Drink Driving

The King of Moo

Have you ever done it?

Do you think it's ok?

Having recently started driving, I can now understand the temptation to do it. It's very easy to find yourself having drunk a little bit, and being left with options like having to wait for a bus or pay for a taxi, and maybe the hassle of having to pick up your car the next day.

In those situations I think about driving, and feel for a second like I could do it.
But then I think about the fact that I know I still have some thinks to learn and can still make mistakes as a new driver, and adding alcohol doesn't help. Even if I feel like I can drive, I know my judgement is being affected by the alcohol, and my reactions won't be so good.
And it's simply too easy to cause some serious harm with such a dangerous machine, so I don't think I'll ever do it. It's not worth the risk.
But I've been surprised by the number of people who are not bothered about driving after a drink or two, so I'm curious about the general consensus on the issue.

wazky

It's easier to drive my tractor after five or six pints alright.

Banjo String

I don't see the point in having a 'drink' in the pub/restaurant with a meal, for me, if I'm drinking, I'm Drinking

If I head to the bar for a drink, the car or van (whatever I'm in) is at home.


There really isn't any excuse nowadays.

Fr_Dougal

People who drink and drive are muppets.

Karl Stein

I rarely take my car with me to avoid that temptation. When I do drive to the pub I give my car key to someone just in case.

Lucifer MorningStar

Sometimes I drink before I drive, but never while I'm driving.

Badly Drunk Boy

Banjo String wrote: »

I don't see the point in having a 'drink' in the pub/restaurant with a meal, for me, if I'm drinking, I'm Drinking

If I head to the bar for a drink, the car or van (whatever I'm in) is at home.


There really isn't any excuse nowadays.

I'm sure some people would disagree with you, especially in rural areas. In urban areas there's no excuse because you've got more buses, taxis'n'stuff, but if you live in a rural area, in the middle of nowhere, and you want to socialise, I'm sure it'd be tempting to drive 2 or 3 miles to the local.

I don't drive so it's not an issue for me (although I've been a 'drunken' cyclist on a few occasions).

Tail Docker

I've heard rumours that if you are caught drink driving, the cops can prosecute you and you can lose your licence. That's reason enough for me not to chance it, ever. Mainly as I am not a fcuking muppet.

Chancer3001

You should be allowed take your test hammered drunk.

Pass it that drunk and you're allowed drink drive all you want

roboshatner

What do you do with someone that has been drinking and driving the last 20 years.

Never been caught and never been stopped and are good drivers.

And at this stage in there life they think that well doing it so long now they think in some crazy way that is ok to drink and drive..

What do you do with someone like that ?

Lucifer MorningStar

Chancer3001 wrote: »

You should be allowed take your test hammered drunk.

Pass it that drunk and you're allowed drink drive all you want

You're a proper chancer :pac:

The King of Moo

Lucifer MorningStar wrote: »

Sometimes I drink before I drive, but never while I'm driving.

How much, and what length of time is there between drinking and driving?

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

I'm sure some people would disagree with you, especially in rural areas. In urban areas there's no excuse because you've got more buses, taxis'n'stuff, but if you live in a rural area, in the middle of nowhere, and you want to socialise, I'm sure it'd be tempting to drive 2 or 3 miles to the local.

Why can't they go to the pub and, you know, not drink? They could have a system with their friends where each week one of them is the designated driver for the group, so they don't have to abstain each week.
Choosing to live at a distance from the pub and choosing to drink doesn't give someone the excuse to put lives at risk.

Eeden

roboshatner wrote: »

What do you do with someone that has been drinking and driving the last 20 years.

Never been caught and never been stopped and are good drivers.

And at this stage in there life they think that well doing it so long now they think in some crazy way that is ok to drink and drive..

What do you do with someone like that ?

I know folks like that. Not just "one glass of wine with a meal" folks - but "two or three pints in the pub are okay" folks.

worded

People often forget that to dring and drive











You need a car

fleet_admiral

I was driving home last night, and a police car cut me up.

Honestly, I'd have pulled him over and given him a piece of my mind if I'd been sober.

corner of hells

roboshatner wrote: »

What do you do with someone that has been drinking and driving the last 20 years.

Never been caught and never been stopped and are good drivers.

And at this stage in there life they think that well doing it so long now they think in some crazy way that is ok to drink and drive..

What do you do with someone like that ?

Call the Gardai if you see them driving after drinking.

catallus

For all of the pain and distress wreaked by alcohol there is none so pointless as that which is caused by the idiocy which is drink driving.

The culture change in this country over the last 20 years is a good thing, but there are still those who insist on doing such a stupid thing.

131spanner

Chancer3001 wrote: »

You should be allowed take your test hammered drunk.

Pass it that drunk and you're allowed drink drive all you want

Laughed way too much at that

emeldc

I live in a rural area about a mile and a half outside the town. I sometimes walk to the nearest pub for a pint or two (literally) and it would be very often just me and the publican. I'm not kidding. On my way home I would rarely see another car or person. I don't condone drink driving in any way but Jackie Healey Rae had a point.
And just to clarify I can't stand that political clan.

humbert

I'm fairly new to driving too and perhaps as a result of cycling and skiing I'm always aware of the unnerving amount of momentum I'm in control of and what would happen if any abrupt change occurred. The responsibility weighs heavily on me and even driving while tired seems difficult to justify (had to drive a friend to the airport for a crack-of-dawn flight). I really can't help but feel contempt for anyone that would consider drinking and driving.

The King of Moo

roboshatner wrote: »

What do you do with someone that has been drinking and driving the last 20 years.

Never been caught and never been stopped and are good drivers.

And at this stage in there life they think that well doing it so long now they think in some crazy way that is ok to drink and drive..

What do you do with someone like that ?

If you're a friend of theirs, there's probably not much you can do to convince them. The best thing would be for them to be stopped by the police. You could get away with it for 20 years, and then one night someone steps out onto the road in front of you, and no matter how sober you think you are, you're still too slow to stop in time.

Eeden

emeldc wrote: »

I live in a rural area about a mile and a half outside the town. I sometimes walk to the nearest pub for a pint or two (literally) and it would be very often just me and the publican. I'm not kidding. On my way home I would rarely see another car or person. I don't condone drink driving in any way but Jackie Healey Rae had a point.
And just to clarify I can't stand that political clan.

Fair enough. So this should be okay if the nearest town has a population of...

or if the roads are straight enough....

or if there are no known local complete alcoholics who don't give a ****....

Badly Drunk Boy

The King of Moo wrote: »

Why can't they go to the pub and, you know, not drink? They could have a system with their friends where each week one of them is the designated driver for the group, so they don't have to abstain each week.
Choosing to live at a distance from the pub and choosing to drink doesn't give someone the excuse to put lives at risk.

I'm not condoning it. I just know that some people have the mindset "Ah, I'll be grand after my few pints. There'll be nobody else on the road." It's older people in particular that I'm thinking of. "Why would I bother going to the pub if I wasn't going to have a few pints?"

A man I worked with (he retired recently) was done for drunken driving, stupidly. It wasn't even in the situation that I gave above. He drove a mile to the pub, from one side of the (medium-sized) town to the other, had his pints and then hopped into his car to drive home. A Garda car was nearby and they stopped him before he started the car, advising him to put the keys away and get a taxi. "Yes, officer", and he went into the pub to get a taxi. Except he didn't. He waited a few minutes 'til they were gone and hopped into the car and drove off. 30 seconds later, they pulled him over, breathalysed him, and he lost his license for 18 months.

I'm just telling this story to show that some people have it in their head that it's okay to do things because they've been doing it for years. I'm sure this will decrease drastically as new generations come along, and I hope it does.

emeldc

Eeden wrote: »

Fair enough. So this should be okay if the nearest town has a population of...

or if the roads are straight enough....

or if there are no known local complete alcoholics who don't give a ****....

I wasn't looking for support.

Alf. A. Male

Dtrintken an driven iss preety easy dooin it wile Uer postman on bords is mmuchs hardir

Jumboman

You should be allowed to drink one or two pints before your over the limit.

I have driven when I was tired in which I was in a worse state than if I drank 8 pints yet that is perfectly legal.

The King of Moo

Jumboman wrote: »

You should be allowed to drink one or two pints before your over the limit.

I have driven when I was tired in which I was in a worse state than if I drank 8 pints yet that is perfectly legal.

I disagree about being allowed to have one or two pints. Alcohol affects everyone differently, and I know a few people who would be noticeably tipsy after one drink, and certainly after two. The law has to err on the side of caution and take that into account.
And a lot of people might feel fine after one or two pints, but that's what alcohol does to you: it affects your judgement and gives you extra confidence.

I agree that driving while very tired can be very dangerous, but it's hard to legislate for. At least when people are very tired, they should still have enough awareness about them to know that they're not in peak condition and refrain from driving.

humbert

Jumboman wrote: »

You should be allowed to drink one or two pints before your over the limit.

I have driven when I was tired in which I was in a worse state than if I drank 8 pints yet that is perfectly legal.

I pondered exactly that when driving exhausted. In my opinion the lack of awareness is similar (well, eight pints and find the car would be an achievement) but the awareness of that lack of awareness is what is different. When tired I was very uncomfortable because I was aware that my perception of what was going on around me was retarded but when drunk (in general, haven't driven drunk) I am oblivious to it and that ignorance is extremely dangerous.

Jumboman

When I'm tired I drive a lot slower.

If I was to drink alcohol I would also driver slower. I know any amount of alcohol can effect your driving but I dont think having 2 pints is going to make someone a major danger on the roads.

Its the people who get locked drunk and drive their cars are the real danger.

Sonics2k

If you drink and drive you should at least lose your licence.

Preferably you'd be done for attempted murder, because you are a killer if you hit someone and should be treated the same way as someone who stabs his victim.

I say this as someone who has lost three friends to drink drivers.

Jail em up and throw away the key.

Jumboman

Sonics2k wrote: »

If you drink and drive you should at least lose your licence.

Preferably you'd be done for attempted murder, because you are a killer if you hit someone and should be treated the same way as someone who stabs his victim.

I say this as someone who has lost three friends to drink drivers.

Jail em up and throw away the key.

Can I ask how much over the limit were the people who hit your freinds ?

catallus

Sonics2k wrote: »

Jail em up and throw away the key.

A nice thought but given that one can soberly thieve and burgle through tens of thousands of euros worth of possessions, or injure someone randomly without going to jail, it is a pipe dream.

Sonics2k

Jumboman wrote: »

Can I ask how much over the limit were the people who hit your freinds ?

Two of them had "only" had two pints, the other had drunk an insane amount and couldn't even stand when the Gardai arrived.

I'll be honest here and say I don't recall the exact percentages they were over by.

humbert

Jumboman wrote: »

When I'm tired I drive a lot slower.

If I was to drink alcohol I would also driver slower. I know any amount of alcohol can effect your drinking but I dont think having 2 pints is going to make someone a major danger on the roads.

Its the people who get locked drunk and drive their cars are the real danger.

I assume you've been driving for a while and are comfortable. Doing those sort of things while drunk actually isn't difficult. I play pool quite well drunk, as a matter of fact I play pool just as well drunk as sober, for the most part. But if you ever had to react to something unusual then it is not automatic and the full force of what ever alcohol is in your system will come to bear. You have to make a logical decision that is not intuitive and any alcohol in your system will make that more difficult.

The King of Moo

Jumboman wrote: »

When I'm tired I drive a lot slower.

If I was to drink alcohol I would also driver slower. I know any amount of alcohol can effect your drinking but I dont think having 2 pints is going to make someone a major danger on the roads.

Its the people who get locked drunk and drive their cars are the real danger.

You can't assume that everybody drives more slowly when they've had one or two drinks.

And if I had two pints, I'd be able to perform all the basic functions in the car, but my reaction times and awareness would certainly be hindered, even if I weren't aware of that.
Even so, there are plenty of people who would be drunker after two pints than you or I would be, and they would be dangerous.

But someone doesn't have to very drunk to be a danger on the road. All it might take is two or three pints after work, a functioning but sluggish driver and someone stepping onto the road.

I drive perfect with bout 10 pints on me ...its all the cars,trees and people swerving towards me who cant handle their drink!!!

oceancat

i'v been done twice for DD in ireland been put off the road for 2 years each time and a couple of grand in fines never killed anybody just checkpoints, also got bagged in thailand when i lived there but that was a lot easier to get out of, just a couple of quid the right people and all went away.

Ahh my youth there was some crazy times.

The King of Moo

oceancat wrote: »

i'v been done twice for DD in ireland been put off the road for 2 years each time and a couple of grand in fines never killed anybody just checkpoints, also got bagged in thailand when i lived there but that was a lot easier to get out of, just a couple of quid the right people and all went away.

Ahh my youth there was some crazy times.

I think that was the idea behind keeping you from the roads for four years in total.
I don't get how that could happen twice. After being caught again after previously being banned for two years you should have been permanently banned, surely.

when I read or hear about someone being done for drink driving and hear phrases like ' over twice the legal limit' i have an image of someone who langered slurring their speech and cant remember their name but in reality in prob only few pints!

oceancat

The King of Moo wrote: »

I think that was the idea behind keeping you from the roads for four years in total.
I don't get how that could happen twice. After being caught again after previously being banned for two years you should have been permanently banned, surely.

out of the 4 year total ban i only i was off the road for 2 years as i went back to court to get the licence back early after a year,

ahh they were crazy days

Jumboman

I was just thinking that if you mix alcohol with certain drugs you can actually be more alert than if you have not been drinking at all.

The government could allow people to drink and drive if they were to take approved medication with the alcohol.

The King of Moo

Jumboman wrote: »

I was just thinking that if you mix alcohol with certain drugs you can actually be more alert than if you have not been drinking at all.

The government could allow people to drink and drive if they were to take approved medication with the alcohol.

Where do you normally drive?
I want to make sure I'm never nearby.

umop.episdn

Jumboman wrote: »

I was just thinking that if you mix alcohol with certain drugs you can actually be more alert than if you have not been drinking at all.

The government could allow people to drink and drive if they were to take approved medication with the alcohol.

A viagra mojito?

Jumboman

The King of Moo wrote: »

Where do you normally drive?
I want to make sure I'm never nearby.

There are drugs that can make you hype alert and wipe out the drowsy effects of alcohol.

Itssoeasy

People who drink and drives are idiots of the highest order. I mean have a drink by all means but if you are drinking then do not ****ing drive.

Degag

Sonics2k wrote: »

Two of them had "only" had two pints, the other had drunk an insane amount and couldn't even stand when the Gardai arrived.

I'll be honest here and say I don't recall the exact percentages they were over by.

Do you think that if the 2 drivers didn't have their 2 pints, would it have made any difference?

corner of hells

Jumboman wrote: »

There are drugs that can make you hype alert and wipe out the drowsy effects of alcohol.

What drugs ?

Jumboman

corner of hells wrote: »

What drugs ?

Benzylpiperazine.

worded

Jumboman wrote: »

Benzylpiperazine.

I usually have a shot of that as a chaser after my last pint.

Sorted

DEFTLEFTHAND

My father used to say he drove better whilst heavily inebriated back in the 70s when it was't a big deal, heightened awarness.

However he did put his own fathers car into a ditch one night so I wouldn't pay much heed to his theory. :pac:

Wompa1

Never have, Don't expect to either. 29 now, I take a pretty hard line approach. I don't even take a sip when I've got my car with me