What is your philosophy on drinking and driving?

Question

Most people I know tend to think that there is a gap between being at the legal limit and being unable to safely drive. In other words, plenty of people I know drive after a few beers, and are probably over the legal limit, but don't feel their driving skills are impaired.

What do you think?

Please be honest and let's try not to pass judgment.

Answer 1

you either drink OR drive but NEVER drink AND drive

Answer 2

I think the legal limit is the maximum and it's there for a reason. The food you've eaten that day, any prescription or OTC meds you've taken and your general well being all influence how hard the alcohol hits you. Also, some people are uncoordinated even if at or under the legal limit.

When I was in my last year of school we had this this teacher who taught agriculture but was also an on call volunteer member of the fire brigade. Most of his call outs were to car accidents not fires. His pager would go off half way through class, a substitute teacher would take over and he'd leave.

He always had to come immediately back to school after the rescue or fire was over. The other guys would get a chance to go back the station, talk and resolve what they'd just seen, but he didn't have that luxury. The look on his face as he walked back into class was heart-wrending at times.

Most the accidents were alcohol related. Once, he somewhat grafficly described how he felt picking up the body parts of a former student of the road after a drink driving incident. He pleaded with us to never drink drive and that it would kill him to have to scrape us up off the road. One day he brought a guy into class who'd got into a car drunk, unaware that the designated driver was plastered. He was in a wheelchair, paralyzed and in constant pain.

I think if someone feels at all tipsy, even if under the legal limit, they should not drive. Some people shouldn't drive at all if they've had an alcohol. No one should ever drive if over the limit. What's more important - getting your way by having a few drinks and driving home or someone life? I think it's very selfish.

Furious Blue: I know exactly what you mean!! Here in Australia, new drivers can not use a phone while driving at all, and regular drivers may only use it via a hands-free system i.e. headset or speaker phone. But people tend to ignore the laws and man...they are scary when you run across them in traffic!!!

Answer 3

A typical person processes an ounce of alcohol (or one beer) per hour. If I drink within that limit I will drive. If I drink more than a beer within an hour it is because I have a driver lined up, I won't be driving, or I'm planning to stop drinking hours before I will be driving.
When I was young (like 16) I used to drive shitfaced. I mean I couldn't really even see the road I was so damn drunk. I have no idea how I am still alive because I did it several times.

Answer 4

The majority of people that drink, have driven afterwards.

For some reason, it's a subject a lot of people like to pass judgement on, even though they know they've done it themselves. I've never understood that.

That being said, people shouldn't do it. It is dangerous.

However, I do think the penalty for a DUI is ridiculous.

I've gotten one before, and the punishment does not fit the crime.

In this country, if you don't have a driver's license, you have a serious problem. You could lose your job, lose your ability to buy groceries, take kids to the doctor in emergencies, etc.

When they take a person's license for a DUI (typically for a year) they are basically asking that person to go on public assistance or live under a bridge.

And the only reason the penalty is that stiff, is because MADD lobbyists want to bring back Prohibition.

Answer 5

i have a lot of different feelings about this issue. i can't be a hypocrite, i drive under the influence often. peoples' BAC is variable though. just because you're over the legal limit, doesn't mean you're drunk. me and some dude that weighs 230 lbs could have the same BAC and he may not even be drunk due to his weight advantage (or disadvantage, however you want to look at it). the same guy could have two drinks, me stone sober and still get taken to the clink for an illegal BAC percentage. i agree that's it's stupid to drive drunk, but most people don't think that when they're drunk. most people think "man, i'm totally fine to drive, i'm soooo not drunk." and luckily a lot of us make it home fine.

i know this doesn't help, but i usually limit myself to a certain mileage radius from my house that i feel is a safe zone to drive in, or walk in (even though in my town cops are more likely to arrest you for walking home drunk rather than driving which is fukcing stupid). if i go out of my zone, i have someone else drive or drink less.

but i sort of have a changing perspective on it since my dad just went to the hospital yesterday because he's an alcholic and drank so much is blood was toxic and had a BAC of 2. not .02 or .2, but 2.0.

Answer 6

If I go out to dinner or go to a bar with a buddy and have a few beers, then I'll drive, but never after say three or four beers.

If I go out later on in the night and end up drinking a little too much, or get really drunk, I just call a cab. I would much rather pay the cab fare (which is never more than $20) than get a DUI, or worse, hit another car. Its all about drinking responsibly! If you can't drink responsibly, don't drink!

Answer 7

I don't do it at all. If I am going to have anything alcoholic to drink then I'm either using a taxi or there is a designated driver.

I think if those few beers are spaced out enough then the person probably can drive. If they've decided to slam them back one after the other then they shouldn't be driving. I know if they did, I'd not get in a car with them.

Answer 8

I think it's best to err on the side of caution.

I have a LOT of friends who will drive when they're tipsy/drunk, simply because they can get away with it. They may get home just fine 99 times out of 100, but on that 100th time they might hurt themselves or someone else.

This is why I'm usually the designated driver when we go out. I'd rather offer to drive them home than see them drive off when they can't even walk straight. And I know if I don't volunteer, they think they can just drive themselves no matter how much they've had.

I'm not passing judgment, it's just being concerned for the safety of my friends.

Answer 9

For the most part, I think you shouldn't drink and drive PERIOD. But I will admit, I'm perfectly fine after having one or two cans of beer. If I'm drinking a ton, there's NO WAY I'm driving! It's not worth potentially ruining lives and families because of selfishness.

Answer 10

This isn't politically correct, but I think we've gone a little overboard on drinking and driving. In the 70s, it was no big deal to get totally plastered and drive way, but now the penalties and legal limits are getting, frankly, ridiculous.

In Colorado you can be legally charged with a lesser offense (lesser than DUI) at 0.05% alcohol, if the cop thinks your driving was at all affected. It could be an impairment on par with listening to the radio, but that doesn't matter.

And yet, talking on a cell phone is statistically far worse than even 0.1% alcohol. And that's something we slap people on the wrist for, if anything.

I think penalties should be commensurate with actual impairment. If the statistical risk you pose by being slightly impaired (say, 0.08% ABV) is similar to the risk you pose by driving 10 miles over the speed limit, make the penalties for those two offenses identical. If the statistical risk you pose at .12% ABV is identical to the risk you pose by driving 40 miles over the speed limit, then take away your license for either.

I guess my point is, I don't think our DUI laws are at all based on sound math. They're based on the fact that people are very emotional about this issue.

DUI laws might have been too lenient in the 70s and 80s, but now I think they're too draconian.

Answer 11

Drinking and driving is not something one has a philosophy on, because it's illegal ! Pretty cut and dried if you ask me, which you did. It's not something a person passes judgment on either, because when it comes to drinking and then getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, there are no gray areas, just black and white. It's just plain irresponsible to do such a thing, and I have no sympathy for anyone who gets caught doing it.