Haha, slowing down will do that for you
The most fuel efficient way you can drive is 55-56mph in 5th gear (or 6th if applicable). One of my mates went through a spate of having little money, but lots to do so (and his reasoning was to save as much money on fuel as he could) he drover EVERYWHERE at 55mph in 5th. Yes this included 30 zones!
That said this is the same mate who drunk drove his mum's car, uninsured, for the sake of not walking 400m to the pub and back, and wrote it off into 4 parked cars (all subsequently also written off) directly outside his house and is now banned... go figure.
I'm not saying I always agree with "spot checks" as you were most likely a victim of, where the police find any and bizarre non-existent reasons to pull people over in order to asses their fitness to drive, and allow time for all documents and licences etc to be checked, as most often they just pull over young people as they have become the scapegoat these days. Yes it is the best way to determine if people are drunk or on drugs etc but if they are clearly driving perfectly well and the ANPR machines, that are becoming more and more commonplace, don't flag anything up then there is simply no need.
I once got pulled over, talked to like the scum of the earth and breathalysed with the confidence it would be well over the limit - purely because me and my mates came out of a pub and the police were parked up on the pavement (they park there every Friday and Saturday night) to watch the local pubs, and conveniently this is right next to the local car park.
I'm pretty sure this is entrapment, but as I often was back then, I was the designated driver. I drove us down to town and in return my mates bought me soft drinks all night.
I did absolutely nothing wrong driving wise, all passengers and myself were wearing seatbelts, my lights were on, I was obeying the speed limit and despite most drivers attitudes when there are no other cars about they don't indicate (I don't agree with that at all as people then get into the habit of not indicating and stop doing it altogether!) I was indicating correctly. I mean the police car was about 20m from us when we got into the car and it followed us as soon as we moved off, I'm not stupid! Lol.
The conversation went:
*Policeman: "Get out of the car."
*Me: "Erm, ok?" (I oblige)
*Policeman: "Get in the back." (points at the patrol car)
*Me: "Erm, ok?" (I oblige)
*Policeman: "You know why I pulled you over... DON'T YOU!?" (absolutely no need for that!)
*Me: "Well actually no, not really officer" (being extra polite to illustrate my point)
*Policeman: "Well! I actually SAW YOU and your friends leaving the bar, so now I'm going to breath test you! How much have you had to drink tonight!?"
*Me: "Nothing, at least nothing alcoholic officer" (still being extra polite the more he was being an arse
*Policeman: "Well then... IT SHOULD COME UP A BIG FAT ZERO POINT ZERO THEN, SHOULDN'T IT!!?" (getting quite irate)
*Me: "Well yeah, unless they started putting alcohol in cola!" (I admit I gave up on polite at this point)
* [policeman explains how breathalyser works]
* [I oblige in using it as he says, all the time him yelling "BLOW! BLOW! BLOW!...." at me like I was going to stop to try and weasel my way out of a DWI, I'm used to this in the army though so I don't ;et it phase me. Also those things require an inhuman amount of breath!]
* [Policeman turns the breathalyser to face him, I try to see it, he tilts it a bit more so I can't, but I manage to see it come up when the beeping stops and it says "0.0mg/ml" or whatever the units are]
* [Cue sheepish policeman trying to explain exactly WHY he pulled me over andWHY he believed I was drunk so much to justify why he was talking to me the way he was.]
* [Cue me explaining to said policeman exactly WHY that's a load of bull, then me going off on my merry way laughing with my mates]
I'm sorry but you can smell on someone if they've been drinking, it's a good first indication and I hadn't had a drop, also my driving was fine, I walked straight and didn't slur etc. Any idiot would have twigged there is a real possibility I may actually be sober! Lol.
Spot checks are sometimes useful but what happened to innocent until proven guilty? And what is so wrong with the concept of "designated driver" that police will refuse to accept it's existence and decide anyone leaving a pub is plastered and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near their car for the next few days?
I do, however, think car ignitions should be fitted with breathalysers, as well as cash machines lol. Cars that won't start if over the limit, and cash machines that will only dispense "Taxi Fun Dollars" if intoxicated and after 1am, that are only redeemable with taxi firms.