Do you drink and drive?

[Nanotech9]

Trying to get "regional" information on how serious everyone takes drinking and driving...

maybe better suited for the auto forum, but i was hoping for the most exposure.

Around here some people take it seriously, and dont drink and drive, some just say they do, and others... well, others have 13 DUI's and STILL have their license. Yep.

So, just curious.

Me personally, Well, i hardly drink as is, but no more than two Smirnoff's over a 2 or 3hrs is my self-imposed limit. If i've had a shot on an empty stomach, i'll try to sit for at least an hour before i drive.

True, one shot probably isnt enough to even affect me at all, but i wont take chances. People drive crazy enough sober as it is - i dont need my reflexes slowed even a little while i'm behind the wheel.

[Jenny]

Uh, you completely forgot the NO. Never drink before driving. option. :|

[nickel]

i will on 2 beers, but if i get into shots i know better than to drive. shots make me crazy. they sneak up and *bam*.


speaking of:

Crowd Beats Man Accused In DWI Crash

Nov 30, 2004 11:21 am US/Eastern
(NEW YORK) A Queens crowd pulled a man from a car and beat and kicked him because he crashed into young woman - pinning her between the car and a building.

Police say the car was stolen moments before from a nearby supermarket and the driver was charged with driving while intoxicated. His name was not immediately released.

Eye witnesses told police the car apparently swerved to miss a school bus at 110th Street and 174th Avenue at 3:15 pm yesterday, when it slammed into 18-year-old Roshonda Belt. She's listed in serious condition. Her friend - who was pushing a baby carriage - was grazed by the car - and the baby was unhurt.

http://1010wins.com/topstories/local_story_335112221.html

[Kim]

Nope, I don't drink and drive.

[blueindian]

yes, but i don't get drunk and drive.

[Hypnotist]

Used to... but no more. In fact, don't drink or anything anymore. Just better for me! :)

[DarkFury]

Uh, you completely forgot the NO. Never drink before driving. option. :|
:stupid:

It's not a smart thing to do... :2far:

[blueindian]

:stupid:

It's not a smart thing to do... :2far:

isn't that a subjective call though? seriously, 1 beer has no discernable affect on my driving so if I choose to crack a cold one to drink on the way to a buddies house I don't consider that "not smart".

[InfiniteNothing]

Nope. I have a relative who's CHP and between his horror stories and the sheer number of DUIs they get I figure it's a bad bet.

[GracieBayb]

of all the nights i've spent drinking - i've only driven once, and i had waited a couple of hours before taking off

[blueindian]

but if i have one beer, i'm neither going to be a "horror story" because of it, nor will i get a dui if i got pulled over. worst i could get is a $50 open container ticket.

[ski]

THIS JUST IN:

My roommate got a DUI last night. :eek: Blew a 0.12.

Apparently the cop pulled her over outside his jurisdiction or something since he was a rookie, so she might be lucky enough to get a lesser sentence (with any other help from her lawyer), but I don't want to have to drive her everywhere now, so I'm hoping things will turn out as best as possible. I knew she would eventually get busted, but honestly, I've seen people who have had 2 beers and are legal drive much worse than her after a whole night of drinking... I hate to say it, but she's a good drunk driver. She got pulled over for speeding because the dogs hadn't gone to the bathroom in 6 hours (she's nuts about that), but still, she shouldn't have been speeding that late drunk or sober.

As for me I'll drive after drinking no problem. As long as I know I can blow under 0.08, I will drive. I can chug 4 beers, wait 30 minutes, and be technically legal to drive. As long as you know how your body's oxidation process works, you are fine (as long as you feel confident to drive as well)

[welfareloser]

i never drive if i've had more than two beers on that day, or if i've had anything to drink in the last two hours. just not worth it.

several of my single male friends will drive when pretty damned tipsy. i don't knwo any girls who do, or any guys with families who do...

[InfiniteNothing]

THIS JUST IN:

My roommate got a DUI last night. :eek: Blew a 0.12.

Apparently the cop pulled her over outside his jurisdiction or something since he was a rookie, so she might be lucky enough to get a lesser sentence (with any other help from her lawyer), but I don't want to have to drive her everywhere now, so I'm hoping things will turn out as best as possible. I knew she would eventually get busted, but honestly, I've seen people who have had 2 beers and are legal drive much worse than her after a whole night of drinking... I hate to say it, but she's a good drunk driver. She got pulled over for speeding because the dogs hadn't gone to the bathroom in 6 hours (she's nuts about that), but still, she shouldn't have been speeding that late drunk or sober.

As for me I'll drive after drinking no problem. As long as I know I can blow under 0.08, I will drive. I can chug 4 beers, wait 30 minutes, and be technically legal to drive. As long as you know how your body's oxidation process works, you are fine (as long as you feel confident to drive as well)

Maybe this is just California but you can be DUIed for less than .08
Here's a handy chart. CA is considering lowering the .08 level too.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/images/dlhdbk/bac_pt1.gif
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/images/dlhdbk/bac_chart_pt2.gif
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/images/dlhdbk/bac_chart_pt3.gif

[mcs328]

I don't drink if I'm going to be the driver. I usually leave before everyone else does so I can get a head start or wait until all the drunk ppl kill themselves.

[Yossarian]

Uh, you completely forgot the NO. Never drink before driving. option. :|
:stupid: X 5416463541612461321653134687651634654360013213216870654698740620198743210672160746

[Kevster]

I take it seriously if I have to drive. Otherwise it's, "Another Guinness over here! Thanks!".

I know plenty of people with one or more DUI convictions. I also remember well two people I grew up with that aren't here anymore because they both tried on different occasions to drive after drinking way too much.

[zenbooty]

My friends and I used to be bad with this. Down in New Orleans, its literally the culture, and just about everybody does it. NOBODY gives a **** if you drink and drive. Not even cops, once you get outside the downtown and tourist parts of the city. I had a friend get pulled over who had to ask the cop for directions to get home. He got off with a reminider to, "Take it easy now. You've had a few tonight so be careful." Another good friend got home once, parked on the street out front, then passed out on the wheel.

I didn't have a car there luckily, but thought nothing of riding along at the time. Blessed f***ng youth, eh?

[Nanotech9]

wow - good to see most of you do what i would consider the right thing and stay on the safe side...

i'm debating wether or not to start in on an argument here, but what the heck... this is what we do best here right? (argue :) )


(as long as you feel confident to drive as well)
see, this is very subjective... couple years ago, at the company christmas party at a local downtown establishment, i was the only completely sober person. (i didnt drink back then). The purchasing agent was trying to drive himself home, except i rallied the help of a salesman to keep him from doing so. You see, he already had a couple DUI's, didnt have a problem driving drunk, and thought he could drive just fine while drunk.

This particular night he had at LEAST 5 shots, and a half dozen beers. The man literally FELL off the stool he was sitting on to the floor and i had to help lift him off the floor. The entire time, he was swearing up and down he was good to drive. He sure felt confident enough.... But, alas, the other salesman too him to a strip club to sober up.

The way i see it is thus... you may be able to navigate your vehicle in a straight line for the most part, and even see red lights and whatnot at an early enough distance to stop at them successfully. The problem with driving "partially" drunk isnt necessarily the normal driving situations, its the reaction time, and distance judgements, and all the stuff you miss (but you dont know you mis it because you MISSED IT lol).

when i was 18 i had a drunk girl make a left hand turn into me. She was in a car, i was on my first motorcycle. she hit me at about 15mph, and didnt manage to get on the brakes for a good 20', and it took her another 20' to stop. Her reaction time was that delayed. A sober drive may have been able to
a: see me in the first place
b: react quickly enough to hit the brakes and narrowly miss me
c: hit the brakes and only graze the bike

instead, she totaled my bike, narrowly missed severing my left foot at the ankle (thank god for plastic bumpers) and landed herself in jail.

i think is sad that drinking and driving isnt taken more seriously by people, ESPECIALLY cops. The same cop that will let someone well over the limit off the hook will turn around and write a $500 wreckless ticket to someone who is completely in control of a much lighter vehicle, but operating it on one wheel. Now how effed up is that?

[DankNstickY]

Used to... but no more. In fact, don't drink or anything anymore. Just better for me! :)

:stupid:

[Memo]

I don't drink often, maybe once or twice a month, sometimes 0 times a month. Most of the time it's within walking distance from my house as well, so no driving. However, I'll always drive home if it's someplace else. I never drink myself dumb though :shrug:

[brainsmile]

no no no

[bachviet]

If I have to drive within 2 hours, 2 beers are my limit.

[oblongmelon]

would never even consider it.

[RoniMan]

i don't drink...but i do drive...:D

[DarkFury]

isn't that a subjective call though? seriously, 1 beer has no discernable affect on my driving so if I choose to crack a cold one to drink on the way to a buddies house I don't consider that "not smart".
You willing to take that chance with the cops watching you?

It don't take much to register .08 on a breathalizer... is it worth the risk to you? :hmm:

Either way, it's still not a SMART thing to do... no matter how you slice it, but people are gonna do what they wanna do regardless. :shrug:


but if i have one beer, i'm neither going to be a "horror story" because of it, nor will i get a dui if i got pulled over. worst i could get is a $50 open container ticket.
A $50 beer... wow, We gotta call in Brew about those. :D

[StonedWheat]

I used to drive drunk (not even that long ago), and my friends still do all the time. This may sound awful, but I can't think of a time that I went out and one or more people in our party didn't drive home intoxicated. Just last week on a tuesday, after drinking at a bar, I watched this girl that I just met try to open her car door. It took her 3 tries. Her first time she pulled and her hand missed the handle, and she took a few wobbly steps back. Thinking back, I should have stopped her from driving, but it seems so normal to see people I know drive home drunk without any consequences that I don't even notice it. I'm glad that this topic is brought up, because I think I really do need to start intervening when people obviously shouldn't be driving.

I was thinking about this today regarding myself too, because I've been very lucky that nothing has happened that was caused by my drunk driving. I realized that it is just a matter of time before something happens.

[Cheesypuff]

drinking and driving would have to be the farking dummest thing ANYBODY CAN DO!

my friend got killed by a fuking drunk driver! my friend was parked on the side of the road, getting some charcol for the bbq, when all of a fuking sudden, this fuking drunk driver comes squeeling down the corner and hits my friend! Guess who wins in that face off?!?!? Yeah...my friend is no more. How fuking selfish can people get?!? Oh, I wanna get home early but in the mean time...why don't I hit somebody on the way there!!!! FUK DRUNK/DRINKING/TIPSY DRIVERS

yeah...the guy only had 2 or 3 beers! THATS ALL IT FUKING TAKES PEOPLE!!! STOP DRIVING, YOU'RE A LIABILITY EVEN IF you've only had one or two! stop being so stupid! GOSH PEOPLE!!! wait 3 or 4 hours till you KNOW you're sober! GOSH!!!

[Grubbie]

All I say is this, if you drink and drive please don't wear your seatbelt....

[kei2]

I don't drink, but I filled out the first option ("yes, 2 beers is my limit") because I take drinking and driving seriously.

[Merlin]

If I'm driving I manage my intake very carefully meaning two or maybe three over several hours (don't tell brewmaster, I'm the one letting my beer get all warm and such. It is just part of the pacing) and make sure I also have a glass of water between each. As I weigh in at about 200 lbs I am pretty much stone sober at the end of the night. So this puts me in the first choice category.

[ski]

Infinite, something about that chart doesn't seem right...

Each 12 oz. beer, 8 oz. glass of wine, or 1.5 oz. 70 proof liquor raises your BAC 0.025 for an average weight male and 0.030 for an average weight female according to most health sources. The human body can oxidize alcohol at a rate of 0.025 BAC per hour, depending how much you have abused your liver in the past.

My friend was given a breathalyzer as a result of an alcohol-related arrest (not a $15 cheap one from eBay), and after taking some tests on several nights after 3-4 drinks, everyone was under 0.08 (about 0.065) after 3 drinks, and half were under after 4. I'm not saying it's smart to drive while pushing the limit, but technically, I could have 3-4 drinks in an hour and drive (in Virginia). My fraternity does a DD service, so I usually don't have to drive when I go out, whether I drink or not :cheers:

[nickel]

i think this should be changed to, "have you EVER in your lifetime had a beer/alcoholic bev and drove?"

i'm willing to bet most people here have.

[blueindian]

You willing to take that chance with the cops watching you?

It don't take much to register .08 on a breathalizer... is it worth the risk to you? :hmm:


Prety much worth the risk, because the risk is minimal. The chances of me getting pulled at all are are very, very small to begin with, so that chances of me getting pulled if I have a beer in the car are extremely small.

If I did, there is no way that one beer (which is what i was talking about in this scenerio) is gonna cause me to blow over. Further, on a good day, I could talk myself out of the open container ticket. Plus, for the most part, my beer would be in a glass so really I could just suck it down right quick and it would be the end of the story.



i think this should be changed to, "have you EVER in your lifetime had a beer/alcoholic bev and drove?"

i'm willing to bet most people here have.

:stupid:

the question that most people are answering is, "do you get drunk and drive" which is way different than "haveing a drink and driving".

[DarkFury]

Prety much worth the risk, because the risk is minimal. The chances of me getting pulled at all are are very, very small to begin with, so that chances of me getting pulled if I have a beer in the car are extremely small.

If I did, there is no way that one beer (which is what i was talking about in this scenerio) is gonna cause me to blow over. Further, on a good day, I could talk myself out of the open container ticket. Plus, for the most part, my beer would be in a glass so really I could just suck it down right quick and it would be the end of the story.


Well do what you gotta do.... just be careful doing it.

[mcs328]

On my way home we have sobriety checkpoints. And I've seen a few get arrested. A few try to turn around. And a few arrested trying to turn around and hit something.

[kimchicowboy]

for me: HELL NO. :)

[InfiniteNothing]

Infinite, something about that chart doesn't seem right...

Each 12 oz. beer, 8 oz. glass of wine, or 1.5 oz. 70 proof liquor raises your BAC 0.025 for an average weight male and 0.030 for an average weight female according to most health sources. The human body can oxidize alcohol at a rate of 0.025 BAC per hour, depending how much you have abused your liver in the past.

My friend was given a breathalyzer as a result of an alcohol-related arrest (not a $15 cheap one from eBay), and after taking some tests on several nights after 3-4 drinks, everyone was under 0.08 (about 0.065) after 3 drinks, and half were under after 4. I'm not saying it's smart to drive while pushing the limit, but technically, I could have 3-4 drinks in an hour and drive (in Virginia). My fraternity does a DD service, so I usually don't have to drive when I go out, whether I drink or not :cheers:

I'm more inclined to trust the DMV's studies than your informal studies. It's possible you took your BAC too soon (the alchohol hadn't hit your blood yet)

[caribiner23]

I never get behind the wheel unless I am many many many hours past my last drink.

I know way too many people whose last drinks were the ones they had before turning the ignition key.

[dsuds]

Unfortunately, I did drink & drive a little back when I was immortal (and the lease on my immortality ran out LONG AGO). Fortunately, no accidents, & no tickets. And this was back when Virginia had a .15 or .20 BAC level for being "officially drunk".

Today I wouldn't even think about drinking & driving. No alcoholic beverages if I'm driving. I'll either have an N/A beer or just a Pepsi if people are mixing. That way I don't look like the "holier than thou" designated driver & everyone gets home safe.

One time we were driving back from a concert and it was late, about 2:00AM. The bars had just closed and my friend had a POS Toyota Celica. It had been raining all evening and my bud swerves to avoid some water on the road and, you guessed it, he gets pulled over. The cop managed to pull over the only sober person on the road.... :shake:

[attgig]

I never get behind the wheel unless I am many many many hours past my last drink.
:stupid:

[Hypnotist]

Ski said:

My fraternity does a DD service, so I usually don't have to drive when I go out, whether I drink or not

Good Job Gentlemen... mine didn't but definitely should have!

[mechmike0034]

:stupid:

:stupid: (me, too)

And, no :cheers: and motorcycling. Whatsoever.

I was a nightclub doorman and bouncer in my youth. I had to get a little older to see just how lucky I was back in the day, as I didn't used to be anywhere near as responsible as I am now.

[guiseppewv]

It depends on how much and over how long of a period. If I have 2 beers in a 30 minute period then I would say No. Over a 2 hour period - definately.

[faither]

I've never driven under the influence. I have been a passenger with drunk drivers, though (college) and looking back can't believe how stupid it was and how lucky we were.

[Airencracken]

I don't drink period. And no one should drive after any amount of alcohol. I'm always happy to be a DD.

[ski]

I'm more inclined to trust the DMV's studies than your informal studies. It's possible you took your BAC too soon (the alchohol hadn't hit your blood yet)
Informal studies? I agree that playing around with the breathalyzer was an informal study, but any health or biology textbook (including a widely used one by one of my past professors, Dr. Kerry Redican), as well pretty much every academic institute releases their information that if you are a 180lb male, average weight, you can have 4 drinks and be legal to drive (0.08 BAC)

http://www.healthed.msu.edu/snc/bac.htm
http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm
http://www.health.org/nongovpubs/bac-chart/
... I just googled "Blood Alcohol Concentration" site:.edu and came up with more than I care to paste.

My point is that from a scientific standpoint most average weighted men can drink 4 beers in an hour and be legal to drive. There isn't a great debate, it's science and it's accepted. And since when have 90% of you on here trusted or agreed with the government? (:P) I'm not saying you should chance it, but you're going to have a hard time arguing against the science (if that's what you intended to do)

[BrewMaster]

I'll have a couple of beers over dinner and still drive an hour or two later. I'm 220 lbs, 2 beers is nothing and I think I have a higher tolerance than most people around here. I don't drink hard liquor and rarely drink wine.

I am not reckless with my drinking or reckless with my driving, but anyone who says an adult can't have a beer with dinner and still drive is a moron. An adult who is used to the occasional beer is fine to drive especially when they have dinner with their one or two beers.

Now tomorrow for example, I am going to the San Diego Strong Ale fest. 74 beers over 8% ABV (some up to 18%!). You can be damn sure we've got a designated driver.

[StonedWheat]

...74 beers over 8% ABV (some up to 18%!). You can be damn sure we've got a designated driver.

Woah you really are the true master of beer. Do you have a gut overhang? Those are awesome.

[halfmoon]

isn't that a subjective call though? seriously, 1 beer has no discernable affect on my driving so if I choose to crack a cold one to drink on the way to a buddies house I don't consider that "not smart".


Well, you think like I used to.

In 1995 I was pulled over for what the officer said was "excessive accelleration" (tires chirped on the crosswalk lines, try not doing that in a V8 Camaro with PosiTraction....) Just before I had drank 1 beer and done 1 shot of Jager with my friend at his place for his birthday, literally 5 minutes before I got pulled over.

I wasn't feeling anything from the alcohol, but the officer could smell it. He did a breathalizer test on me, 0.02% BAC, totally legal in California.

He decided to hold me, make me do more tests, and also just wait around for another opinion from another officer that was enroute.

Well, after the 45 minutes or so of me passing all the tests, they give me the breathalizer again, now, with the time for my system to process the alcohol in my stomach and my BAC to rise, I blew a 0.085%, 0.005 over the legal limit.

I was no more than 400 yards from my house, but with the zero tolerance I did the following:

spent the night in jail
$1376 fine to the court
$800 for a mandatory Alcohol Awareness class- 8 weeks, 1 night a week, 3 hours a session.
6 days of Weekend work program.
6 months w/o a license
7 years of getting harrassed about "Have you had ANYTHING to drink tonight? by EVERY cop that ever pulled me over for ANYTHING. and we won't discuss the roadside checkpoints.

Once you have a DUI in California you are on a zero tolerance scale, meaning the 0.08% B.A.C. doesn't apply to you anymore. Anything on your breath and you will get hauled in to jail for fines that make your first offense look like nothing.

I brew beer, but if I've had even 1 beer I will never drive. It's not about what you can handle, or how high your tolerance is, it's really all about what the police officer sees and thinks. It's not always being falling down drunk. Many people with DUI convictions can function perfectly well with a B.A.C. of 0.1x% and not appear to have been drinking, but if the breathalizer says you are over 0.08% in California, you're going to jail, even if you can juggle the oranges while singing the catalina angelina song and walk the white line for 20 feet on your hands. ;)

[ski]

I think the most important thing to get from this is that if you drink, it's better to be rich, because you can always afford a ride home and won't ever have to worry about driving intoxicated... if you're poor and drink, buy some nice shoes :P

One thing to note:
do NOT attempt to ride a bike home drunk -- I have had one friend who got pulled over, imagine that... haha

[Houdini]

Good advice halfmoon. And you're right about the tolerance issue. I saw someone a couple of weeks ago blow a 0.465 and still walk and talk. He was a big guy and a chronic alcoholic, but it was impressive to see a walking and talking lethal level.

[Merlin]

I don't drink period. And no one should drive after any amount of alcohol. I'm always happy to be a DD.
So what you're saying is that when you go to a nice restaurant it is never okay to have one glass of wine with dinner?