Drinking Age

Liam G asked:


Portugal’s most southern province is known as the Algarve, and with a coastline of roughly 100 miles its no surprise to hear that it is one of Europe’s most visited coastal regions.

Although the Algarve’s popularity has primarily sprouted from its countless coastal resorts, there is much more to the area than sea and sand. Taking to the road in your own car is an excellent way to discover some of the regions more untouched, rural gems.

The first obvious difference to driving in Portugal compared to the UK is that the Portuguese drive on the right hand side, with priority given to vehicles approaching from the right.

A certain degree of diligence is required when driving on the roads of the Algarve, with some drivers paying little attention to the law.

Over recent years though, the Portuguese government has responded to this by pushing their police force harder which has resulted in a considerable rise in clamp downs on bad drivers.

The main areas that carry the highest penalties are drink driving and speeding. It is recommended to avoid drinking all together when driving in the Algarve, as the legal limit throughout Portugal is lower than that exercised throughout the UK.

Breaking the rules of the road will usually result in a fine that must be paid on the spot and in some extreme cases you may have to serve time in jail!

If however, you drive with caution and obey the rules of the road, the Algarve can be a very enjoyable region of Portugal to explore.

The rural sleepy town of Alcoutim can be found in the North Eastern area, where you are able to take your own beautiful tour down the winding road that runs alongside the Algarve’s natural border with Spain - the Guadiana River.

Travelling south down to coast, you are able to take the newly built motorway that spans nearly the entire Algarvian coast. Alternatively, you can opt to take the area in at your own pace by passing through the many rural villages and towns.

Either way chances are you will end up in the town of Monchique, which has managed to escape much of the overwhelming tourism of the more popular towns. This showcases some of the regions most impressive architecture and craftsmanship, while the 17th century monastery provides stunning views of the peaceful surrounding countryside which contrast dramatically with the roaring seas of the Atlantic coast.

Car hire in the Algarve is easily achieved, with the main car hire agencies being situated in the regions capital – Faro. The internet is an excellent way to source and find cheap car hire quotes.



Carl

Low Jeremy asked:


Until now, there is still a continuous debate over those who are manufacturing energy drinks, their consumers and those that countering its use and effect on the body. Despite this fact, more and more kinds of energy drinks are being manufactured everyday. This is answer to the need of those people who are living a hectic lifestyle and need all the energy they can get.

This is one of the reasons why energy drinks have become the “hottest” thing ever to be manufactured. Everywhere you go, you will different kinds of energy drinks being sold. And it should not surprise you that you see consumers having one or two of these in hand.

Manufacturers of energy drinks were wise enough to present them in attractive colors, tasty flavors and fancy containers. Why a lot of persons are drawn to try out one in the first place is may be because of their appearances.

Another factor is the promise of additional energy that comes with taking these drinks. And this is besides the fact that you can get that without having to put on some calories or weight. Another plus factor to those who are body conscious and takes their diet seriously.

Energy drinks versus water.

One of the better uses for water is for good digestion and hydration. But when you need to do workouts and some hard work that make use of physical energy, water cannot substitute for the nutrients and energy that your body have lost in the process.

This is where energy drinks comes in handy. They replace the electrolyte that you lost through sweating. It can also quench the thirst you will feel on the duration of your activity. If you want to make it through the long hard day, energy drinks is the one you need.

Energy drink consumers.

Although there are a lot of people who are taking energy drinks because of its thirst quenching ability, energy drinks are highly advisable to those persons that are going through strenuous activity for long periods of time.

This is why athletes are the prime consumer of energy drinks. They are also the first person that energy drink manufacturers are approaching once they are in the process of presenting new products out in the market. Who can market their product better than those who need these energy drinks the most?

But then, athletes are not the only ones taking advantage of the benefits of energy drinks. More and more people that are doing physical labor and trying activities are turning to energy drinks for the needed supply of energy that cannot be found in other drinks.

Taking energy drinks.

The common misconception when taking energy drink is to drink them whenever they are thirsty already. According to manufacturers and experts on these drinks, that is not the perfect time. You may have already be dehydrated or tired that the energy drink will not be able to sustain for all these things immediately.

The best time to take energy drinks is when you are just starting or in the mid part of your activity. By the time you lose some of your energy, the supplied energy from the beverage will already be in the process of taking place.

As long as there are consumers in need of additional energy drive, you can expect new and more energy drinks to be manufactured and become a hit among those who need them the most.



Marc

mexico asked:


Judging by the number of people I still see using mobile phones whilst driving it would seem very few people are aware that the The Road Safety Bill received Royal Assent on 8th November 2006.

The first part of this bill to be activated seems to be Section 26 which covers “Breach of requirements as to control of vehicle,mobile telephones etc”.

This section provides for the obligatory endorsenent ( with disqualification at the court’s discretion ) for using a mobile phone whilst driving.

Currently this is just a fixed penalty offence and must not have been an effective deterrent as the new legislation will add 3 penalty points to your licence as well as a fine.

So if you get caught on your phone 4 times , you could lose your licence under the totting up of points”

The rest of the bill ” contains a raft of measures designed to help achieve casualty reduction targets and improve safety on Britain’s roads”.

Some of these include :-

The banning of radar and laser detectors , these devices actually detect the signals given out by speed cameras etc and warn the driver unlike GPS based devices which have a database of known accident blackspots which mat have a fixed or mobile camera present. GPS only based devices are not affected and continue to be legal.

Graduated penalty points for speeding and other offences , e.g. the number of points you get depends how far over the speed limit you where.

The Act enables the Secretary of State to require the worst drink-drive offenders to re-take the driving test.

Mandatory recording of vehicle mileages ( currently optional ) to combat vehicle “clocking”.

A new offence of being the registered keeper of a vehicle , the use of which is not insured. Presumably this means if the vehicle is taxed it must be insured otherwise SORN applies.

Extension of the rules governing the suppliers of number plates to N.Ireland and Scotland.

These will be activated over the coming months but the mobile phone offence is law now , You have been warned !



Eddie

Maria Palma asked:


Teen drunk driving has been a growing concern for many people - especially for parents. As much as we’d like to believe that our children are innocent and will stay kids forever, the truth is, many young people are involved in illegal activities such as drinking alcohol. Although teen drivers represent a small fraction of the total driving population in the United States, teenagers do cause many of the accidents on the roadways. Consider some of these statistics:



The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 23% of teenage drivers in fatal car accidents had a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08.

A report released by the NHTSA revealed that 50% of high school students polled have admitted to drunk driving





SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions formerly Students Against Drunk Driving) says that approximately three-fourths of high school students drink alcohol illegally even though they know the possible consequences of drunk driving



So, what can we do to reduce the incidences of teen drunk driving? Here are a few tips…



Have open conversations with your teenager on a regular basis. Talking to your teen about drunk driving isn’t something that shouldn’t be avoided because it’s a serious and tough issue to discuss or that you think they won’t listen to you. Talk to to your teen as early as possible and create an inviting and open channel of communication so they feel comfortable talking to you about this issue. The more you talk to them about drinking and driving, the more likely that it’ll stick with them. They’ll know how much it means to you that they stay sober when they drive.

Teens learn from their parents and the role models in their life, so if you set a good example and don’t drink and drive, they’ll be more conscious about doing the same.



Teen drunk driving could be reduced or avoided altogether if parents were made more aware of this issue and showed concern for their teens. Most of the time parents have this dominant, “Do what I say because I said so!” attitude that makes teens just want to rebel even more. Show them the same level of respect that you expect from them and they’ll be more inclined to listen to what you have to say.



Stephen

Doug asked:


Driving in France

The French road network includes over 5000 miles of motorways, many of which are peage (toll roads) which link the main provincial towns and cities. French roads are generally well maintained and apart from the main cities congestion is rare.

Despite the French love for fine wine the drink drive regulations are strict with the limit set at 50mg per 100ml of blood.

The minimum driving age is 18, seat belts are compulsory in front and back seats.

Always drive on the right. Don’t obstruct fast lanes. On some motorways and open roads you can overtake slow moving traffic on the left, just keep an eye out for the signs.

Unless indicated otherwise, speed limits are 50km/h in towns, 80km/h on the Paris periphique, 90km/h on main roads, 110 km/h on dual-carriage ways and 130 km/h on motorways

Driving licence, insurance certificate and vehicle registration documents must be shown at any roadside controls.

In cities and towns the right of way is sometimes given to vehicles coming in from the right, look out for the large flashing ‘X’ which indicates that you do not have priority.

There are many roundabouts close to towns and you must slow down and give way to the vehicles already on the roundabout.

Speed limits are enforced and there are plenty of radar controls. Radar detectors are illegal and you will be prosecuted for possession.

By law you must carry a warning triangle.

One law you must be aware of is priorité à droite. This gives the right of way to motorists turning onto the road you are on, and in the direction you are travelling, from the right. The exceptions are if the junction is marked by a stop sign, traffic light or solid white line, as well as roundabouts, where cars to your left have the right-of-way. Pay particular attention in rural areas, where traffic on minor road may have right-of-way when joining a main road.



Lawrence