Drinks & Driving ??? Thoughts/Comments

Garrett · 17 Jul 2006 at 10:38

Personally, I know that I feel a little sleepy more sleepy than normal after one pint, or even a pint of shandy - especially at lunch time.

I'm no holier than though angel, I went to court for drink driving several years ago, but if I'm out driving now and we go to the pub I order a pint of lemonade or a weak bitter shandy.

Gaijin · 17 Jul 2006 at 14:36

For a night down a very local pub to my place (less than a mile away - yes i'm lazy). I'll have maybe a lager top or a shandy and then its Coke all the way for the rest of the evening.

Last night was a perfect example, just drank Coke all night because I was at my girlfriends house in brighton (6 miles away from me). Girlfriend's male friend bought me a a Vodka and Coke thinking I was drinking. No thanks mate - i'm alright.

For those who drink until they "feel it". I could drink 3+ pints before i "felt it". Would I drive after? Hell no.

Its just not worth it, as sad as it may be, I aspire in life not by what house I want to own, or what women I want to be with (ok maybe a little bit), but what car I want to drive.

Drunk driving destroys that. Not to mention the responsibility you take on when you pass your test to not put yourself, your passengers and other people in danger. This NEEDS to be underlined more in the test/learning process. I would wholeheartedly support a "Shock" lesson which would show the possible consequences of drink driving as part of the learning process.

One More Solo · 17 Jul 2006 at 14:38

Every Sunday it's a pint at the local at 9pm then driving back at 10.45pm. Anyone who says that alcohol will be a bigger danger than tiredness at that time is misguided, imo.

Enfield · 17 Jul 2006 at 17:40

If I've had a drink I don't get in the car - simple as that.

You may be a responsible drinker but are you a responsible driver?

Smiley Man · 17 Jul 2006 at 17:42

Violent-J said:
Yeah I know mate, umm, yeah basically I take responsibility for my actions, I would feel 100% comfortable getting breathalized after one pint and don't see a problem personally. I will continue having my social pint down the pub I think, I don't drive straight after anyway, I often play snooker or whatever so don't drive for at least an hour after as I usually get a drink as soon as I get there.

I'm quite shocked that it went half way up the yellow for you,

*checks your profile*

its hardly a legal pint is it?

volospian · 18 Jul 2006 at 09:01

Colin_da_Killer said:
Then add in the fact I've been drinking for a good 4-5 years already

What's that got to do with anything? The most "experience" will give you is a misplaced feeling of familiarity with the affects of alcohol. The problem alcohol has on driving is about reaction times, not about "how drunk you feel".

Your attitude in this thread seems to be very agressive. It seems you expected everyone to side with you and tell you that you are correct. However, a large proportion of people on this board care about their license and are simply not prepared to take risks like you.

The ONLY way to know if you were OK to drive would have been to find the nearest plod and ask for a breath test.

I have no faith in any mathmatical functions regarding the average speed of break down of alcohol in the digestive system as it is based on an average, which you may not be. Sure, you are a big guy, but so what, I've drunk people bigger than me under the table (6'3", 16 Stone) and been drunk under the table by people much smaller, older, younger. There are many factors that govern both how you react after alcohol, and whether you are over the limit or not.

Mad old tory · 18 Jul 2006 at 10:56

If I'm drinking 99 times out of 100 i won't drive. The only times I make an exception are when I've had a pint at lunchtime and am driving in the evening. I know then that most of the alcohol is out of my system and I wouldn't have been over the limit anyway. I might have been a bit dodgy on Sunday though, had a half pint bottle with my sunday lunch and then drove about an hour or so later. It was only half a pint though and I was eating so should be ok.

Sone · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:12

i am very suprised with the attitude here with drink and driving, i don't know anyone in real life who would think twice about driving after one pint. Everybody i know its 1 & 1/2th to 3 pints before they would think.

Scuzi · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:13

AcidHell2 said:
Network rail and all railway staff is something like 27milligrams (mg) and is one of the tightest in the world.

At work the maximum limit for us is 20mg, a quarter of the drink drive limit.

I feel that the current limit is about right. It allows for a reasonable amount of a buffer in which the impairment of reaction times is neglibigle. If the limit for driving was lowered it would result in a lot more people getting banned, especially driving the day after a heavy night out. Let's face it, driving isn't exactly the hardest thing to do in the world and doesn't require utmost concentration (I know it should in and ideal world but we don't live in an ideal world) so that is reflected in the limit. For more demanding tasks like flying or driving a train, the limit has to be lowered to reflect the greater complexity of the task.

Adz · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:22

Sone said:
i am very suprised with the attitude here with drink and driving, i don't know anyone in real life who would think twice about drinking after one pint. Everybody i know its 1 & 1/2th to 3 pints before they would think.

I don't think anyone is going to come along and post that they'd drunk 8 pints and driven 50 miles home, hitting only one lamppost and one old lady on the way

.

Edit: Scuzi - my thoughts exactly.

Bri · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:48

If me & the wife go to a country pub for lunch whilst out on a drive then it's quite likely I'll have 1 pint. Don't see a problem with it tbh, far too many 'WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN' types in here.

kitten_caboodle · 18 Jul 2006 at 12:09

Bri said:
If me & the wife go to a country pub for lunch whilst out on a drive then it's quite likely I'll have 1 pint. Don't see a problem with it tbh, far too many 'WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN' types in here.

quite a lot of defensive types too...

NathanE · 18 Jul 2006 at 12:34

You took no risk IMO. 1 pint and a 1.5hr gap is nothing. You can have a pint and drive straight after no problems. 2 and 3 pints tends to depend on the person.

You are "taking a risk" every time you get behind the wheel, 1 pint isn't going to change that by any measurable amount.

-Ad- · 18 Jul 2006 at 12:40

Chris1712 said:
TBH i dont see the problem. Admittedly alcohol effects everyone differently blah blah blah. But 1 pint spread over 2 hours or so, with a meal aswell in a big fella is going to do sweet fa.

That's exactly what i do, and i always leave an hour or so before driving anyway, but if its one of those days on little food and it goes to my head then i wont go near my car.

Violent-J · 18 Jul 2006 at 12:40

Smiley Man said:
*checks your profile*

its hardly a legal pint is it?

It will be in two months heh.

I never get asked for ID

.

Then again there's nothing *illegal as such about my underage drinking, except the pub who's at blame.

Scuzi · 18 Jul 2006 at 12:51

NathanE said:
You can have a pint and drive straight after no problems.

Well that depends on many things, doesn't it? Someone could have one pint and be over the limit quite easily. All it takes is someone of slight build on an empty stomach to go and have a pint of strong beer. It can and does happen. Everyones metabolism of alcohol is different so your statement is wrong unless you happen to know how that particular member metabolises alcohol.

People can and do go over the limit after one pint. There have been times when if I'm a bit tired after a hard day at work, the one pint can feel like I've had three.

Oakesy2001uk · 18 Jul 2006 at 13:03

I agree with the safest way is not to drink, however when I go out I tend to have 1 pint of weaker lager (I.e not stella or kronenburg). I have this at the start of the night and drive home a few hours later after consuming enough coke (cola BTW) so enough caffine to complety wire me for the night lol. I know I am fine after a pint and that fine by me. I have been breathlised twice. once after a pint and I was fine, and once after 6 pints or so when I was getting my coat out of the back seat of my 4 door car to walk home with my mates and somehow I passed the breathaliser, the copper said I was fine to drive home, I told him that I had no intention of driving home beacuse (although no-where near drunk) I had had too much to drink to be driving.

Everyones body is differnt and so many factors are involve there is no rule, if you have anything at all it is a risk, end of conversation really.

Smiley Man · 18 Jul 2006 at 13:07

Violent-J said:
It will be in two months heh.

I never get asked for ID .

Then again there's nothing *illegal as such about my underage drinking, except the pub who's at blame.

you try going to a club with that attitude

Serj · 18 Jul 2006 at 13:15

If my car is in the car park, i drink coke. Simple as that for me.

Bri · 18 Jul 2006 at 13:16

kitten_caboodle said:
quite a lot of defensive types too...

I want my 1 pint dammit!!!