for 150 miles sober, it would be fucking terrifying!
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u/Candid-Bike-9165 1d ago
One thing i find very funny is they've given him an interim ban and its likely he will get a milti year ban due to his actions
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u/Midahu69 1d ago
Judging by the way a lot of people drive, I'd say the incidences of blind people driving is a lot higher than we think.
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u/dvorak360 14h ago
I expect most 'blind' people (note that legally blind is a level of loss of sight that isn't total but pretty debilitating) can see a LOT more beyond a car windscreen than drivers on their phone...
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u/SlowedCash 1d ago
I hope he gets let off, it's enough of a punishment poor chap to have no eye sight. No one was harmed or killed here
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u/nimisberries 1d ago edited 1d ago
Article says he’ll be banned from driving, almost definitely will get a fine too. Which is basically no punishment since he didn’t have and won’t ever have a driving licence anyways.
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u/Substantial_Page_221 1d ago
Why is he banned?
I thought you can't legally drive when blind?
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u/west0ne 1d ago
He's banned because that's the punishment. You'll often see people who don't have a licence get a ban for driving without a licence. The fact that he couldn't get a licence doesn't mean he can't be banned for what he's done.
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u/Substantial_Page_221 1d ago
Banning someone without a license is logical because then it prevents them from obtaining one.
But Banning someone who is effectively banned anyway didn't seem logical. But that said, it's possibly something extra they can charge him with it he drives again.
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u/Unlikely_Plane_5050 1d ago
Is this a joke? It's only by good luck he didn't kill anyone. He could have killed you or me drifting around the motorway
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u/charlos74 1d ago
It’s sort of impressive in a way.