Experts back proposal to cut blood alcohol limit

[spajohn]

"A man weighing 85kg and measuring 1.8m can consume between five to eight standard drinks, or seven stubbies of beer, over a two-hour period and remain below the current limit, ESR forensic toxicologist Allan Stowell calculated. "

Makes sense to me...I reckon I would be questionable (!!?) if I drank to the max of the limit then drove...certainly don't want cagers near me that have.

What do you think?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/heal...-alcohol-limit

[Maha]

Not being a big beer drinker, seven stubbies over a two hour period and I wouldn't drive.
Come to think of it, dont think I could even drink 3.5 bottles an hour.

[Jonno.]

It's the same bullshit, the amount of drink drivers caught close to or just under the limit pales in comparision of recidivist drink drivers twice, and thrice the legal limit. Do something about that first.

[Oakie]

Damned sure I wouldn't be riding after 7 stubbies. 3 over 2 hours is probably as far as I'd push it and even then I know I'd be more cautious than usual.

EDIT: Riding after 2 handles in an hour is the about the worst I've done I think.

[Jonathan]

OMG! It's Rick Hemi!

On the One News site it says "The 80mg level allowed a man of average height and weight to consume six standard drinks within 90 minutes - about three-quarters of a bottle of wine, and a woman to have four standard drinks - about half a bottle of wine."

I have seen some people pretty ratfaced after 3/4 of a bottle of wine!

[bastardsquad]

I'd question the pharmacokinetics of the '7 stubbies in 2 hrs and be just under for an average guy' statement. In my Uni days we had a prominent ALAC poster displayed in the pub that advised for an average male it was 3 standard drinks in the first hour and one every hour after that for the liver to be able to break down the alcohol. Bear in mind that a standard drink is only 330mL of 4.0% beer , if you go to 5.0% its less to consume. So , I call bullshit.The important thing here is that this is a 'calculation' based on modelling of liver breakdowns in 'average' people, not blood alcohol measurements taken from live people in a validated study.

[nsrpaul]

im stuffed after two beers, so I say lower it!

[Bodir]

It does not matter what the legal limit is, but how people go about drinking and driving. The message is slowly sinking in that alcohol is affecting your riding/driving right from the start. The amount of alcohol to get it started depends on your liver. So some people should never drink before using a vehicle while others can cope with a lot and still be safe. It all results in the same though. People traveling on the road thinking they are still capable of doing so while clearly not and hence endangering others. The worst part is even drunken pedestrians cause accidents.

Personal responsibility should come first, laws and regulations should not be necessary to keep dangerous behavior off the road. I guess society is not there yet though.

[riffer]

Don't like alcohol and riding. Make the limit zero and avoid the ambiguity.

[Sentox]

Drinking and riding just boggles my mind. Drink driving is bad enough, but riding is far, far more demanding physically and mentally.

[Smifffy]

I'm all for a zero limit, but probably because I have friends and family who don't drink and are happy to sober drive.

[varminter]

The very idea of riding after drinking give me the shits, I need to be stone cold sober and have my faculties at 100%. Besides the doctor said stop drinking totally or you liver will leave you for another. No brainer that one.

[Bodir]

The problem is, you cannot make it zero. You will have blood alcohol from eating fruit or some wine in the cooking. I am all for making it near zero, but I am even more for rides choosing to behave like that anyway without the Muppets declaring it a rule.

[mashman]

Don't like alcohol and riding. Make the limit zero and avoid the ambiguity.

I agree 99%... but there is 1% that says we should make it zero... BUT... still breathalize and using a "safety limit" (i.e police discretion), maybe then have the person perform the tests that they do in the states... i.e. straight line etc... a fail resulting in you being DUI and charged as such (fine, warning)... do it again and we'll wreck your vehicle instantly and you'll be looking at time. Brutal, but I think that's where we're heading.

[Smifffy]

I guess it doesn't really matter what the limit is. There will still be those that claim "I'm ok to drive regardless of how many I've had", who will drive time and time again, and won't stop until they either kill themselves or some one else.

We already have limits and there are people up in court on the same charge for 8th and 9th time - some even pregnant!!!

FFS.