To wish the drive drive laws were clearer

[Kindoline]

Or just do away with them and have a zero limit?

Reading the Kirsty Gallagher articles. She was still three times over the limit 7hrs after she stopped drinking. How can anyone really know when they are ok to drive the next day? I always struggle to work out if I'm ok to pick my car up the next afternoon or not. Trying to do unit/hours maths whilst hungover isn't easy either. Plus everyone's metabolic rate is different. So presumably a big fella who is use to drinking heavily may not be over the limit whereas a slight woman would be.

It's all as clear as mud

The laws are clear. Drive while exceeding the breath, blood, or urine alcohol level limits and you're breaking the law. You can argue that it's unfair: some people have more breath alcohol than others for the same blood alcohol level and some people are more impaired than others for the same blood alcohol level. But the law pays no regard to that.

If you're concerned about your fitness to drive, get a breathalyzer. Although a 'green' result from your own is no defence if the police equipment finds you over the limit anyway. But to be frank, somebody three times the limit ought to know full well they're drunk. Or just don't drive the morning after a huge piss-up.

How can they be clearer?

If in doubt, get a taxi. If you're wondering if you're unfit, here's a clue, you're fucking unfit!

It isn't hard. It isn't unclear. Do you know who struggle with drink driving laws? Cunts!

"But a zero limit would still leave this problem wouldn't it?

Half a bottle of wine - will that all have gone by the morning?
Or 2/3 a whole bottle?"

THat's the crux isn't it?

That people would rather take a risk & drink as much as they feel they can rather than just not drink.

Baffling.

7 hours is what 2 large glasses of (14%) wine would take.

A party till 4am it's highly likely there was a lot more drank than 2 large glasses!!!

Waiting 24 hours to drive after drinking anything is just ridiculous.

I was a passenger in a car ( many years ago/ brain has "grown in" - so, nowadays, wouldn't enter a vehicle knowing driver had been drinking). Vehicle stopped - driver breathalised/over the limit/charged. He was allowed to collect car from police station after a minimum of 12 hours.

I think it should be practically zero, almost everyone I know doesnt drink any alcohol if they are driving.

For the next day, I would say I would drink 4 units before midnight. Any more or drinking later and I'd not be planning driving until after lunch.

If you are hungover you shouldnt be driving IME.

I don't care if people think I am OTT, I think some people are nuts when it comes to alcohol.

You could use a calculator like this. Not sure if there is an English equivalent and obviously you should build in a margin.

www.gosafeglasgow.com/public/interactives/drink-drive-calculator/DrinkDriveCalculator.html

If it was a 'zero' limit she would have been a lot more than 3 times over the limit. Reducing the limit just pushes the point at which it becomes legal to drive further along in time, but it is still the same problem.

Scotland have effectively brought in a zero drink drive limit, half a glass of wine would be enough now to put you over the limit. the advice is not to drive at all if you have anything to drink and to be think twice before driving the following day .

"Waiting 24 hours to drive after drinking anything is just ridiculous."

It's not, it's sensible...and not so that you're safe to not be caught over the limit, but so you're actually safe to be driving.

I don't think the drink drive laws are an issue and have no problem complying. I am not a big drinker but occasionally will have a small glass of wine with dinner and drive home but I am always completely honest with myself. Was it really one small glass or was it a large glass? Small is ok to drive at end of evening, large is not.
I just think people need to be sensible and honest with themselves. And remember that a large glass of wine is probably 3 units, not 1. If unsure, then dont drive. It really is that simple.

If you have a hangover you shouldn't be calculating anything, you shouldn't be driving.

People are too blinded by their "need" to drive and forget that the point at which you are safe to drive legally isn't the important bit - the point at which you are actually safe to drive is the important bit.

Why the rush?

If you would find it easier to have a zero limit then treat it as a zero limit. There is nothing stopping you from enforcing that on yourself if you don't think you can count your units over time.

The problem is that everyone takes completely different amounts of time to break down the alcohol on their system. Many years ago when I was a junior doctor in A&E (and having some pretty wild nights out) we borrowed a breathalyser from work to do some experimenting. The results were really interesting, and it wasn't necessarily the well built guys that were blowing lower readings quicker. I think if you regularly drive the morning after drinking then buying a breathalyser is the way to go.

I think Scotland has it right. I don't get drinking and driving of any sort, but then, I had a good friend who was killed by a person who was over the limit. My friend was 21. The driver is still alive 25 years later, Candice is not.

I don't know why all drivers don't have a breathalyser to use when in doubt. We should then have a zero tolerance law. That way if your found over the limit you only have yourself to blame.

Motheroffourdragons - there will be some metabolism from the first drink but while you are adding more alcohol the rate of metabolism will be slower than after you have stopped drinking so it is simplest to wait until you stop drinking to start counting. Better to be on the side of caution anyway.

"There is nothing stopping you from enforcing that on yourself if you don't think you can count your units over time."

I agree-there's no problem or need for clarity.

People just need to not drink when they will be driving!

It's simple but people aren't willing/able to do it.

It's pretty simple really, if you're driving the next day, don't get shit faced the night before. Not exactly rocket science. 1 hour per unit of alcohol approx., err on the side of caution, make alternative plans and if you're someone who seems to keep finding themselves in the situation, buy a couple of breathalysers from Halfords or amazon.

If I am going out of an evening, say a work do mid week and i'm going to be drinking, I make sure I have other options rather than driving to work in the morning, just as I would getting home.

I don't (can't) drive so my knowledge of how alcohol affects driving is obviously limited. Given how fucking awful and sluggish and out of it a hangover makes me feel though, I doubt I'd be safe to drive with one even if I was technically ok in terms of alcohol levels. I've often thought when really knackered after a long few days at work and getting the bus home that I'd be dangerous to drive in that state, and hangovers for me are exhaustion with an added layer of bleurgh.

Waiting 24 hours to drive after drinking anything is just ridiculous.

No one is saying wait 24 hours for everything - after a 2% beer with your dinner you're fine the next morning. If you have two large home poured glasses of 14% wine however you may NOT be safe.

If you're having to do mental calculations, you don't drive. This attitude of its ok as long as it's just below the limit is crazy - you may not feel pissed but you are impaired.

If you've been drunk, you don't drive the next day.