To think when they say 'she was 4 times the drink drive limit' its not actually that much?

[OHforDUCKScake]

When reading about someone so drunk they were passing out and they were '4 times the drink drive limit' its not that much surely?

A pint is the limit? So its about 4 pints?
Thats not passing out amounts or am I pisshead?

(This has nothing to do with anyone actually driving.)

I think the thread is showing huge level of misunderstanding that exists about the drink driving limit and how it affects blood alcohol.

I agree with expat that the limit should be zero then the comparison with the driving limit won't apply and people won't get so confused.

They should refer to it in comparison with the fatal level of 350mg instead. Then someone who is currently reported as being 3x drink driving level which people think doesn't sound bad would in future be reported as being nearly 70% of the fatal level. Same numbers but different emphasis and no easy comparison with what has actually been drunk

Is your judgement of speed and distance is one of the first things to be affected?. It's not about being able to walk in a straight line, or not slurring your words. Even if you're a lush frequent drinker, your ability to drive is still very affected, even ifyou don't appear drunk.

I would be WASTED after 4 pints!

Drunk on "4 drinks" rather depends on what the drinks are.

Single G&T?

Large glass of wine?

Jins I should be dead then!!

Kethry, have you read the thread?

I remember watching an experiment on tv a few years ago. Two blokes were told to drink the same amount of alcohol (red wine in this case) in one evening. One drank his quite quickly, the other over several hours with a meal. The first man had a significantly higher blood alcohol level than the man who had a meal with his.

Fun Fact - the "drink-ride" limit for jockeys in Britain is just 17mg. A reading of 17-34mg results in a days suspension, any higher and they are referred on to the racing authorities and face a ban of between 28 and 60 days.

Well this has made for an interesting read. Its quite complex though, although Ive not slept in weeks and Ive not got my glasses on but I think Im getting it.

I want to reiterate it had nothing to do with getting behind a wheel, just that the 'drink drive limit' is used as a guage point when someone is involved in a crime, be it victim or accused.

i think its used as a guage or measure simply because its what the courts would use as a guage ducks but i agree with your initial thinking that people may not realise the severity of how over the limit someone is if they measure it in terms of how many drinks that means for them.

The amount you drink does not linearly correlate with your blood level due to the rates of absorption and rates of metabolism. Ergo your blood alcohol level doesn't double if you drink one pint instead of two.

4 x the drink drive limit is pretty bloody drunk.

4 x the legal limit does not mean 4 units ever

it depends how quickly the 4 units are taken 4 units in 15 mins will be well over the limit quite quickly but 4 units in 4 hours then a 3 hour gap and will almost certainly be at or under the limit, many things affect alcohol in blood size weight genetics etc

however those used to alcohol may not get staggeringly drunk but if put through simulated tests on responses times etc, they still do badly compared to non drinkers so they fact that they remember everything and do not fall over get violent or go to sleep does not mean the alcohol has not affected response times which is why imperical blood/breath levels are used because this is the point that abilty ids affected whether driver acknowledges it or not 3-4 times the limit is very very drunk