Drink driving - got away with it?

[snail1]

I'm confused - is there a question there?

no - it was a statement

A quick look on pubmed doesn't reveal anything, but I may be inept at searching. So I don't have any evidence for this being the same; it just seems logical to me that it would happen with alcohol similarly to CO2. And this theory is borne up in previous posts

You may well be right - I was just after some clarification, but you must admit that previous posts on OCUK represent anecdotal evidence at best - I would argue one needs to ensure there is an effect before trying to explain it.

 

[The Mad Rapper]

Anyone drink driving should be shot.

Because humans aren't allowed to make mistakes?

 

[miniyazz]

You may well be right - I was just after some clarification, but you must admit that previous posts on OCUK represent anecdotal evidence at best - I would argue one needs to ensure there is an effect before trying to explain it.

Fair enough - though I think someone else came up with the original statement that breathalysers could be fooled this way, and my explanation is indeed just a hypothesis.

 

[uber soldat]

Maybe he had 6 cans of Kaliber?

 

[spoonz]

i once, a very very long time ago, drank half a can of carlsberg whilst driving back from the off licence. (it was my first)

How young and daft I was

 

[bledd]

Because humans aren't allowed to make mistakes?

I wouldn't count drink driving as a 'mistake'

 

[sunama]

I wouldn't count drink driving as a 'mistake'

I would say its an error in judgement. I think people are entitled to make bad decisions, but when they do it more than once, then it is more of an issue. The law works in a similar fashion where first time offenders are treated less harshly than the repeat offenders.

 

[miniyazz]

I would say its an error in judgement. I think people are entitled to make bad decisions, but when they do it more than once, then it is more of an issue. The law works in a similar fashion where first time offenders are treated less harshly than the repeat offenders.

How is it an error in judgement? The vast majority of times at least. You drive somewhere, then you drink, knowing you have to drive home...
Exceptions might include big night in round someplace you drove to, drive home the next morning, still over the limit but you might not realise.

 

[MikeHunt79]

Of course - as the blood alcohol returns to its previous levels (by diffusing out of cells etc), which doesn't take very long, the concentration gradient between the blood and the air in your lungs is restored, so the alcohol content of the air you breath out is restored. A contributing factor is that your drive to breath comes from blood CO2 concentration alone until the O2 drops very low, so if you hyperventilate you will then find you have no desire to breath for quite some time - this allows the alcohol (and CO2, irrelevantly) concentration to build up more quickly than if you force yourself to keep breathing normally after hyperventilating. I'd be surprised if it was as long as 30s actually.


Edit: [="6"]Disclaimer - you should not hyperventilate and hold your breath after! Because the drive to breath comes from CO2 levels, you will be able to hold your breath for several minutes at least, and you may give yourself brain damage from low oxygen levels before you *have* to breath again.[/SIZE]

That obvious enough?

If someone is stupid enough to drink drive in the first place, I doubt they'll be worried about a bit of brain damage!

 

[miniyazz]

If someone is stupid enough to drink drive in the first place, I doubt they'll be worried about a bit of brain damage!

While this is true, medical advice (not that this counts, it's merely in the same genre) on this forum what it is, thought I'd stick in a huge disclaimer to keep people happy

 

[D D Danneh]

now i didnt believe him but apparently if there is no alcohol on your breath then you can get away with it..

Breathalyzers in "Breathalyzers analyze your breath" shocker.

 

[MikeHunt79]

While this is true, medical advice (not that this counts, it's merely in the same genre) on this forum what it is, thought I'd stick in a huge disclaimer to keep people happy

Indeed, better safe than sorry. I just found it quite amusing in a thread about drink driving which is one of the least safe activities you could indulge in!

OT: Only just yer e-mail, my wifi card has been playing up so I had no e-mail access until now.

 

[miniyazz]

Indeed, better safe than sorry. I just found it quite amusing in a thread about drink driving which is one of the least safe activities you could indulge in!

OT: Only just yer e-mail, my wifi card has been playing up so I had no e-mail access until now.

Haha true.