0.23 Percent

[Wulfman]

I don't think "rotting in jail" will change anything. just take the license - often more effective than everything else.

mfg
wulfman

PS.: did ya know how many "handicapped" children are born due to alcohole? 1 in 300-700 births... talking about "harmless" drugs...

[The PIT]

Got to admit I've driven drunk twice (Once the morning after) and certainly won't do it again. Got away with it as well. As being stoned a non stoned person can tell you that your not acting like your normal self or reacting like your normal self.
Going back to being drunk the preasures when you're out to have a drink is tremdous. The number of times I waved my car keys infront of smug bartender whos smirking and making smart comments when you ask for a coke.
The comments normal infer that your gay, a whimp etc. Thens theres your friends who press as well.
Even family members who should no better have asked me to drive when they known I've just come back from the pub.

[knirfie]

over there the limit is 0.8 promille? Here its 0.5 and they're thinking of lowering it to 0.3

[Wulfman]

Originally posted by knirfie
over there the limit is 0.8 promille? Here its 0.5 and they're thinking of lowering it to 0.3

o.5 here, 0.0 for the first 2 years with license. no problem with that.

mfg
wulfman

[Indiana]

The .5 promille is easily rejectable by all studies that were done. All those statistics majorly show one thing: the good ole (in germany) "Absolute Fahruntüchtigkeit" (=total unability to drive) at 1.1 promille was a really good set. Nearly ALL of those alcohol-caused crashs are done by drivers the had more than 1 promille, the percentage of car crashes of people between 0.5 - 0.8 promille is not really statistically significantly higher then that of those without alcohol (of course the latter group is "contaminated" with those that did drink and drive but never were detected of being drunk).

Besides, the reaction to alcohol is very different between different people - as it is with any drug. Alcohol is only a bigger problem in car crashs because more people drink than smoke pot or any other "hallucigenous" things. And smoking pot or whatever is not as easily detectable so this group severely contaminates the "non-drunk" car crasher-group as well.

How hard is it to get this concept? If you're trashed, or even if you're feeling buzzed at all, get out of the car.

As reasonable as that might sound, the nature of drugs is that they have a serious impact on some peoples awareness of their weaknesses. So some drunk people will feel "all great" and not realise that they are not able to drive a car anymore.
I guess that's the primary reason to drink/smoke for some people: They feel more relaxed / "stronger" because of it. I know a friend that is not very good with handling of girls. If he is drunk, however, he circles them round him.
I really can't blame him for drinking, if that would work for me, I guess I'd be drunk all of the time.... (unfortunately this doesn't work for me, I really was very drunk some times and all I get from it is getting sick. I never did anything that I wouldn't do when not drunk just because of alcohol. Pity sometimes you'd think it would be interesting.)

I agree with Wulfman here: if someone is drunk (and more so severely drunk like the guy in the article, c'mon, anything more than 1.5 promille and still driving is plain crazy) and causes an accident, take his license for a long time. This wil protect the public more than additionally imprisoning him. If he does it a second time, take his license forever.

[Novdid]

I never ever and I mean it never have or ever will drive with alcohol in my blood, it just plain stupid. And I get sad when I hear that some people here drive after a drink, but to be safe they drive more "slowly and closer to the speed limits".

I drink and I do it quite often, it's nice at social occasions, especially a beer at the pub watching a football game is something I can't be without. But driving even with a tiny bit of alcohol in my system is not even considered, not even if I'm so drunk that can't make a difference between up and down.

[UtwigMU]

I have a principle: either drink or drive. If i plan to get drnka i take a bus, cab or walk.

The maximum I have before driving is one drink (and I mean one).

I have broken this rule twice in life:
- once still in driving school, when i had couple of beers after school (there was this pensioneer who was paying for rounds) and went to driving lesson and
- once when my girlfriend asked me to drive her home with her car when we were out

[Wombat]

I've never even come close to drinking and driving. I specifically got an apartment 3 blocks from my favorite pubs so that it was never an issue, and I don't even drink that much.

[The PIT]

Now the next question is how many have driven in the morning after a night out??? I'm talking here going to pub around eight drinking quite a bit followed by a night club then getting up next morning to drive to work or too the shops. I would say 99% of people who drink have done this at least once in their life. The reason why they drive is that they feel perfectly okay.

[GNEP]

TP: I know the problem. But again, I won't ever drive if I've been drinking the night before. I have been in work plenty of times when drunk still from the night before - it can be quite amusing...

I have London's public transport system at hand though so it's never really been an issue.

Gnep

[The PIT]

That raises another interesting point being drunk at work. If you have an accident they won't pay any compensation yet they know your pissed cos they've been drinking with you but won't send you home.

[Byock]

Interesting. here if you had even been suspected of drinking and were at work, they would send you home immediately. And prob write you up.

[The PIT]

Can't sack you if the team leaders and directors were also present and just as drunk or more so.

[Byock]

Hmmm, good point. Being in Utah, that would be VERY rare here.


EDIT: (in case you don't know, Utah is considered the "Prude" state. )

[Helevitia]

Hey Doc, you never answered my question...Have you ever taken a drink of any kind of alcohol and then driven a car within a time frame that could have impaired your driving abilities?

Dave