Drink driving - The facts please

[Ixion]

Every bottle of alcohol sold in NZ must have on the label how many standard drinks it contains. Where alcohol is sold by the glass, the glass must have the number of standard drinks imprinted on it, or where this not possible (the norm of course), the bar staff (strictly, I think the duty manager) must be able to tell you how many standard drinks are in your drink. Ask them. I'm more interested in how many standard drunks are in the bar m'self.

[007XX]

Do the old reaction test, get a friend to drop a ruler at the start of the night. See where you grab it. If your reactions are more than +3cm worse - i wouldnt ride home.
If you cant handle gravity, what do you think 200kph on a 200kg object is going to feel like.

Interesting test, I shall try that...although I generally either drink or drive, never both.

What I still don't understand (and no, I'm not on my soap box....yet!), is why people just cannot seem to just accept that if you drink, then there is a likelyhood of being considered over the limit...Too many variants involved, so don't take the risk and either stay the night, or organise a driver...

Or, if you really want to have a few drinks and still drive legally, buy one of these self diagnostics breathalisers, just to make sure.

Promoting the "so many drinks per hour" can be easily misconstrued and abused...I don't like it!

[Winston001]

Interesting test, I shall try that...although I generally either drink or drive, never both.

What I still don't understand (and no, I'm not on my soap box....yet!), is why people just cannot seem to just accept that if you drink, then there is a likelyhood of being considered over the limit...Too many variants involved, so don't take the risk and either stay the night, or organise a driver...

Or, if you really want to have a few drinks and still drive legally, buy one of these self diagnostics breathalisers, just to make sure.

Promoting the "so many drinks per hour" can be easily misconstrued and abused...I don't like it!

Good post. Forget about standard drinks, measuring time. I've seen so many bewildered people over the years protesting their innocence after being caught over the limit.

The simple answer is do not drink and drive.

[007XX]

Good post. Forget about standard drinks, measuring time. I've seen so many bewildered people over the years protesting their innocence after being caught over the limit.

The simple answer is do not drink and drive.

Exactly!

[scumdog]

Good post. Forget about standard drinks, measuring time. I've seen so many bewildered people over the years protesting their innocence after being caught over the limit.

The simple answer is do not drink and drive.

Wot 'e sed.

So many people (rightly or wrongly) I have processed claim they 'only had three' - our joke with some is that the three must have been bottles of gin, I mean c'mon, a 'blow' of 985 and still claiming "But I only had three drinks" - do they think we'll assume the machine must be faulty and they are right?

The danger point is when after you've had a couple (three?), start to feel the effects then a little later you start to think "Hmm, I don't feel too bad at all, I should be right to drive home" - DON'T!! That is the point when so many get picked up for EBA.

To get over the adult limit takes a reasonable quantity of drink, trust me, I've done some experimenting. (And my work-mates will back up the fact it takes a bit to be over)

[crashe]

It is NOT about the size of the person as to how much they can consume to be over the limit.

I have seen some small sized men and women fair put it away and still dont act drunk..... while other small sized people can be drunk after 1 glass.

I have seen some biggish people, only have one or two drinks and cant drink any more as they will be over the limit while I have seen some biggish people drink and drink...

I believe its about your body makeup and how it reacts to booze.

If people dont drink that often then yep the booze will go straight to your head. Then be safe and get a taxi.





Take a look at this thread:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/M...eadid=22507248
This person only had 3 maybe 4 smallish glasses of wine with a decent meal over 4 hours....... then drove...... got busted.
Now off to court..... She also had some mint lollies.
She is now off to court.

Her friend in the car was also tested and they had, had vodkas etc..... and wasn't over the limit.
She had even organised a 'dial-a-taxi' home afterwards.

She did everything by the book, had a meal, had a few wines spread over so many hours and yet was over the limit.

Maybe the mint lollies on her breath did it, she didnt ask for a blood test at the time.

Yet the people of that forum bollocked her out..... when all she wanted was some advise, on what kinda fine she would recieve and how long would she loose her license for....



If people dont drink that often then yep the booze will go straight to your head. Then be safe and get a taxi.

[ajturbo]

Don't get a Standard Drink mixed up with a "bottle of beer"!! Nearly all beers are more than one standard drink.. i.e bottle of Steinlager is 1.3 standard drinks.

Typical....

picking on poor old Steini"

[avgas]

To get over the adult limit takes a reasonable quantity of drink, trust me, I've done some experimenting. (And my work-mates will back up the fact it takes a bit to be over)

I agree, 1 night i was rather stupid and drunk till i was "tiddly", apparently i was telling my mates that i was too pissed to drive home. Got a txt from the mrs, she would keep quiet so i got in my car, manged to start it (somehow) drove semi-straight down the road (well i thought i was), and didnt even have the reactions to run from a checkpoint.
Yet i blew only 3/4 legal limit?
I was dumbstruck, and very angry at myself for doing such a dumb act the night before - i told my mates that if i pulled a stunt like that again they have free reign to knock me out.

[Genestho]

Heres something I remember from sitting my Duty Managers License years ago...your liver is only able to process 1 standard drink per hour. Once you get ahead of your liver's ability to process a standard drink per hour, thats when you start getting pissed.

There was an article I read on the front page of a paper back in May, being that for men, the idea was 3 the first hour and one per hour after that, I was informed by a reporter that a few Agencies cringed when that came out, as somebody has already said it depends on all the variables: tiredness, sickness,mental health, whether you've eaten, and body build.

If your at the Pub a Duty Managers job is to keep an eye on things, offer food and/or a taxi.

Thats why it is difficult for the NZ public to have the ability to differentiate the difference between the couple of quiets after work and cruise home, and the "oh shit Ive been busted and didnt mean to screw up" versus the idiots that dont give a damn.

Really frustrating if you did just want a quiet beer. Just watch those breathalisers too, we had one in our home and after extensive testing found it was innacurate.

There are too many variables. Be carefull out there.

[Winston001]

The crux of the problem is we have this namby pamby law which actually allows you to drive after deliberately consuming alcohol.

If our politicians had any guts they'd pass a simple law saying "no alcohol" in blood or breath. Then we wouldn't have decent people getting into trouble when they've been mislead that a 'few' drinks is lawful.

[Genestho]

I totally agree Winstone, unfortunately the public is mislead into thinking what is a safe limit. And making decisions based on these "safe limits"

I agree its better to know where you stand, right from the start. Zero.

Unfortunately that wont stop the Hardcore Recidivists and it would punish the everyday Joe.

But then again it wouldnt have to, it would make it mandatory for the everyday Joe who does have something to loose, or have a conscience - to make appropriate arrangements.

Think of it this way it would be setup for the next generations that wouldnt know any different.

Our generations do and thats why the zero tolerance argument is hard for people to swallow.

20 years ago it wasnt illegal to drink and drive, so theres a whole generation of "she'll be right mate" crowd who still dont see drinking and driving as badd..

Even when I was a teenager if there was drinking and driving, your booze got tipped out and if you were really naughty your keys were confiscated.

Once you try to survive through the aftermath caused by a recidivist its one of the answers that makes sense, although it wouldnt solve the whole HardCore Recidivist drink driver problem as they are beyond any help or punishment - they simply do not care. And when you see a profile, you quickly realise they usually have way more problems than most of us.

Zero tolerance would be hellishly hard for understaffed, underfunded Highway Patrol and Booze Buses to Police. I guess thats why a cut in BAC has been proposed.

[ajturbo]

Just watch those breathalisers too, we had one in our home and after extensive testing found it was innacurate.

There are too many variables. Be carefull out there.

i agree.... years ago i was very silly... had too much to drink, drove, and got caught... blow into this bag... bugger.... well bugger me!. nothing happened!!! the cop told me to piss off home NOW...

scared the shit out of me... never again... one beer and that's it... 2?... na, i'll wait a while... 3 .. no wait, i'm stuck... and hopefully at a nice ladies place ( but more likely at the boss's place...nice warm bed...bacon and eggs in the morning and then told by his wife that it might be a good idea to get home NOW... hahahah)