Should the drunk driving limit be increased at Christmas

[Kalnoky]

58 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

The thread seems to have been started to solely intended to get a rise. But reverse psychology works too, so thanks for bringing awareness/reminder to holiday drinking in a bass ackwards way! 

That's pretty funny

[Patch]

2 hours ago, paininthenuts said:

I don't know what the DD limit is where you live, but in England it is very low, and in Scotland almost non existent. I have always been a great advocate that it should be increased, as the amount of deaths it causes is tiny, and most of those are actually the people who do it. In fact deaths caused by sober drivers driving badly are about 100 times more. Ask yourself this, would you rather sit next to a 17 year old who is sober, or a 40 year old who is a pint over the limit, because statistically the 17 year old is a far bigger risk. In fact, tests show that using a non hands free phone whilst driving impairs your judgement more than alcohol. 

Anyway, it's the season to be jolly and enjoy ourselves, so I think the law should allow us to drink approximately twice what we can at the moment for two weeks before and after Crristmas. What do you think

Normally I would laugh at a post like this, ignoe it, and move on. However, in this case I would have to say "Hell No". If I had my way I might go the other way to the extreme. No alcohol at all during the holiday season. Of course I know that's a stupid idea too. 

Picture this. You and a friend are cruising home after a get together. You are both stone cold sober, having fun with a green light in your favor as you enter the intersection a head of you. 

There's flash, a  jerk, and you wake up 30 odd days later after the drunk driver ran his light and tee boned you a month earlier. Your family is all around your hospital bed, lovingly happy to see you awake again.  You have no idea what's has happened, and even worse who these folks are staring at you. 

After another 2 weeks in ICU, you slowly start remebering stuff. You now know you have been in a car accident. You start remembering the folks who have been coming to see you every day.You remember the medical folks who have been taking care of you.

 It finally dawns on you are really, really messed. Your whole left side immobilized for more serguries to install screws, pins, and other assorted metal/plastic medical parts. 

You learn your best friend from childhood died in the crash. You are told your heart stopped 3 times in two days. The third time,  if not for your wife insisting on one last jolt, you would have been tagged and bagged.  You are told you are probably looking at a life time of being in a crippled state of being.  

Once the rehab begins you have by now developed an extreme hate for the drunk that hit you. That he, and a passenger died at the scene of the wreck. 

You endure many weeks of pain and discomfort trying to make your body do things it does not now want to do. 

At some point 7-8 months later you start seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Your mind is still full of blank spots, but you are able to walk again unassisted. Walking unassisted means you can start working on things the medical folks said you would never do again. You donate your wheel chair, and walker to Goodwill. You can ride an adult tricycle.

I could go on with this but to fast foreward the journey,  you find yourself writing this post. 

[Kalnoky]

I think one solution is ridesharing services. I am very angry with the Red Communist Government(s) of Oregon (City, County, and State) that continually find new pretexts to block Uber and Lyft from operating here. My wife and I use these services when we travel and they outstanding - affordable, simple to use, and quick.

[jamo]

1 hour ago, mcanadiens said:

In principle there is an amount at which people generally become dangerous. That's where that legal limit ought to be 365 days a year.

In practice, I think there has been a certain amount of politicking and certain efforts to generate revenue that have made some of these limits lower than they ought to be. The Feds do fund local police based partially on DUI arrests. Ohio's currently at .008.

 

I think you mean .08.

.008 would be less than one drink.

[mcanadiens]

49 minutes ago, jamo said:

I think you mean .08.

.008 would be less than one drink.

 

Ah. yes. Correction taken.

[RussUK]

In short....No. Its frankly a silly idea. The only people who would think this is a good idea are those who already drink and drive. 

More accidents are caused by "sober" drivers probably down to the fact that more people driver sober than under the influence. Still not a good reason to change the law.

[CarlSpackler]

Is this a joke? 

3 hours ago, David in FL said:

Because it's better to be killed by a drunk during the holidays, than some other time of the year?  

That's what I thought too.

[acerimusdux]

In the US, nearly one third of traffic related deaths involve alcohol impaired drivers, so no, it's not a small percentage. And if anything, the limit, at .08 in both the US and UK, is too high (it is only .05 in Scotland though). But there is typically some loss of judgement and visual functions by as low as .02, and some difficulty in steering by .05. 

 

[saevel25]

Overall the number of vehicle related deaths have been on a decrease since the 1950's. When it was in the 7's for fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles to now it's near 1.10 to 1.5. 

Also, lowering the intoxication level will not stop the fatalities. People in the US will just still drink and drive. We've been on this for decades and it's still a primary driver of vehicle fatalities. How many people do drink and drive and don't get caught? 

Laws are not always the best deterrent. 

[Piz]

Impaired driving is a plague.  That some people are better at it than others is beside the point.  

[Yukari]

18 hours ago, Patch said:

Normally I would laugh at a post like this, ignoe it, and move on. However, in this case I would have to say "Hell No". If I had my way I might go the other way to the extreme. No alcohol at all during the holiday season. Of course I know that's a stupid idea too. 

Picture this. You and a friend are cruising home after a get together. You are both stone cold sober, having fun with a green light in your favor as you enter the intersection a head of you. 

There's flash, a  jerk, and you wake up 30 odd days later after the drunk driver ran his light and tee boned you a month earlier. Your family is all around your hospital bed, lovingly happy to see you awake again.  You have no idea what's has happened, and even worse who these folks are staring at you. 

After another 2 weeks in ICU, you slowly start remebering stuff. You now know you have been in a car accident. You start remembering the folks who have been coming to see you every day.You remember the medical folks who have been taking care of you.

 It finally dawns on you are really, really messed. Your whole left side immobilized for more serguries to install screws, pins, and other assorted metal/plastic medical parts. 

You learn your best friend from childhood died in the crash. You are told your heart stopped 3 times in two days. The third time,  if not for your wife insisting on one last jolt, you would have been tagged and bagged.  You are told you are probably looking at a life time of being in a crippled state of being.  

Once the rehab begins you have by now developed an extreme hate for the drunk that hit you. That he, and a passenger died at the scene of the wreck. 

You endure many weeks of pain and discomfort trying to make your body do things it does not now want to do. 

At some point 7-8 months later you start seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Your mind is still full of blank spots, but you are able to walk again unassisted. Walking unassisted means you can start working on things the medical folks said you would never do again. You donate your wheel chair, and walker to Goodwill. You can ride an adult tricycle.

I could go on with this but to fast foreward the journey,  you find yourself writing this post. 

Kudos for your courage in writing your story. I am sure it was a tough to relive the incident. 

[boogielicious]

18 hours ago, Patch said:

Normally I would laugh at a post like this, ignoe it, and move on. However, in this case I would have to say "Hell No". If I had my way I might go the other way to the extreme. No alcohol at all during the holiday season. Of course I know that's a stupid idea too. 

Picture this. You and a friend are cruising home after a get together. You are both stone cold sober, having fun with a green light in your favor as you enter the intersection a head of you. 

There's flash, a  jerk, and you wake up 30 odd days later after the drunk driver ran his light and tee boned you a month earlier. Your family is all around your hospital bed, lovingly happy to see you awake again.  You have no idea what's has happened, and even worse who these folks are staring at you. 

After another 2 weeks in ICU, you slowly start remebering stuff. You now know you have been in a car accident. You start remembering the folks who have been coming to see you every day.You remember the medical folks who have been taking care of you.

 It finally dawns on you are really, really messed. Your whole left side immobilized for more serguries to install screws, pins, and other assorted metal/plastic medical parts. 

You learn your best friend from childhood died in the crash. You are told your heart stopped 3 times in two days. The third time,  if not for your wife insisting on one last jolt, you would have been tagged and bagged.  You are told you are probably looking at a life time of being in a crippled state of being.  

Once the rehab begins you have by now developed an extreme hate for the drunk that hit you. That he, and a passenger died at the scene of the wreck. 

You endure many weeks of pain and discomfort trying to make your body do things it does not now want to do. 

At some point 7-8 months later you start seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Your mind is still full of blank spots, but you are able to walk again unassisted. Walking unassisted means you can start working on things the medical folks said you would never do again. You donate your wheel chair, and walker to Goodwill. You can ride an adult tricycle.

I could go on with this but to fast foreward the journey,  you find yourself writing this post. 

Thanks for posting this.

[RussUK]

20 hours ago, GolfLug said:

The thread seems to have been started to solely intended to get a rise. But reverse psychology works too, so thanks for bringing awareness/reminder to holiday drinking in a bass ackwards way! 

I agree. Post was made for effect. I cant see anyone actually wanting to make the roads more dangerous than they already are in the name of "Christmas cheer"

[Ernest Jones]

19 hours ago, Patch said:

Normally I would laugh at a post like this, ignoe it, and move on. However, in this case I would have to say "Hell No". If I had my way I might go the other way to the extreme. No alcohol at all during the holiday season. Of course I know that's a stupid idea too. 

Picture this. You and a friend are cruising home after a get together. You are both stone cold sober, having fun with a green light in your favor as you enter the intersection a head of you. 

There's flash, a  jerk, and you wake up 30 odd days later after the drunk driver ran his light and tee boned you a month earlier. Your family is all around your hospital bed, lovingly happy to see you awake again.  You have no idea what's has happened, and even worse who these folks are staring at you. 

After another 2 weeks in ICU, you slowly start remebering stuff. You now know you have been in a car accident. You start remembering the folks who have been coming to see you every day.You remember the medical folks who have been taking care of you.

 It finally dawns on you are really, really messed. Your whole left side immobilized for more serguries to install screws, pins, and other assorted metal/plastic medical parts. 

You learn your best friend from childhood died in the crash. You are told your heart stopped 3 times in two days. The third time,  if not for your wife insisting on one last jolt, you would have been tagged and bagged.  You are told you are probably looking at a life time of being in a crippled state of being.  

Once the rehab begins you have by now developed an extreme hate for the drunk that hit you. That he, and a passenger died at the scene of the wreck. 

You endure many weeks of pain and discomfort trying to make your body do things it does not now want to do. 

At some point 7-8 months later you start seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Your mind is still full of blank spots, but you are able to walk again unassisted. Walking unassisted means you can start working on things the medical folks said you would never do again. You donate your wheel chair, and walker to Goodwill. You can ride an adult tricycle.

I could go on with this but to fast foreward the journey,  you find yourself writing this post. 

Good post. A little something for the OP to try to wrap his coconut around. 

[Hatchman]

Negative. 

[mcanadiens]

I'd be curious to know what proportion of alcohol-related vehicle accidents are tied to specific blood-alcohol levels. .02-.04, .05 -.06, .07-.08, etc. etc. There unfortunately are people that will get ripped, drive and cause accidents. I'm guessing most of them are well over .1. Those are the people that need to lose licenses immediately.

Where I'm at, the 5-0 generally has their breathalyzers calibrated to make a .05 read .08. That gives the law enforcement some cheap DUI busts off safe drivers that may have had a couple of beers with dinner.

[Patch]

25 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

I'd be curious to know what proportion of alcohol-related vehicle accidents are tied to specific blood-alcohol levels. .02-.04, .05 -.06, .07-.08, etc. etc. There unfortunately are people that will get ripped, drive and cause accidents. I'm guessing most of them are well over .1. Those are the people that need to lose licenses immediately.

Where I'm at, the 5-0 generally has their breathalyzers calibrated to make a .05 read .08. That gives the law enforcement some cheap DUI busts off safe drivers that may have had a couple of beers with dinner.

I drink a brand of beer that after just a couple, I have a good buzz going for a while. It's the equivalent of maybe 4 or 5 budweisers. Quantity does not enter into the mix I don't think. It's the alcohol content of the beverage that matters. 

[mcanadiens]

9 minutes ago, Patch said:

I drink a brand of beer that after just a couple, I have a good buzz going for a while. It's the equivalent of maybe 4 or 5 budweisers. Quantity does not enter into the mix I don't think. It's the alcohol content of the beverage that matters. 

Sure, which is why I couched the question in terms of blood alcohol level.

The only point of the 2-beers-with-dinner comment, is that our locals make some pretty dodgy busts with their incorrectly calibrated equipment.