Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do many of you drink ( within the legal anount) and drive?

212 replies

RebornFlame · 22/08/2019 20:05

Round here we have no public transport and taxis close up shop about 8/9pm. Most people I know will be a designated driver but often have a pint and then soft drinks. Some a bit more. Non off thier face drunk. I’m a fairly new driver so usually I’ll abstain or have a drink if I know it’s hours before I’m going to drink. What’s normal for you and your area?

OP posts:
transformandriseup · 22/08/2019 20:33

I feel tipsy on a small glass of wine so I wouldn't have any before driving.

Dizzywizz · 22/08/2019 20:34

I would have 1-2, depending on if I’m eating and the length of time it’s over

GruciusMalfoy · 22/08/2019 20:34

No, I don't bother. I'm in Scotland and I've seen things that say you may be over the limit after a small amount here, so I'd be really paranoid I'd inadvertently had a touch too much.

Original poster
RebornFlame · 22/08/2019 20:35

madi68 loving the unintentional Audi punnage Grin

OP posts:
Iamtooknackeredtorun · 22/08/2019 20:35

MN is not at all typical on this issue.

If I am driving I might have one or two drinks over the course of an evening so long as I am still below the limit. I never exceed it but equally I don’t think having one drink and driving is quite the horror that people here think it is. Someone up thread has said they won’t have a single drink if they’re driving before noon the next day. What possible risk is there with two small glasses of wine at 8pm and 9pm and then driving at 10am? Do you think you might still be over the limit?

I have spent a lot of time reviewing cases relating to serious road traffic incidents. The overwhelming problem is speed. People drive too fast so they can’t react in time. Not a single one I read in the past 18 months related to someone with below the legal limit of alcohol in their blood (as opposed to none or over the limit).

Theknacktoflying · 22/08/2019 20:35

The legality doesn’t really feature for me .... Driving and anything altering your driving ability and reactions should be exclusive ... drink, mobile phone calls, shouting children, drugs (prescription and recreation) ...

The carnage on our roads caused by distractions is very high

TapasForTwo · 22/08/2019 20:35

"Been addicted to 0% beer this summer, the San Miguel one is super nice as is the Peroni one."

I'm discovering all sorts of alcohol free beers and ciders just now. Some are better than others.

I don't drink and drive. We live rurally with not great public transport and it would be a disaster if I lost my licence.

moonpiggle · 22/08/2019 20:36

Never. I only drink on a night out which is usually once or twice a month so wouldnt use the car anyway.

Purpleartichoke · 22/08/2019 20:37

I don’t drink and drive at all. We have no public transit and no taxis. If I am the driver it is soft drinks only for the duration.

Abraid2 · 22/08/2019 20:37

125 ml glass of wine and that’s it for me.

Abraid2 · 22/08/2019 20:38

But I agree that the very low or no alcohol beers are probably becoming a good option.

Theknacktoflying · 22/08/2019 20:39

@Iamtooknackeredtorun surely the speed is because the alcohol has impeded decision making and reaction times ???

user1493759849 · 22/08/2019 20:39

@RebornFlame

What is your AIBU?

If I never drink a couple of alcoholic drinks then drive, is it YANBU or YABU? Confused

Vasya · 22/08/2019 20:42

The new rules in Scotland mean pretty much one drink puts you over the limit.

I might drive after a single drink if I am also eating and there are a couple of hours between the drink and the driving (so I might have a beer at 6pm with a barbecue and then drive home at 9). I wouldn't ever do more than that.

User10fuckingmillion · 22/08/2019 20:42

I have done it and I think the vast vast majority of people in England would-not sure I would do it again because alcohol does affect me really quickly and I could feel the difference.

jackstini · 22/08/2019 20:43

None

If I'm out for drinking then it's always more than one glass

If I'm driving I know that even if under the legal limit, I could still be affected

I was in a nasty accident with a drunk driver when I was 19 so that might skew my thinking

If anyone can give me an example of someone's life that's worth less than a glass of wine then go ahead and have that all important drink...

Iamtooknackeredtorun · 22/08/2019 20:43

Theknacktoflying

No. What I am saying is that most of them were caused by speeding by motorists with ZERO alcohol in their system or EXCESS alcohol in their system. None were ‘I have had one glass of wine with my meal’ situations.

RickJames · 22/08/2019 20:44

It depends how I feel. I can have a glass of wine one day and feel off my face, if I'm tired or just feeling off. Another (very rare) day I might have a beer and drive 2km to the shop and back on a country road.
Generally though I would never plan to drink any alcohol and drive because I'd hate to be breathalised and even register under the limit.
I do however find it childishly fun to move my car along our long private driveway when I've had a few and need to reposition the cars. It only proves to me how ridiculously difficult driving is when under the influence but it can't hurt anyone and it feels very naughty!
Drinking or smoking weed or even taking strong drugs you've been prescribed are an absolute no-go imo.

Nacreous · 22/08/2019 20:45

The people who will have at most 1-2 small glasses of wine (125-250ml so 1.5-3.5 units depending on the wine) if they are going to drive the next day - I don't think alcohol processing takes as long as you may think. If you drank that over the course of a meal (2 hours), it would have left your bloodstream by 2 hours after that. (But I understand wanting to round up to be safe.)

You could drink an entire bottle of wine at 7pm and be sober to drive the next day by about 7am (whether you'd be not-hungover enough is another matter).

I understand that we have these "consider if you'll be sober in the morning campaigns" but they only really apply if you've drunk very late into the evening (e.g. still drinking at 2am) or if you've drunk more than e.g. a bottle of wine.

I don't drink much at all, so I would be completely wasted after a bottle of wine, but I imagine that people who drink more regularly might be able to manage more!

Scrowy · 22/08/2019 20:45

I rarely have a night out and even more rarely have a night out and drive (dp is practically teetotal as it doesn't agree with him so tends to be designated driver) but when I do I'm quite happy to have a small glass of wine over the starter and main course at 7/8pm and then drive a few hours down the line at midnight ish.

Lockheart · 22/08/2019 20:46

I did once, but we were in private hotel grounds late at night, and not public roads, and I'd only had one drink with dinner.

As a general rule, if I'm driving I don't have anything.

Coffeeandchocolate9 · 22/08/2019 20:47

I hardly drink, drive everywhere and if I fancy a small amount of booze with a meal I will.

Whatwouldbigfatfannydo · 22/08/2019 20:47

@MrsGrindah

There should be no* that meant to say!

Passthecherrycoke · 22/08/2019 20:48

Yes one or two, although weirdly until I was pregnant I never drank a drop. When I was pregnant I was always designated driver but would occasionally have the 1 or 2 units a week the guidelines said was ok back then.

I think a Number of posters here seem to be forgetting that alcohol works through your system and the effects wear off- if you have a pint at 7pm and drive home at 11 that pint has cleared your system. There was no virtue in not having one at all.

BlueJava · 22/08/2019 20:48

No, never even have a sip and drive. Just wouldn't do it - even a little alcohol affects me quite a lot I think.

Swipe left for the next trending thread