Ukeraa Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Hi all, I'm new here so apologies if this has been posted before or is a repeat thread. A while ago my friend lost his licence for being over the limit. The morning after a night on the town the police pulled him over (he drives an old XR2i) and tested him... Boom, over the limit and licence gone. Now I'm not one to have sympathy for anyone who drives on drugs or after a few beers at the pub, but I did feel a bit sorry for my mate. We've all woken up and just wanted our own bed so badly, just to drive around the corner and home on a quiet Sunday and get in bed. I don't think this deserves a ban, insurance hikes, and losing your job (delivery driver). You can judge, but hindsight is a .... And I know so many people who drive the next day, especially the older generation ! Anyway, the point of this topic is this: any experience with breathalyzers? I mean buying them and using them, as I'm a fan of the pub myself! It's an interesting topic to debate; some people have sympathy and others none at all. PS this isn't the "My mate but I really mean me" topic, I'm proud of my clean licence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 (edited) I would imagine there are 1000's of drivers over the limit from the night before every morning who dont even think they are, but.... If your over the limit though, there is little argument i am afraid, i am not that clued up on the limits (blood alcohol), but would guess he would have been pretty well over to receive an instant ban, especially if it meant loosing his job. A question i imagine a lot would come back with is, How would you feel "if" he had an accident and killed a family member, would you have felt sorry for him then or anyone else? Edited November 17, 2015 by Jetpilot 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I bought one, for France. As in a proper one, not a single use one they flog at the tunnel. It was useful, but tbh it ended up being a game for a group of us out there to see who could blow the highest reading after a skinful In retrospect, I'd either grab a handful of the single use ones (might be cheap now you don't actually need them in France) or just not drive the day after at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ukeraa Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 If in the scenario that he crashed and killed someone then I would feel sorry for everyone involved. It's funny how much you need in your car to drive through France isn't it? I must admit when I was at uni someone had a breathalyzer and we all had a competition. Not sure if I'm proud to say I won or not, considering how the night ended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Just a very and I mean VERY basic myth, at least 1 hour multplied by beer bottle. So if you drank a create of 12 beers, and had your last one at 2am, I wouldn't drive til atleast after 2pm the next day. Like that's not a fact or anything, just a myth to give you a rough indication when drinking bottles of beers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraziekatz1 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 But why did they pull him over and breathalyse him? Must have had some reason, they don't just pick on random cars and they don't breathalyse everyone they stop..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 whatever caused them to stop him ............ as soon as they put their heads through the window they would have smelt it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsNiki Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I will not go anywhere near my car the day after I drink. Mainly because if I did my hangover would drive to McDonalds, and I can't do the drive-thru without scuffing my alloys in a sober state... On a serious note though, as with anything in life, loads of people 'get away with it', but the law is the law and regardless of the situation, there's no leg to stand on if you are caught 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraziekatz1 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 whatever caused them to stop him ............ as soon as they put their heads through the window they would have smelt it Well, yes but I am suspecting that he gave them some reason to pull him in the first place and to be honest if he got an instant ban he must have had a good quantity of alcohol in his blood and wouldn't have been in full control of his car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmr1980 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 One of my friends has one that he keeps in the car as he drives a lot for work (company rep). Seems worthwhile to me if you're a regular drinker. I personally don't really drink (other than special occasions) so it's never been something I've thought of having. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 haha huzzah for being a cheap drunk! been on a car meet early the next day after my stag do - except my stag do consisted of a bottle of magners at 4pm, a bottle of sol at 5pm, a pint with a curry at 7pm, another bottle of sol at 8pm, then threw up at 10:30pm and in bed by 11. Was feeling right as rain by 7am the following morning! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano94 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Just a very and I mean VERY basic myth, at least 1 hour multplied by beer bottle. So if you drank a create of 12 beers, and had your last one at 2am, I wouldn't drive til atleast after 2pm the next day. Like that's not a fact or anything, just a myth to give you a rough indication when drinking bottles of beers I go by this theory/myth too. However don't drive next day as I'm usually too hungover to bother. I got a breathalyzer as a joke present for Christmas last year. Quite useful but not sure how accurate they are. We just used it to see who the biggest lightweight was:lol: Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 They randomly pull people round here all the time, particularly Sundays. Blackpool is stag & hen party town so they know there's going to be loads leaving on a Sunday morning who are close or over. Been pulled myself under this strategy. Officer just asked if I'd had a drink the night before, I hadn't, he let me go and pulled the next but one car. As for the ones for France etc, I bought a few of the single use cheapos for a road trip down to Barcelona - as per Dan, we tested a couple at the end of a night out (not preparing to drive obviously) and they generated mixed results. Wouldn't go with them again, couldn't tell with some of them if I was safe or not from the colour change - and I knew was very not safe. Certainly wouldn't trust my licence to one used in anger. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherlockH Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Speaking from experience I used to drink and drive got caught and I'm glad they did because it taught me a lesson, even though I didn't hurt anyone the times I did it, you can be so incapable and not even realise it,now I wouldn't even consider getting in the car the day after or take my keys or car out with me, some cars can be a handful sober let alone drunk when your feeling invincible, I lost my job because of it. This was when I was 20, (now 27) and the only thing Ive had on my licence, I took a drink driving rehabilitation course and had my 12month ban reduced to 9, learnt a little bit aswell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Just a very and I mean VERY basic myth, at least 1 hour multplied by beer bottle. So if you drank a create of 12 beers, and had your last one at 2am, I wouldn't drive til atleast after 2pm the next day. Like that's not a fact or anything, just a myth to give you a rough indication when drinking bottles of beers This might help, backs up what Matt said to a degree. http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/alcohol-and-the-law/is-it-safe-to-drive-the-morning-after-drinking-alcohol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaydnH Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 From what I remember, it takes a healthy person ~45 minutes to start processing alcohol and then will process 1 unit per hour. So after a pint of strong lager would take about 3 hours to be near zero alcohol level. However it's all dependent on gender, body mass etc so the best bet is not to drive at all after drinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fodder Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 From what I remember, it takes a healthy person ~45 minutes to start processing alcohol and then will process 1 unit per hour. So after a pint of strong lager would take about 3 hours to be near zero alcohol level. However it's all dependent on gender, body mass etc so the best bet is not to drive at all after drinking. This is pretty much what I've worked on. If I'm going out and driving its 0 alcohol, not even a pint of shandy as it's not worth it. If I am drinking and have to drive the next day always in moderation and cut off is typically 9pm depending on amount I've consumed then it's home or soft drinks. Interestingly I've only been pulled once and it was a Sunday morning just before Christmas near Broughton shopping park on the usual festive crack downs. Officer pulled me over , asked if I'd had a drink the previous night which I had 4 or 5 pints of Vier over a period of 4 hours and had stopped by 9.30pm. So he quite rightly breathalysed me which I blew zero and left me to get on my way. Scary nonetheless but I totally support them carrying out this activity. If I've had a skin full I wouldn't drive the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveV Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Calculation is easy. 1 unit of alcohol takes 1 hour to leave your system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Calculation is easy. 1 unit of alcohol takes 1 hour to leave your system. "The amount of alcohol in your bloodstream depends on three things,†says Dr Paul Wallace, Drinkaware's Chief Medical Adviser. “The amount you take in, over what period of time and the speed at which your body gets rid of it.†1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Calculation is easy. 1 unit of alcohol takes 1 hour to leave your system. Well I hope you aren't going to rely too heavily on that theory. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveV Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 That us the official line. Take it or leave it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Well, yes but I am suspecting that he gave them some reason to pull him in the first place From my experience they can pull you over for any "reason" they think of. I remember getting pulled over at 2am once after being out on the town on a Saturday night and the reason they gave was "you were driving very cautiously sir". Of course I was f**king driving cautiously, id spotted the police car following me for the last half a mile, I was hardly likely to start driving like an idiot! They couldnt wait to breathalyze me but i hadnt been drinking at all so I was fine. They looked very dissapointed. Calculation is easy. 1 unit of alcohol takes 1 hour to leave your system. It varies drastically depending upon the person I think. I remember one night (long time ago now!) I was up until about 3 or 4am drinking tons of vodka with an ex girlfriend. I got about 3 hours sleep, woke up with the hangover from hell. I felt so sick I couldnt stomach eating any breakfast and was struggling not to chuck up. I cant remember why now, and its not something id ever do now, but I then decided to drive over a mates. On the way over to my mates, sods law, someone crashed into me (100% their fault as they were doing 60 in a 30), but the first thing the police do is breathalyze everyone. It was only then that the situation really hit me, until then I hadnt even considered I might be over the limit. However I suddenly realised that having been drinking from about 6pm until 4am, having hardly any sleep, no breakfast to "soak it up" etc, I must be well over the limit. All sorts of things flash through your head at that moment such as how are you going to cope with a driving ban, how will you get to work, will have to sell the car etc. Anyhow. I blew into the breathalyzer, struggling not to throw up over the officer, and it came up totally clean. It certainly taught me a lesson. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Yes its just not about the alcohol any more. Strong prescription drugs fall under the same category. I know as I have to take them for the rest of my life. 42 Tablets daily, no wonder my Zeds been parked up for nearly 3 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 42 Tablets daily, no wonder my Zeds been parked up for nearly 3 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmr1980 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Yes its just not about the alcohol any more. Strong prescription drugs fall under the same category. I know as I have to take them for the rest of my life. 42 Tablets daily, no wonder my Zeds been parked up for nearly 3 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.