We were at the end of the 19th century, more specifically in 1897. At this time, only a few hundred vehicles circulated in the city of London, including the electric taxi — yes, a fleet of electric taxis was already circulating in central London in the century. XIX — by George Smith, a 25-year-old Londoner who, after all these years, would come to be known for not the best of reasons.
On September 10, 1897, George Smith crashed into the facade of a building on New Bond St, and was seriously damaged. Visibly drunk, the young man was taken to the police station by one of the witnesses present at the scene. Later, George Smith pleaded guilty to the accident. “I had two or three beers before driving,” he confessed.
Faced with this unprecedented situation, the police released George Smith and forced him to pay a fine of 20 shillings — a hefty sum for the time.
Although the effects of alcohol on driving were already suspected, at the time there was still no way to objectively measure blood alcohol levels. The solution would only appear more than 50 years later with the Breathalyzer, which works similarly to the system commonly known as a “balloon”.
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Today, millions of drivers are fined every year for driving under the influence of alcohol, which remains a major cause of road accidents.
And you know… if you drive, don't drink. Don't do like George Smith.