Drink Driving - Ever done it?

Beruthiel

ambro25 wrote:

Anyone who says 'never' either (a) hasn't been driving long at all or (b) is lying..

I have been driving for 20 years ambro and I have never once drank anything before driving. There is absolutely no excuse for it, we have buses and taxis

base2 wrote:

Have driven properly drunk a few times, mind. Its not as dangerous as people think. It just increases the likelihood of something going wrong if I need to take evasive action

The sheer ignorance and stupidity of this comment has me speechless.
This is exactly the attitude that has so many people dying on our roads.
Accidents happen, you are not immune from it, and the day you kill someone is the day you never get to sleep again.
I also cannot believe how many people have drank more than 4 and drove, the mind boggles.

layke

Max_Damage wrote:

I've driven with 4 pints on me before. Wouldn't make a habit of it.

I have however drank copius amounts of alcohol before and cycled a bicycle, ah, the wonders of my youth!

`
I think we all did that one.

freewing

Anyone who says 'never' either (a) hasn't been driving long at all or (b) is lying.



I would have to stop you there .I have been driving bikes and cars about 10 years in total and have NEVER had so much as a sniff of a pint if I am driving. I would consider 10 years long enough and I dont appreiate being called a liar , Oh and I know plenty of people with the same view, If you insist on drinking and driving accept that you have no regard for the law or for the amount of damage this attitude will cause

HelterSkelter

Interesting poll results so far, seems to be an all or nothing situation for the majority of people. Makes you wonder why people want the current limit reduced when it seems so many people have no problem driving with a good few pints on them and seem to get away with it. I think it would be a much better idea to focus on catching these people.

franksm

No - the poll shows what people *did* do in the past, not what they would do now. I marked the "two drinks" option as I did drive in the distant past with a couple of drinks. Had the poll ask "would you drive now with drinks zero/1/2/3/more", you'd probably see more zeroes.

Not proud of doing it in the past, but now it's becoming more and more socially unacceptable to do so, which is really the only way to wipe it out. Detection and conviction will only ever catch the tip of the iceberg. If pubs were onboard with the whole concept, lives would be saved.

Cake Fiend

base2 wrote:

Its not as dangerous as people think

And how would you know? Have you done extensive research into the matter?

Or is the fact that you don't "feel" drunk good enough scientific proof for you? :rolleyes:

HelterSkelter

franksm wrote:

No - the poll shows what people *did* do in the past, not what they would do now. I marked the "two drinks" option as I did drive in the distant past with a couple of drinks. Had the poll ask "would you drive now with drinks zero/1/2/3/more", you'd probably see more zeroes.

I know, but there are 2.5m licenced drivers in the country. If 40% of them have driven píssed out of their mind (4+ pints) at some stage I think that is a problem that the Government need to concentrate on. It only takes one occurance of drunk driving to kill.

Carb

HelterSkelter wrote:

Interesting poll results so far, seems to be an all or nothing situation for the majority of people. Makes you wonder why people want the current limit reduced when it seems so many people have no problem driving with a good few pints on them and seem to get away with it. I think it would be a much better idea to focus on catching these people.

You question asked, "Have you ever". I've seen very few posts were people indicated that they've no problem driving with a good few pints on them.

HelterSkelter

Carb wrote:

You question asked, "Have you ever". I've seen very few posts were people indicated that they've no problem driving with a good few pints on them.

See my reply above.

maidhc

hiscan wrote:

about 10 years ago i fell asleep behind the wheel about 100 yards from home after driving for about 3 miles, i hit atree nearly killed my brother and myself and i wrote off my car that i only had 2 months iwas paying off that loan for five years and no car

That happens a lot, and there is no need for drink either. Funny there is no ads or campaigns about it. I live in a small place, but I know of several instances of people just dozing off on the way home after going out/being at work, and waking up in a ditch.

ambro25

freewing wrote:

Anyone who says 'never' either (a) hasn't been driving long at all or (b) is lying.

This is my opinion, not a statement of fact. You're (all) free to disagree, just the same as I'm free to state it.

freewing wrote:

I would consider 10 years long enough and I dont appreiate being called a liar ,

No need to get you knickers in twist. :rolleyes:

Oh and I know plenty of people with the same view,

Plenty of them in the thread and the poll - don't need to know them

If you insist on drinking and driving accept that you have no regard for the law or for the amount of damage this attitude will cause

I am not condoning it, nor defending it, nor advocating it, nor... I have been honest in saying that I did do it once, honest in saying that I never once would do it again (and never have since indeed), and honest in stating my opinion that I am doubtful about people who claim to have never once driven (with a moderate amount of experience, such as 10+ year) with not even a half-glass of wine in them. Then loop back to the top of this post.

Mc-BigE

base2 wrote:

I regularly drive after having between2-3 cans. I try and give myself and hour without drink to keep it legal but I've a feeling its probably still over our tight limits.

Have driven properly drunk a few times, mind. Its not as dangerous as people think. It just increases the likelihood of something going wrong if I need to take evasive action.

I wonder how fast you would react if my 3 year old ran out in front of you?
(assuming i took me eyes off him for 2 seconds)
and you were doing 30 MPH on a built up area.....We've all seen the add.

Mc-BigE

Having said that "those in glass houses" and all that, i think 20 years ago it was tolerated more, anyone remember the Government add on the TV in the late 70's/early 80's "2 will do" in modern terms, 2 pints would be over the limit.

mike65

I'll be honest given the age profile of boards and how long the awareness of drinking driving as a BAD THING has been around I'm shocked that so many have or maybe still do, drive tanked up.

Drinking is a purely discretionary pastime while driving is a complex (read potentialy dangerous) and for many, even most of us a vital part of our lives and livelihoods.

Allowing oneself to be intoxicated in charge of 1-2 tonnes of metal is on a par with carrying a knife in my book.

Mike.

ambro25

mike65 wrote:

Allowing oneself to be intoxicated in charge of 1-2 tonnes of metal is on a par with carrying a knife in my book.
Mike.

Not quite. Running in Grafton St on a Saturday afternoon with a pair of XXL scissors seems more apt, somehow

gerrycollins

ambro25 wrote:

Not quite. Running in Grafton St on a Saturday afternoon with a pair of XXL scissors seems more apt, somehow

ambro25 me thinks from another thread your a drink driver?

el tel

Generally aviation rules stipulate a minimum of 8 hours "bottle to throttle". Usually this would be increased to 24 hours after a big session. In my opinion, for drivers of cars this rule should be followed at the very least. In a car at any given time a potential catastrophe is only seconds away with virtually zero time to make a decision and react (or indeed to react naturally). Any amount of booze in the system will eat into this time. A couple of years ago I came across the scene of an accident where a car was upturned in a ditch. There was a guy staggering around in the road, sobbing his eyes out and frantically trying to find his girlfriend. 30 mins later I found her, hanging from the branches of a tree, stone dead with a broken neck. At the inquest they could not determine the cause the crash other than her severe intoxication. Drinking and driving is a mugs game.

ambro25

gerrycollins wrote:

ambro25 me thinks from another thread your a drink driver?

Can you please quote? As I'd be fairly amazed and would love to know where you got that idea from... :rolleyes:

Especially as my comment about Mike65's post was to reinforce the idea that it's bad to DUI.

If that comment is because I agreed with Comanche in another thread that you seem to be overreacting on the topic because of your near-miss, then that is either (i) childish (which I don't believe, truth be told) or (ii) misinterpretation, which aggrieves me.

gerrycollins

ambro25 wrote:

Can you please quote? As I'd be fairly amazed and would love to know where you got that idea from... :rolleyes:

Especially as my comment about Mike65's post was to reinforce the idea that it's bad to DUI.

If that comment is because I agreed with Comanche in another thread that you seem to be overreacting on the topic because of your near-miss, then that is either (i) childish (which I don't believe, truth be told) or (ii) misinterpretation, which aggrieves me.

im sorry i misquoted you i apoligise

ambro25

Accepted.

gerrycollins

ambro25 wrote:

Accepted.

thanks

s10

1 /10 ppl say they drink and drive ,

fjon

Had a few glasses one christmas and had to drive home. NEVER AGAIN.
I was absolutely terrified the whole way back - not only for my own sake, but was expecting a number of other people to be driving drunk too.

What's the point in having one or two? Either you go all out and make a night out of it (and leave the car), or you don't drink at all. I don't think there's anything to be gained from going to the pub and have one pint - you're just going to want another one after. And to be honest, even after one pint most people would feel some effect.

ambro25

fjon wrote:

What's the point in having one or two? Either you go all out and make a night out of it (and leave the car), or you don't drink at all. I don't think there's anything to be gained from going to the pub and have one pint - you're just going to want another one after. And to be honest, even after one pint most people would feel some effect.

You see, there's possibly the root of the problem - which is cultural, IMHO - e.g. if you take a quick glance at countries wherein there is no pub 'culture', it is likely that the drink-driving problem is not as pronounced there.

For instance, the "everyone going out grabs a cab" thing is uncommon on the Continent - but is totally the done thing in the UK and IE, and has been for a long time now.

For instance also, noone that I know in France goes out to max out on pints any day of the week or week-end. They go out to enjoy their friends' company or a good movie, and may have one (half - 25cl.) pint in the process, and don't generally 'drink' (as in... drink-drink ) unless there's food coming onto the plate at the same rate as booze in the glass. (Note: no, I'm not saying booze has no effect if you eat - it's just a cultural comparison, nothing more).

The downside to this all is that it's pointless - as drunk drivers have the same effect the world over. So recognising the root of the problem might be one thing, but what about having it at when it's (possibly) so deeply engrained? IMHO again, not likely to happen other than through generational change/evolution (i.e. less-and-less drunk old fogeys / more-and-more young sober people) or ruthless enforcement (with which I have no probs whatsoever - but which has an important political cost).

fjon

Good point - you're absolutely right.
It *is* our culture, and it's probably not going to change.
I've lived in other countries outside Ireland, and to be honest I think that drink driving is a lot more "acceptable" there. They may not drink to the extent they do here, but I don't think anyone in Germany, France, Italy or Spain would see anything wrong with someone having two or three glasses of wine and driving home (even though (s)he'd be over the limit).

maidhc

fjon wrote:

They may not drink to the extent they do here, but I don't think anyone in Germany, France, Italy or Spain would see anything wrong with someone having two or three glasses of wine and driving home (even though (s)he'd be over the limit).

My experience of Spain, and I have been there a good bit is they don't pay much attention to insignificant matters such as laws. They will drive if they feel like it. I suspect the Italians are the same.

base2

Sorry lads for being honest and for representing a lot of people out there who are the same as me.

I'm well aware of the realities and dangers of driving in Ireland. I don't believe that there is an unnaceptable level of road deaths in Ireland. And I don't think that driving under the influence of a few drinks is a dangerous or shameful act.

If I know my reactions are slowed then I just increaes my vigilance and that more than makes up for it. I've had far more life threathening scenarios whilst driving sober. A 7 mile run on an empty backroad at 45mph with 4 drinks is quite acceptable.

L5

base2 wrote:

A 7 mile run on an empty backroad at 45mph with 4 drinks is quite acceptable.

:eek: :eek:

scandalous .....

gerrycollins

i still cant believe people are justifing drinking and driving its beggers belief

it doesnt matter what you drink your reactions are slower and its just a matter of time before you get caught or kill someone or yourself can you live with that?

mike65

*boggles*

Mike.