Did you ever or do you drink drive?

Anyone

I was just waiting for a mate.

Rikand

Surely a couple of shandies is alright!

Only once completely pi*sed in the night and I was not proud of myself for it but I'm sure I've been over the limit countless times the morning after. I've also driven home after 2 or 3 on the way home from a match etc on occasion.

Personally I don't have a problem with people driving after 2 or 3 though I would only do it very rarely because of the risk of getting caught, the limit should really be set high enough to allow it. People get way too worked up over driving after a small amount of drink saying they wouldn't drive for hours after one and that sort of thing, it's the prople who drive home after 10 or 12 pints that are the danger not someone who has 2 or 3 pints. There are plenty still driving home after massive amounts too it hasn't gone away like some people think out the county anyway.

Its also much more common outside Ireland than people appear to think, its not taboo at all in some European countries and certainly not in some parts of the US.

thebigbiffo

I never did and never will but don't judge those who do

I live in the country and driving after a few pints is fairly common - and I don't necessarily disagree with it. There's a big difference between having a couple of pints - yes, even 3-4 depending on how you handle drink - and driving pissed.

you should never drive drunk, no way. But at the same time I think the 1 pint limit is utter BS. Everyone handles beer differently.

oceancat

I did it before and won't do it again (although I don't judge those who do)

got caught 3 times for DD when i was young and stupid, never killed anybody or did any damage just checkpoints,

now i'm a bit older thinking back it was never worth it so don't do it anymore

2ndcoming

I did it before and won't do it again as it is scummy

In my early twenties I drank & drive regularly and saw little issue with it, until I was stopped at a petrol station buying fags at 6a.m. on New Year's Day and subsequently got a 3 year ban. That was 5 years ago and I'm back on the road a year and a half since but wouldn't ever consider doing it again, primarily because of the consequences rather than the danger.

Tbh, I never found it any way more challenging to drive while drunk. I know a lot of people are going to balk at that last sentence but I really believe it's down to the individual. I'm not the sort of person who acts like an idiot with a few drinks on board, I've never got into a fight or done anything particularly regrettable while drunk.

I think a lot of those silly tests they conduct on roadsides that you see on Cops and other shows are ridiculous, because the nature of being drunk changes your rationality. You more than likely couldn't recite the alphabet backwards while standing on one leg because what is the bloody point of being able to in the first place? I don't see how the inability to complete an utterly pointless task equates to a complete inconsideration for your own mortality.

If I was ever to drink drive again, I would love it to be part of an experiment. I would be willing to wager that I could pass or at least come very close to passing the driving test after 5 pints. Might sound crazy, but I would love to see it tested.

All that said, I completely support the need for drink driving to be illegal and for the consequences to be severe, because there are just too many idiots out there and the tragedy it has caused and will cause again speaks for itself. If anything in most rural areas, Mayo & Donegal in particular, there needs to be far more monitoring of drink driving. I'm strictly speaking from my own experience.

flyguy

Nice try, Gardaí

hon pa wrote: »

I spent the last summer living in Canada and you'd be surprised how casual some people over there are about the subject, it seems to be much more of a taboo in Ireland to be honest.

Dunno about Canada, but in comparison to the rest of the EU, Ireland is not doing too well...
http://alcoholireland.ie/top_news/irish-examiner-drink-drive-detection-7-times-eu-rate/
http://alcoholireland.ie/home_news/irish-at-odds-with-views-on-drink-driving-dangers/
Just some interesting quotes form the articles:
The rate of detection in Ireland for drink-driving was the highest among the states surveyed and more than seven times the European average.
The Eurobarometer survey of over 25,000 people from across the EU shows that 8 in 10 respondents in all member states, except Ireland, believe drink-driving is a major road safety problem in their country.
The survey also indicates that Irish drivers are less concerned about seatbelt use than citizens in other countries.

s_carnage

I never did and never will but don't judge those who do

I've been out a few work nights that have turned out to be later ones than expected and always chanced it in the morning. Couple of weetabix and a shower helps but would be over the limit if caught.

flyguy

flyguy wrote: »

Dunno about Canada, but in comparison to the rest of the EU, Ireland is not doing to well...
http://alcoholireland.ie/top_news/irish-examiner-drink-drive-detection-7-times-eu-rate/
http://alcoholireland.ie/home_news/irish-at-odds-with-views-on-drink-driving-dangers/

That's just says we catch more people, maybe we try harder to catch them. In the uk for instance random breath tests are illegal, a police officer need to have reason to stop you so if you are driving correctly and your tax, insurance and nct are in order you can get away with it.

I'm also friends with a few people from Italy and they tell me a high percentage of people of all ages drives after a few drinks over there and its only very very recently that authorities have started to crack down on it.

flyguy

Nice try, Gardaí

Jalen Polite Upstart wrote: »

That's just says we catch more people, maybe we try harder to catch them. In the uk for instance random breath tests are illegal, a police officer need to have reason to stop you so if you are driving correctly and your tax, insurance and nct are in order you can get away with it.

I'm also friends with a few people from Italy and they tell me a high percentage of people of all ages drives after a few drinks over there and its only very very recently that authorities have started to crack down on it.

I was expecting a reply like this, If you read the article it says:
"More than 13% of motorists tested here during the operation were above the legal drink-driving limit compared to the European average of just under 2%."
So of the people tested it's 13% instead of the average 2%, If they test less or more in other countries doesn't really matter. It's a percentage of the tested drivers not an absolute figure, so it doesn't go up if you have more checks.

flyguy

flyguy wrote: »

I was expecting a reply like this, If you read the article it says:
"More than 13% of motorists tested here during the operation were above the legal drink-driving limit compared to the European average of just under 2%."
So of the people tested it's 13% instead of the average 2%, If they test less or more in other countries doesn't really matter. It's a percentage of the tested drivers not an absolute figure, so it doesn't go up if you have more checks.

No it won't necessarily scale like that. You would have to have the exact same procedure for testing to compare. i.e. times the tests are carried out (morning after testing is unheard of in some countries). Days carried out, if the checks were random or not, location of tests etc etc.

flyguy

Nice try, Gardaí

Jalen Polite Upstart wrote: »

No it won't necessarily scale like that. You would have to have the exact same procedure for testing to compare. i.e. times the tests are carried out (morning after testing is unheard of in some countries). Days carried out, if the checks were random or not, location of tests etc etc.

Well that's true but to get such a difference can't be all down to the way the tests are done. From experience I know that at least in the Netherlands and France the checks are quite similar to Ireland. I would dare to say that in the Netherlands they would be even more out to catch drink drivers with times and locations that are selected. Also if what you say about the uk is true (no random stops) that should actually show a higher hit rate per check than random don't you think? I read somewhere that until recently it wasn't even standard procedure in Ireland to breathalyse a driver who's been involved in an accident, which is the case in a lot eu counties. Aside from the fact it's outrageous it wasn't done already its another thing that would bring the hit rate up.

Irishcrx

I do it, even though it is a scummy thing

Yeah when I was 18 , had a lot to drink and decided to take my car on a spin at 3 in the morning. Ended up flipping it over and crashing through a railings , narrowly avoiding a tree and somehow injury. Only bought the car a few month's beforehand and loved it. I paid 5k for it and 5k repairing it , why I don't know. Took me years to pay it all back.

When I looked back on it , especially a few years later ie now. It's not the fact that I could have killed myself that gets me , that was in my own hands for being stupid it's the fact that someone else a mother ,son , sister , father could have been walking along that archway and I could have killed them. I couldn't have lived with that.

No matter how you mask it , rural Ireland , no taxi's etc etc. Drink driving costs lives , effects your mind and your driving and is utterly selfish.

Never done it again.

Sky King

shopaholic01 wrote: »

I'm a nervous driver so I always have a couple of gins just to steady my nerves.

This is a joke obv and got lots of thanks as a result but it actually sums up essentially what Mattie mcGrath was suggesting. And he was being serious.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/one-drink-helps-some-drivers-td-26576650.html

Ush1

Wibbs wrote: »

This. Very early on in my driving life(20 odd years back), I had two pints and drove about 10 miles back to where I was staying. Felt fine, but knew I had drink on me kinda thing. At one point I went to overtake another car and floored it. Barely got back in, missing an oncoming car as I did so. That and the cleaning bill for the seat put the wind up me and never again have I driven with even a pint on board. Another time, around the same age I drove after some interesting tobacco... I was probably the safest I've ever been, given 10 miles per hour felt like I'd just hit the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive.

Did I miss something?

mconigol

Once took the quad out to check the sheep after a feed of Guinness.

Does that count?

Lucena

SimonLynch wrote: »

Went into a pub in England after work in the 80s, very pissed pair in the corner at 6 o clock at night. Older one gets up to go, knocks over two tables and collides with the door frame, younger lad gets up and says 'here Dad, I'll help you to the car'. We got the landlord involved and took the car keys off him.

Myself, used to have a drive out to somewhere nice like Buxton on a Sunday, read the Sunday paper, have a sandwich and drink a couple of pints. Nowadays, would love to do the same, substituting Ballyknockan or Kilteel, would probably be OK but don't want to find out I'm wrong.

The Cat and Fiddle still does great business, doubt everyone's drinking water.

Ilik Urgee

mconigol wrote: »

Once took the quad out to check the sheep after a feed of Guinness.

Does that count?

No, unless the sheep hijacked the quad.

gazzer

I never take the car with me when I go out drinking but a couple of weekends ago I drove to meet a few mates. Got there at 9pm. Had one pint and then had 4 bottles of non alcoholic Becks. I left the pub at 2am so the one pint was well out of my system. Woke up the next morning with the mankiest headache ever. I dont normally get headaches when I go drinking (usually just feel really tired) so there must be some chemicals in the non alcoholic Becks to give you the full 'Hangover Effect'.

I wonder though i you went out at say 9pm, had 3 pints and also had soft drinks/water and then drove home at say 3am would you be safe to drive? I imagine you are as it is meant to take one hour for one unit of alcohol to go out of your system so 3 pints would be 6 units. Or is it a cumulative effect (i.e no alcohol is flushed out of your body until you actually finish drinking. Say if you finish your 3 pints at midnight you have to wait until 6am before you would be safe to drive)

Hoop66

I did it before and won't do it again as it is scummy

gazzer wrote: »

I wonder though i you went out at say 9pm, had 3 pints and also had soft drinks/water and then drove home at say 3am would you be safe to drive? I imagine you are as it is meant to take one hour for one unit of alcohol to go out of your system so 3 pints would be 6 units. Or is it a cumulative effect (i.e no alcohol is flushed out of your body until you actually finish drinking. Say if you finish your 3 pints at midnight you have to wait until 6am before you would be safe to drive)

A pint is closer to 3 units. The alcohol is processed from when you start drinking it. There are a number of factors that can affect how much of the alcohol is absorbed into your system, but it is always metabolised out at the same rate. If you eat, for instance, not all of the alcohol you have consumed will be absorbed into the bloodstream - hence why you get pissed quicker on an empty stomach.

I have driven drunk, once or twice a long time ago. I wouldn't consider it now. However, although it is fair to say that alcohol is a factor in a large number of accidents, plenty of people manage to get home with a few pints on them without causing an accident.

Drink-driving down the country doesn't count, right?

Hoop66

Hoop66 wrote: »

A pint is closer to 3 units.

A pint of normal strength beer (4.3%) in Ireland like Guinness, Heineken etc is just under 2 units so you could round up to 2 units but its nowhere near 3.

jack of all

Lucena wrote: »

The Cat and Fiddle still does great business, doubt everyone's drinking water.

A popular spot with motorcyclists and plenty of accidents on that stretch of road too.

shopaholic01

Ush1 wrote: »

Did I miss something?

Have you never heard the expression 'I shit on myself'? Do that in a car and you'll need to clean the seats.

Hoop66

I did it before and won't do it again as it is scummy

Jalen Polite Upstart wrote: »

A pint of normal strength beer (4.3%) in Ireland like Guinness, Heineken etc is just under 2 units so you could round up to 2 units but its nowhere near 3.

I disagree. I think that a pint of Guinness/Heineken is 2.3 units, and a pint of stronger beer is obviously more.

Either way, calculating based on a pint being less than 2 units is flawed.

Uriel.

Irishcrx wrote: »

Yeah when I was 18 , had a lot to drink and decided to take my car on a spin at 3 in the morning. Ended up flipping it over and crashing through a railings , narrowly avoiding a tree and somehow injury. Only bought the car a few month's beforehand and loved it. I paid 5k for it and 5k repairing it , why I don't know. Took me years to pay it all back.

When I looked back on it , especially a few years later ie now. It's not the fact that I could have killed myself that gets me , that was in my own hands for being stupid it's the fact that someone else a mother ,son , sister , father could have been walking along that archway and I could have killed them. I couldn't have lived with that.

No matter how you mask it , rural Ireland , no taxi's etc etc. Drink driving costs lives , effects your mind and your driving and is utterly selfish.

Never done it again.

You see, this is the thing. I've been a passenger in a car probably hundreds of times with a driver who's had a few drinks, a good few in some cases. And the the 8 to 10km drive home is conducted at between 30 to 50km an hour and the driver is extra careful. I don't dispute that the drivers reactions may be slowed etc etc but there's the type of person who knowing they have a few drinks exercise extra caution to compensate for that


Then there are people like you who have the few drinks and think it's great Craic to take the car out for spin, do a bit of half rallying, don't take extra caution etc... That's the dangerous person if you ask me.

But our laws unfortunately have to reflect and cater for the stupidest element of society and unfortunately those with a bit more cop on have to suffer as a result

Systemic Risk

Why do you have to put in the scum bit in your poll. I would like to vote that i have not drink drove, disagree with (and therefore would judge) those who do it but i certainly dont think they are all scummy.

Hoop66

Hoop66 wrote: »

I disagree. I think that a pint of Guinness/Heineken is 2.3 units, and a pint of stronger beer is obviously more.

Either way, calculating based on a pint being less than 2 units is flawed.

That's UK units, in Irish units a pint of Guinness is 1.9 units.

scdublin

Nice try, Gardaí

Never ever ever. Driving is dangerous enough without adding drink into it.
I also knew a girl who died from a hit and run - suspected drink driver. Seeing her family have to cope was horrendous and I can't understand how someone would risk it.

WilyCoyote

mconigol wrote: »

Once took the quad out to check the sheep after a feed of Guinness.

Does that count?

Aww please. You didn't do anything to the sheep, did you?

seven_eleven

What about, I drove home 2 hours after I had 1 pint a few years ago and I dont particularly feel any emotion about what I done and dont think about if I'll ever do it again or not.