Drinking and driving

[tboy]

has anyone ever seen the Mythbusters episode when they tested this?

Drinking & Driving vs Cell Phone Talking & Driving?

It was a while ago, but from what recall they were very similiar in terms of results, which were both negative obviously.

Various Transportation agencies have done similar studies and all have determined that if you're doing anything but driving, your abilities are impaired similar to someone driving under the influence. As stated however you can always drop the cell phone in a split second and react but when you're under the influence, your reactions are always impaired.

Something people seem to forget. They changed the charge from Drunk Driving to driving under the influence. The influence doesn't necessarily mean alcohol. It could be anything from illegal drugs, cough medicine, anti-histamines, or any other pharmacutical. I remember a few years back the OPP stopped a woman who was eating a bowl of soup while driving. She was charged with careless driving.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they ban cellphone use while driving? I thought they brought out a law that said you must pull over and stop unless you have a handsfree unit installed?

There's a great commercial out now about impaired driving. They have a video mounted to the front of a vehicle driving around downtown at night. Then they put one glass in front of the lens, then 2, then 3....goes to show you what the impairment is after only 1 drink.

Sorry, but there is NO reason to drink and drive. There is not one thing wrong with a designated driver or just NOT having a glass of wine with dinner. The big thing about DnDing is that it is purely optional and totally avoidable. If you think a cab home from a certain club is going to be too expensive, don't go to that club. If you think a $30.00 cab ride is expensive think about what your insurance will be if you get caught....

I so liked the idea that clubs provide non-alcoholic beverages to the designated driver. It is a great incentive and a kind of reward to those that are being responsible.

 

[booboobear]

How about this? Don't drink and drive. Then, "if you kill or injure someone" no one can blame your stupidly misplaced confidence that you could beat the odds, when they're weeping at the funeral of your victim. Haviing a drink and then getting behind the wheel is a smart as russian roulette and as coldblooded as a mob hit.

I

I certainly don't agree with drinking and driving but I wish they could find a way of legislating intelligence because some of these young kids or not so young driving souped up cars don't have any and are in my opinion more dangerous than most people after 2 or 3 drinks .People do react differently to alcohol emotions aside and for some people 1 is too many.

 

[RTRD]

My thoughts....

A) Most people (not all) who claim to never drink alcohol (literally NEVER) and drive are lying. The others are judgmental know it alls.

B) There is a difference between driving after having drank SOME quantity of alcohol and driving while drunk.

C) There have been MANY studies that show that MANY of the things that people do in their cars (such as talking on the cell phone, or even having a heated conversation with someone else in the car) distract the driver more than having consumed alcohol but being below the legal limit.

Driving while drunk is unforgivable, and I think drunk driving laws should be much tougher than they are (I personally would be in favor of tougher penalties for first time offenders, and license suspension for some period measured in years for 2nd time offenders...and the law should be written in such a way that the penalties cannot be reduced, as they usually are in the U.S.)

However, driving while having consumed alcohol has been demonized unnecessarily. Two beers does not make me drunk, nor does it impair my driving.

What do I do?

1) I don't binge drink - ever. I am past that point in life. Hangovers suck.

2) I am typically good for one drink an hour...so if I have more than that (say at a business dinner) I take care to end the night with water or something else over time until I am back to a one drink / hour point (So if I had 3 grey goose over a 2 hour dinner, I will then switch to diet coke for the last hour before I get in the car).

3) I know my limits. I am a big guy (physically) - I am a grown man. I didn't start drinking last year. I know my tolerance to alcohol. For someone who is "new" at this...or who has a history of getting plastered after two drinks or whatever, they should be more careful. New drivers especially should be careful, because they are still learning how to drive period. I'd be in favor of a zero tolerance policy for drinking and driving for all drivers with less than 3 years of experience.

Bottom line – Drunk driving is perhaps the stupidest thing on earth. And drunk driving laws are not tough enough.

But driving after drinking and driving drunk are not the same thing. If I am under the legal limit, and nothing about my driving was erratic or unsafe, then leave me the hell alone and go after those people who I see texting while driving, or reading while driving or so consumed with their cell phone conversation they are not paying attention (guilty as charged…no excuse)

 

[mmouse]

Good points MLAM. Saying "NEVER drink and drive" is just unrealistic. I will not demonize a regular drinker having one glass of wine with a big meal then driving one hour later. The point of the law is to prevent impaired driving.

 

[1HandInMyPocket]

How about this? If you kill or injure someone with your car, you get life in prison. No parole, no insanity plea, no difference between manslaughter or murder. Whatever money or assets you have will be given to the victim. Otherwise, no victim, no crime.

On the first thought this sounds like a good idea. But remember that prisons are meant to either 1. keep dangerous offenders (serial killers/rapists) off the streets or 2. help reform people to make them productive members of society. Yes, they should spend time behind bars, but isn't a life sentance harsh? Give them an opportunity to give back to society. I understand if death is involved the subject of D&D can get heated, and fortunantly my life has not been (and hopefully will never be) affected by D&D. But a life in prison is too much. This sort of harsh punishment, to me, is just a step away from capital punishment. If the offender commits the same offence, then yes, remove the from the public because this shows a pattern of dangerous lifestyle.

 

[oldjones]

Good points MLAM. Saying "NEVER drink and drive" is just unrealistic. I will not demonize a regular drinker having one glass of wine with a big meal then driving one hour later. The point of the law is to prevent impaired driving.

The only way you can know alcohol didn't impair your responses and contribute to that "accident" is if you didn't have a drink. Why is it so hard to simply refuse the booze and stick to soft stuff?

Surely the point of the law is to teach people sensible behaviour so they don't have, or even worse cause accidents.

 

[oldjones]

On the first thought this sounds like a good idea. But remember that prisons are meant to either 1. keep dangerous offenders (serial killers/rapists) off the streets or 2. help reform people to make them productive members of society. Yes, they should spend time behind bars, but isn't a life sentance harsh? Give them an opportunity to give back to society. I understand if death is involved the subject of D&D can get heated, and fortunantly my life has not been (and hopefully will never be) affected by D&D. But a life in prison is too much. This sort of harsh punishment, to me, is just a step away from capital punishment. If the offender commits the same offence, then yes, remove the from the public because this shows a pattern of dangerous lifestyle.

If someone is killed because you were committing a criminal act—robbery for instance—it's treated as a murder. Having control of an auto while impaired or with a blood alcohol level over .08 is a crime. If there's a death—let's hope it's only the drunk driver's—that too should be murder.
Given how stupid the crime, how extensive the warnings against it and how absurdly easy it is to avoid, what possible argument could there be that the evil moron who committed it should get a second crack at the innocent citizenry?

 

[tboy]

Anyone who says it is unreasonable to say "don't drink and drive" is, ahem, not all that smart.

Why CAN"T you say "don't drink and drive"? I mean, last time I checked drinking wasn't so important that you will die if you don't have at least a drink or two when you're out..

As for those that know their limit. Have you ever taken a breathalizer test when you think you're within your limit? I bet that you'd blow over and no matter what you say, your abilities are impaired. Just remember: when you've had a couple of drinks, you may THINK your reactions are the same as sober and you may THINK you don't look, act, or sound impaired but believe me, your impressions of yourself ARE impaired. Now with that being said, if you've set yourself a timetable and then have tested yourself and found that you don't have an alcohol level in your blood above .03 (level for a 24 hr suspension) then hey, kudos to you!

BTW: drinking plenty of water or soft drinks for an hour after consuming 4 drinks over 6 hours does NOTHING to sober you up. The alcohol is in your bloodstream and won't be out for 8 - 12 hrs. Same goes for coffee or eating, it doesn't remove the alcohol from your system. The only way that I've heard that you can remove the alcohol from your system more rapidly is to exercise strenuously for a period of 2 - 3 hours so that your liver processes and disposes of the alcohol in your system faster.

BTW: I stopped drinking about 10 yrs ago and except for a sip of beer 5 yrs ago, I haven't touched a drop. No, I'm not a reformed drinker and still think it is cool for anyone to drink whatever they want. Just not when they will have to drive.....and even when I DID drink, I wouldn't have anything if I had to drive.....Why? Cuz it just isn't worth the risk.....