Driving after drinking alcohol

Yorkie1

bristol_pilot wrote: »

One hour per unit is the often quoted rule of thumb, but it's very easy to under-estimate the number of units consumed.

A very good point. When I first learnt about alcohol consumption vs breakdown in the body quite a lot of years ago, there was a lot less variety in what people drank (alcohol % and size of measures in particular.) So, it was a fair bet to say that 1 unit = 1 pint of beer, 125ml glass wine, 1 measure of spirits (or whatever the actual details were).

Now, beers are stronger, wines are stronger, and wine glasses are bigger. How many times will you be served 175ml unless you specify smaller - which will often only be 150ml rather than 125ml, e.g.?

I saw a programme on TV a couple of years ago about the drinking culture among younger professional women; the context was safe drinking limits (x units per week). They got a few women into a wine bar and put empty 175ml glasses in front of them. They were given a bottle of wine and asked to pour out what they thought to be a unit. All of them poured to a level which was halfway up the glass or higher. In fact, it was about 1/4 of the way up the glass. Accordingly, a large glass could easily be 3 units without you realising.

davetrousers

forgotmyname wrote: »

If i have a drink i wont drive the next day at all.

I drank 1 bottle of Old Crafty Hen last night (6%). Didn't give it any thought when getting in my car at 9.30 this morning.

Tiddlywinks

ladymarmalade1970 wrote: »

This is the one i brought http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001LZ3D02/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and i am very happy with it. It's interesting to see how just 1 glass of wine can affect your levels.

Alcohol in breath and blood alcohol levels are different... I wouldn't trust a gadget from Amazon to make a decision of whether I was legal to drive.

Tiexen

Halfords sell a single use breathalyser (£5) for people going abroad - lower limit than UK so if you pass that you should be OK

[Deleted User]

Some countries require drivers to carry one in their car - so they can be useful for that.

My OH has one in his car over here, not sure why though - he's not much of a drinker.

There are many available on the market, but read the reviews.

ladymarmalade1970

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Alcohol in breath and blood alcohol levels are different... I wouldn't trust a gadget from Amazon to make a decision of whether I was legal to drive.

But the police don't give you a blood test on the roadside. They use similar, probably more advanced, equipment based on the same technology of breath testing.

This gives a good indication on if you are ok or not IMO.

Tiddlywinks

ladymarmalade1970 wrote: »

But the police don't give you a blood test on the roadside. They use similar, probably more advanced, equipment based on the same technology of breath testing.

This gives a good indication on if you are ok or not IMO.

Different equipment, correctly and regularly calibrated with a more sensitive scale to the ones sold on Amazon... Why would you be prepared to take the risk... Is drinking really that important?

ladymarmalade1970

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Different equipment, correctly and regularly calibrated with a more sensitive scale to the ones sold on Amazon... Why would you be prepared to take the risk... Is drinking really that important?

Yep :j

I don't see it as taking a risk. Are you saying if you have a glass or 2 of wine on a Friday night you shouldn't drive on the Saturday morning?

Devices like this one give us a fairly good idea of whether we are fit to drive or not. That one i brought won "What Car" whatever that is test for the best one. It's better than nothing and as i said in a previous post it's very interesting to see how the levels are affected after a glass of wine, given you can have a glass of wine in the pub and still drive.

Personally I feel absolutely fine to drive after a glass of wine. One glass doesn't affect me but if it was a large one in a pub that device would probably show me over the limit despite me still feeling fine.

iammumtoone

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Different equipment, correctly and regularly calibrated with a more sensitive scale to the ones sold on Amazon... Why would you be prepared to take the risk... Is drinking really that important?

I think if someone is sensible enough to buy and use a home breathalyser they are sensible enough to read it with caution and realise if the home version states that they are just on the legal limit to not drive and wait until they are well under it to account for the fact home versions may not be as accurate. As a guide I think they are a very useful tool, I don't drink anymore but when I did I wish I had one it would have stopped me driving in the mornings when I perhaps sometimes I shouldn't have been.

Yorkie1

Domino9 wrote: »

Some countries require drivers to carry one in their car - so they can be useful for that.

I *think* France requires you to carry 2, which meet a particular EU kite mark or similar.

ladymarmalade1970 wrote: »

Devices like this one give us a fairly good idea of whether we are fit to drive or not.

Personally I feel absolutely fine to drive after a glass of wine. One glass doesn't affect me but if it was a large one in a pub that device would probably show me over the limit despite me still feeling fine.

Couple of interesting points here re. legal limit v fitness to drive. The devices purport to show whether at that moment in time your breath alcohol reading is above or below the legal limit - i.e. whether you are legal to drive.

As you rightly point out, feeling fit to drive isn't a good indicator as to legality to drive; someone who regularly consumes alcohol may be over the limit but feel fine, whereas someone who drinks rarely may be unfit to drive - but legal according to the breath alcohol level.

I am really dredging memory now, but I *think* that 5 units of alcohol approximated to the legal limit (subject to all the info mentioned earlier in thread from the research quote).

iammumtoone wrote: »

I think if someone is sensible enough to buy and use a home breathalyser they are sensible enough to read it with caution and realise if the home version states that they are just on the legal limit to not drive and wait until they are well under it to account for the fact home versions may not be as accurate. As a guide I think they are a very useful tool, I don't drink anymore but when I did I wish I had one it would have stopped me driving in the mornings when I perhaps sometimes I shouldn't have been.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the machines are a snapshot in time - and that alcohol limits can continue to rise for some time after you stop drinking. So it's possible to use one just before you leave the pub, but become over the limit by the time you get home. Tricky to judge!