Friend

LegacyUser

i have a friend who is constantly having a couple of pints in the pub and then driving home. now he doesn't get locked but he'll have one or two. I've tried talking to him about it saying if he's caught, even though he doesn't feel any different he's still over the limit and the machine only displays your alcohol level. is there anything else i can do to try get them to stop? Or should I just hope they get caught for their own sake?

cooltown

Tell him that he might lose his job if he depends on his driving for work.
If one night you knew he was under the limit or had no alcohol at all give the local garda station a call. Tell them the guy's red and if they do pull him over and do a breath test on him this might teach him a leason!

sam34

report him to the cops next time you see him getting into the car after drinking

tenchi-fan

sam34 wrote: »

report him to the cops next time you see him getting into the car after drinking

Not sure if I agree with this. Depending on his build and the length of time it takes him to drink it & he might not be over the blood alcohol limit at all.

I hope you're not in the pub with him, then coming on here complaining that he's drink driving!

Elessar

Is this a joke?

One or two pints is fine. The world and his wife does it. It depends on the build of the person but for the majority of men, one or even two pints, spread out over a few hours is not over the limit, at all.

Now if he was staggering towards the car, obviously he's had too much, but really, you are over-reacting.

Shelga

Elessar wrote: »

Is this a joke?

One or two pints is fine. The world and his wife does it. It depends on the build of the person but for the majority of men, one or even two pints, spread out over a few hours is not over the limit, at all.

Now if he was staggering towards the car, obviously he's had too much, but really, you are over-reacting.

What a load of nonsense. Why drink at all if you know you'll be driving? I would do as someone else suggested, and call the Gardai when he hasn't had much. Hopefully would frighten some sense into him.

sam34

tenchi-fan wrote: »

Not sure if I agree with this. Depending on his build and the length of time it takes him to drink it & he might not be over the blood alcohol limit at all.

I hope you're not in the pub with him, then coming on here complaining that he's drink driving!

Elessar wrote: »

Is this a joke?

One or two pints is fine. The world and his wife does it. It depends on the build of the person but for the majority of men, one or even two pints, spread out over a few hours is not over the limit, at all.

then the op's friend would have nothing to fear from the guards.

if, however, he was over the limit, then he would be caught and face the consequences of his behaviour.

i doubt teh guards would consider it a waste of time to check him.

d.anthony

Once when I was younger I was breathalysed after 4 pints in 3 hours and passed, I wouldn't be the biggest built kinda guy either.

Generally, I still drive home if I'm only having one or two... Any more than that I'm glad to say I have the sense to leave the car.

I do think it's a slight over-reaction when people say you shouldn't drive if your drinking atall but then again maybe I'd feel differently if I or a friend/family member was in an accident caused by a drink-driver...

In the OP's case, as long as it's just the couple he's having and he's not staggering then I don't see a problem.

LegacyUser

thanks for the replies.

sam34 wrote: »

report him to the cops next time you see him getting into the car after drinking

i don't think I could bear the guilt if he lost his license.

tenchi-fan wrote: »

Not sure if I agree with this. Depending on his build and the length of time it takes him to drink it & he might not be over the blood alcohol limit at all.

I hope you're not in the pub with him, then coming on here complaining that he's drink driving!

i'd have a pint myself and drive home but i'd say the majority of men having two pints in a hour would be technically over the limit and that's what I'm afraid of. Like I know he wouldn't be a danger to anyone on the roads but like I said the machine doesn't go by if you're impaired or not but just your breath.

i just wish he'd listen to me and not just shrug it off and say he'll be grand.

McCrack

As an average rule an adult male's body can comfortably process one alcoholic drink an hour so as not to read over the drink driving level.

One or two pints drank over two hours is generally not going to find the person's breath/urine/blood over the minimum drink driving level.

Therefore OP you are over-reacting and anybody else who suggested that the OP should telephone the police to tell them is equally over-reacting.

knetworks

you can still have a drink and drive...thats the way the law is at the moment,as regards grassing on him to gardai,well you would'nt be much of a friend to do that, if his driving record is good,leave well enough alone!!!

Jo King

I drank a pint on the Friday of the last bank holiday weekend. After half and hour I got into my car and drove. I was stopped by the guards after 10 minutes and given a random breath test. I had a reading of Nil! The guard complimented me let me off.
A friend of mine was arrested after driving with one pint on him and taken to a police station. He was checked on the machine. Reading Nil! I know a girl who drank three glasses of wine and read almost double the limit.

vinylrules

One or two or even three pints would generally keep most people well within the limits. In other words they are not commiting any offence and reporting them to the Gardai would be (a) a waste of garda time and (b) harrassment of the individual concerned.

I too have been breathalysed after having a few pints and was "nil" too. The alcohol had been completely absorbed. We need to remember that the law permits alcohol while driving subject to certain lmits. Just as the law permits hands-free phones - which are as dangerous as hand-held.

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=9805

LegacyUser

Report him next time, whether he says he can handle it or not is a ridiculous argument, it has been proven your reaction time slows with alcohol in the system; and he is a danger to other drivers and pedestrians

poisonated

Maybe suggest drinking these "mid strength" drinks. That way he could enjoy a couple of pints but still be safe in the knowledge that he is not over the limit.

Doc

You can buy your own breathalyzer for about 60 - 70 euros. If you are really concerned you could always get one and bring it to the pub.

(I think all pubs should have one anyway)

Just stop going out drinking with him.

You can protest all you want, but the moment you go out on the beer with him you are tacitly allowing how he behaved before.

jimmycrackcorm

In reality the Ops friend is probably going to be OK even if stopped in a checkpoint. It doesn't actually matter at all if he drives after two pints. What actually counts is the period of time he drank them over.

Kimia

I don't get why everyone is putting so much emphasis on the breathalyser. Surely the reason why you shouldn't drink and drive is so that you keep your wits about you in case of something happening on your drive home that would require you to be extremely alert.

I don't get people who try to hover below the legal drinking limit on the breathalyser - it's about making sure your reaction time is at its best should for example a child run out in front of your car, not about whether you are getting away with a pint or two.