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Original poster

Comfortable drink drive limits

121 replies

Teapot74 · 25/02/2015 15:42

I do not agree with drink driving. I don't think it's clever to drink the max amount and stay under the limit. I know the ideal is zero. Just trying to work out If my perception of drinking and driving is safe enough. 1 small glass of wine, 2 if it's over a longer period. I know the only way to really find out would be with a breathalyser, just wondering what the general consensus was. I'm not small. I just looked up a breathalyser website and it suggested that 3 large glasses in the evening could put you over in the morning, really???? Maybe if you necked them at 10/11 but if you're drinking over the course of the evening…?

OP posts:
BackforGood · 25/02/2015 21:58

For me, it's not about 'being caught', it's about knowing, that if I were ever unfortunate enough to be involved in a serious accident, that I had done nothing to slow my reactions by even a second.
By son was hit by a car last year. He's very,very,very lucky to have got away with minor lasting damage, but you know, if the driver had reacted 1 second slower, it might have made all the difference. I would hate to be that driver. You never know when someone's going to step out in front of you - horrific at any time, but made a bit easier to bare by knowing there's nothing you could have done differently to make it any 'less bad'.
I like a glass of wine with a meal, but not so much as to need it if I'm driving later that afternoon / evening.

Janethegirl · 25/02/2015 21:59

Not driving to 1pm.... Bloody phone Blush

MrsTerryPratchett · 25/02/2015 22:04

One hour per unit plus an hour from the time you stop drinking What is your body doing with the alcohol before you stop? Waiting for your last sip? It's nonsense, of course your body is metabolizing the alcohol before you stop drinking. How would your stomach and liver know which was your last drink? If I had two glasses of wine at 5pm then one at 12am, of course I would have metabolized the wine I had consumed at 5pm before the last glass at midnight.

I don't mind people being cautious and not drinking at all if they will be driving that evening, I agree heartily. But let's not spread bullshit around.

Feckeggblue · 25/02/2015 22:07

I have a glass but usually wouldn't drive until a couple of hours after that's consumed.

A police officer told me that although it's an hour a unit that's the time at which your liver processes it. It's a bit hard to know at what rate it processes it whilst you're continuing to drink as it gets "backed up" if that's makes sense? So if you drank 1 unit each hour it would metabolise at the rate of 1 unit per hour from the time of the first drink. But most people don't drink a unit per hour, and the additional units back up waiting to be dealt with which slows the liver down. So you can't really be sure it's being dealt with at 1 unit and hour until you stop.

However, a police officer may be wrong and I am very unconvinced that one rule fits all, how could they know how fast individual livers process alcohol?

Mixtape · 25/02/2015 22:17

Apparently if you drink alcohol with food it will stay in your body for longer, as your system will process it more slowly. So you could be over the limit later than anticipated, even when taking into account your own Oliver's metabolism.

Mixtape · 25/02/2015 22:18

Oliver? Liver!

Methe · 25/02/2015 22:19

I've always called my liver Oliver ;)

crackerjack00 · 25/02/2015 22:23

One hour per unit plus an hour from the time you stop drinking What is your body doing with the alcohol before you stop? Waiting for your last sip? It's nonsense, of course your body is metabolizing the alcohol before you stop drinking. How would your stomach and liver know which was your last drink? If I had two glasses of wine at 5pm then one at 12am, of course I would have metabolized the wine I had consumed at 5pm before the last glass at midnight.

I don't mind people being cautious and not drinking at all if they will be driving that evening, I agree heartily. But let's not spread bullshit around.

Exactly this. Especially the last sentence

Feckeggblue · 25/02/2015 22:25

Oliver Grin

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 25/02/2015 22:29

Having breakfast etc the next morning has no affect on how your body processes alcohol. It affects how you feel - as in you feel a little bit better - but it's not some magical cure to metabolising.

MrsTerryPratchett · 25/02/2015 22:34

True MixTape but you also tend to have a lower blood alcohol level when having alcohol with food. So, less drunk but for longer.

My Oliver likes Pinot Noir.

RedRugNoniMouldiesEtc · 25/02/2015 22:43

The guidelines have to be written to the lowest common denominator. Not everyone is able to calculate metabolising at 50% whilst drinking plus 1 hr then 100% (which is closer to reality) so they make the advice simple to work with. A bit like deciding to promote 5 a day rather than 7 because it is more likely to be achieved by more people.

The fact is that it is virtually impossible to calculate because there are so many variables in how we react to and process alcohol. There are also variables aroundhow a breathalyser works (including eating, smoking, even temperature).

The short, safe and responsible answer is to avoid drinking. If you can't possibly avoid drinking when you are going to drive then you probably have bigger things to worry about.

caryam · 25/02/2015 22:50

That is a bit sneery RedRug

Irelephant · 25/02/2015 23:07

I don't think it's worth the risk. I don't drink anymore but when I did I wouldn't get behind the wheel the next day.

Drink driving is a fecking nightmare where I live.

People think they are invincible after a drink and they are not. I have buried two friends in the last 6 month neither were driving. A father of three was killed a quarter of a mile from my house just last month. Driving to work over the limit the morning after.

All just such a waste.

SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 26/02/2015 00:10

If someone wants to get sloshed then yes, I can see why people say it isn't worth the risk to drive the next morning. But seeing as if we drink we usually share a bottle between 3 people and I'm the one not finishing her one I really can't see why it is taking a risk to drive three or four hours later and certainly not the next day. To be honest if I'm driving I don't even have that DH will have something and I'll take a couple of swigs. I suspect it would take me more than six months to finish a bottle of wine if I was drinking it myself based on how little and rarely I drink and I might have half a can of beer every couple of months, DH usually finishes it off for me. So no, I don't think it is a risk if I've had a couple of mouthfuls over the course of an evening and then drive home at 10.

cogitosum · 26/02/2015 00:16

Everyone always (quite rightly) demonises drink driving. But as a non driver I would much rather someone drives through my village carefully after a couple of glasses than the mostly school mums who drive through the 30 zone at 40 during the day who would probably be the first to throw stones at the drunk drivers.

And I walk through at all hours!

LaurieFairyCake · 26/02/2015 00:21

Yes I also wish people didn't spread bullshit about this.

It's mostly spread by people who want the law to be zero and don't want people to drink at all.

They don't want to accept that drinking within the law is responsible and those drunk drivers mowing people down are not paying attention to the law at all and are really pissed.

Stop equating one glass of wine with being irresponsible and killing people and you'll be more persuasive.

SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 26/02/2015 01:07

::clap clap::

MrsTerryPratchett · 26/02/2015 01:31

Oh and drunk walking is much more dangerous than drink driving. To the drunk person.

Andrewofgg · 26/02/2015 05:31

Apart from mouthwash and the like your body generates small amounts of alcohol so a legal zero makes no sense. But 50 is quite as high as it need be. When the Scots passed that it was certainly the first and probably the last time I agreed with the SNP.

LovelyMarchHare · 26/02/2015 07:10

Another cheer for the anti bullshit brigade here. You

ScotsWhaHae · 26/02/2015 07:25

Why play this ridiculous guessing game of units and metabolic rates and weight etc and just do the sensible thing and not have a drink if you're going to be driving?

That takes all the guess work out of it.

It's a limit, not a target that you strive to stay just under and therefore legal.

I love the fact that our limit here in Scotland has been lowered, gets rid of all this '1 small glass and a gulp after a meal and 32 minutes and I'm fine to drive' bollocks.

ScotsWhaHae · 26/02/2015 07:32

Spoony do you see how the amount you drink and are happy to drive changes from 1/3rd of a bottle, to a couple of swigs to a couple of mouthfuls?

If you can not even keep track over the course of a post I don't fancy your chances over an evening.

And the fact that you don't drink much in general doesn't mean you are ok to drive when you do drink.

In fact it might be the case that one glass of wine affects you more because you don't drink often. Whereas a more regular drinker might barely notice any difference after a glass.

But as long as you blow under you'll be fine eh?

Gothgirl78 · 26/02/2015 07:59

Well said Pritchett. Sometimes mums net is a hive of unscientific nonsense. There are nine units in a bottle of wine. If you go to bed at 11 it will be clear by 8 am.

I never had one drink during a night out but will drive at 8.30 after half a bottle the night before.

Gothgirl78 · 26/02/2015 08:00

Pratchett sorry damned I pad.