To have a drink and drive?

[Drinkinndrive]

About 18 months ago I moved a 10 min drive away from my previous house, it was in a nice little village where there are some social events that I used to attend.
Every month I go to a quiz night in my old village, when I lived there I'd have one or 2 drinks sometimes and walk home but now that I have to drive I rarely have a drink now.
Except maybe once every 3rd month or so I fancy a gin so I have a single gin & tonic always when I first get there and the night ends at least 2 but sometimes 2 1/2 hours later and then I drive home.

If I've ever mentioned having a drink to my DP he has a go at me saying I shouldn't ever touch a drink if im driving and I completely agree as a general rule but I only have 1 (I've looked up the units and as far as I am aware it wouldn't put me over the limit) I always have something to eat too and I've never felt tipsy/drunk after this one drink.

There is no backstory, im not an alcoholic, i rarely drink at all (for context I brought a bottle of gin maybe 6 months ago and it is in my cupboard about a quarter drunk) I never drink while out at a restaurant etc and I don't go on nights out, this one quiz night a month is my night out 🤣

So be honest am I being unreasonable?

He never goes out, sees going out at all as a waste of money and petrol, won't do anything to help you and then criticises you for having one drink and driving 2 hours later. So basically he thinks that both of you should spend all your time at home, doing what exactly? Maybe you could ask a friend to deliver some paint and you can both watch it dry together.

From your last post it sounds like you might have a partner problem rather than a drink problem.

Driving over 2hrs after a single gin and tonic would be fine. You aren’t going to be over the limit or impaired. Although I would have more gin and take a taxi 😄

Well this thread moved on quickly!

No I wouldn't drink and drive but I also wouldn't be with such a joyless man so...

I wouldn't judge someone who dies what is within the law but I would never do it and never have done.

yeah that is NOT another story. What does he actually bring to the relationship?

Do you care more about being under the legal limit or about not being involved in an accident and accidentally killing someone? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Theres plenty of zero alcohol alternatives available these says so why take the risk?

Been driving for over 30 years. Have never had even one and driven. It's not worth it.

If you're drinking such a small amount of alcohol, you're unlikely to be so intoxicated that you'd be a danger behind the wheel. You may even be back down below the limit if you leave it 2-2.5 hrs between your last drink and driving.

However, the consequences for getting caught drink driving are hefty. For breathing just one or two points over the limit, you'd automatically get a criminal conviction, at least 10 points on your licence, and a fine based on 100% of your weekly income.

For that alone it's really not worth the risk of getting caught.

I wouldn’t have any amount to drive and then drive - what if something were to happen? It might not be your fault or connected to the drink at all, but you’d never forgive yourself.

I agree with the pp who said better to get a taxi when it’s so infrequent, and have a couple.

Of course it's fine- it takes an hour for a unit of alcohol to clear your system

It’s not at least 10 points, it’s an automatic ban unless in really very narrowly defined exceptional circumstances.

Are you planning on keeping him, because if I were you I'd be rehoming this fucker

Of course it’s fine. One drink and not immediately driving is totally ok and legal. I have one drink( small glass of wine/ half a lager/ single measure) if I’m driving but then soft drinks and normally do t drive for a couple of hours. I wouldn’t have a drink and then drive within the hour.

Because you like the taste ?

It's an academic point, really, but the exceptional circumstances would be first time offence and blowing just one or two points over the limit as I suggested in my post. Sentencing guidelines say 'must endorse, may disqualify'. But yes, the reality is that you're probably losing your licence in 99% of instances.

I don't think many people realise how serious - and inconvenient - a drink drive conviction actually is. It's not a slap on the wrist and a couple of points on your licence. You're properly fucked if you're caught. Public transport for at least a year. Sky high car insurance when you finally can drive again, etc.

One unit of alcohol - which is a single of 40%abv - is what the average person, in average conditions, processes from their body in one hour.

So if OP drinks the gin, and more than an hour passes before she drives, in all likelyhood her alcohol level will be 0. Not just 'below the limit', but actually nil, no different to when she left home to drive to the pub.

For the average woman, 3 units ish would be needed to be over the limit. Of course, no one is average and you'd have to be a reckless idiot to drink 3 gins and immediately jump in a car. Or indeed one imo.

But one gin and then wait 2.5 hrs before driving? That's no different to having 3 gins in the evening and getting up the next morning and driving after 7.5 hours, which I'm sure many people do without thinking about it and with no risk of being over the limit or even affected by the alcohol.

Was the driver in your friend's son's case someone who had had one gin and tonic over two hours beforehand? If not, it really isn't comparable.

I think as a rule of thumb we process one unit of alcohol per hour. The limit here in Scotland is so low that I never risk it.

If I know I'm driving I won't have any alcohol

Hard no from me. My sister got killed by a drunk driver in a hit and run. Please don’t. The safest is 0

You are probably fine in a legal sense but I can't imagine that your driving/reactions would be as good after 2 drinks.
I don't drive if I am drinking at all, I just don't see the need for it

The risk of a single G&T with a meal and then waiting two hours... how ridiculous!

But we're not talking about drunk driving here, so that's irrelevant.

legally fine, based on your op. Whether it is ok to you is personal choice. I generally avoid alcohol if I’m going near the wheel but I have had half a pint of normal strength beer or cider and driven occasionally

Agree. Tragic that happened but it’s not the same thing. I also lost a family member due to a drunk driver but I still have one drink if out and driving f later. It’s not the same at all.