How many drinks take you over the limit.

How many drinks take you over the limit.

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Discussion

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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R8Steve said:
I can't see how after drinking a double whiskey and 3 large glasses of wine anyone could possibly be legal to drive the same day, let alone 4/5 hours later.
Exactly. That's about 12 units of alcohol which would take you 13 hours to metabolise from the time of your first drink.

Let's say that 3 units is under the DD limit. That means you need to get rid of 9 units before you can drive which would take 10 hours.

So if you start at 7pm you are not safe to drive until at least 5am the next morning.

stuart-b

3,643 posts

225 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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Derek Smith said:
My apologies for my tone. I don't mean to be condescending.

When I first gave up drinking I was more than a little miffed, a sort of 'Why me', especially when out with a group. However, people act stupidly when they've had a couple of pints or more. I got fed up with being told what a great guy I was, and being told what my problem was. I'd end up talking with others who were sober, and I met some fascinating people at parties and such that way. It is impossible to fight against the feeling of not wasting time and money. It was easy to feel superior.

I've got over most of it but there is one thing which still get to me, and strongly. I've dealt with drunks and drunkenness for 30 years or so. I dealt with the fallout. At road traffic accidents we always used to bag the person who was behaving selfishly, or like a prat. The evidence is overwhelming that even a pint of beer affects behaviour. There is no argument, but you get people on threads such as this who suggest that for some strange metaphysical reason, they are exempt from the law of chemistry when it comes to drinking and driving. So perhaps I went in a bit heavy. Sorry.

I just want to emphasise that drinking and driving is selfish.
Understood, more of a case of speaking from experience than condescending then, so I'll retract that statement smile

I live abroad now where it's quite acceptable to go out and drink, or not drink at all. There is no stigma if you decide to be sober, just seems to be more of a UK thing from what I can tell.

guindilias

5,245 posts

119 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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We were taught at the Drink Driving Awareness course that 5 units for a man, or 3 for a woman, would put them at the limit. Obviously that's very variable depending on your metabolism, etc. - and I presume they err on the safe side - but worth knowing as a rough guide. I wouldn't rely on it without a decent breathalyser, though.

Steve vRS

4,836 posts

240 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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5 units is 2 and a half pints. I certainly wouldn't drive after that.

Can anyone answer my earlier question regarding how long it takes the body to process alcohol overnight?

Chin-chin!

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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Steve vRS said:
5 units is 2 and a half pints. I certainly wouldn't drive after that.

Can anyone answer my earlier question regarding how long it takes the body to process alcohol overnight?

Chin-chin!
On average, so not for everyone, it's one hour per unit but 2 for the first unit.

As in my post above, if you drink 10 units it will take the body 11 hours to metabolise it (get rid of it).

Steve vRS

4,836 posts

240 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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Thanks so do you start the clock after drinking the last drink or after the first? For example, first pint (2 units) at 7pm, last of 4 drinks finished at 11pm. 8 units, 9 hours so when is the body 'clear' of alcohol?

guindilias

5,245 posts

119 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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Start the clock when you start drinking, but allow an extra hour for your liver to begin processing the alcohol. It's still breaking down the alcohol, even while you are still drinking.

alock

4,224 posts

210 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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Steve vRS said:
5 units is 2 and a half pints.
If drinking weak bitter. A premium lager is more like 1 and half pints.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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Steve vRS said:
Thanks so do you start the clock after drinking the last drink or after the first? For example, first pint (2 units) at 7pm, last of 4 drinks finished at 11pm. 8 units, 9 hours so when is the body 'clear' of alcohol?
It's all calculated from the time of your first drink. In your example 9 hours from 7pm you are clear.

paulwirral

3,104 posts

134 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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If you get bored while doing this calculation and waiting for it clearing your system you could always have a drink to pass the time .

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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paulwirral said:
If you get bored while doing this calculation and waiting for it clearing your system you could always have a drink to pass the time .
Just a quick one though wink

Pothole

34,367 posts

281 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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Crumpet said:
Out of interest, does anyone know if the police will breathalyse you on request? Say you've been to a pub in town and had a couple and wanted to know if you were legal to drive. I realise it's absolutely not their job to do that and people should take responsibility for their own actions, but just wondered if they'd offer the 'service' if you asked.
I have no direct experience, but I'd say no. Not their role and a total waste of resources. I suspect their advice would be if you think you might be over the limit, don't drive. And rightly so.

p1stonhead

25,489 posts

166 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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'5 and drive' is the rule isnt it? hehe

In all seriousness though, I am a massive lightweight so if I have to drive I wont drink anything. No point.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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I will occasionally allow myself one pint of normal cask bitter (less than 4%) if I'm going to drink anything alcoholic before driving the car.

On my motorbike, nothing ever.

guindilias

5,245 posts

119 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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Pothole said:
I have no direct experience, but I'd say no. Not their role and a total waste of resources. I suspect their advice would be if you think you might be over the limit, don't drive. And rightly so.
My local police station were happy to do it.
I have quite a high tolerance so can drink a fair few before I would feel safe to drive - went in after about 5 pints, cop thought I was sober and was happy to show me that even though I felt fine to drive, and he didn't think I would be over the limit, I was actually well over. I wasn't driving that night anyway, I was walking, but it's all about educating the public, isn't it?
Just because you feel safe to drive doesn't mean you are.
Also popped in one afternoon after 2 pints to see if I could use their intoximeter to check the accuracy of my breathalyser - no problem with that, though he did advise me "not to rely on it" as a definite drive/don't drive - as even AT the limit, or one point under, you are a hazard and shouldn't really be driving if you have any sense.

MYOB

4,767 posts

137 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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garyhun said:
On my motorbike, nothing ever.
Years ago I had a pint and rode my motorbike. It was extremely difficult to maintain concentration, and that was the moment I realised it was not safe to drink when riding bikes or driving cars. Even though I felt fine driving after a pint when driving, I realised from the above example I shouldn't put faith in my concentration when on the bike or car.


anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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MYOB said:
garyhun said:
On my motorbike, nothing ever.
Years ago I had a pint and rode my motorbike. It was extremely difficult to maintain concentration, and that was the moment I realised it was not safe to drink when riding bikes or driving cars. Even though I felt fine driving after a pint when driving, I realised from the above example I shouldn't put faith in my concentration when on the bike or car.
Agreed. Those rare occasions when I have 1 pint are when I'm eating out so the pint is at least 2-3 hours before driving.

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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Crumpet said:
Out of interest, does anyone know if the police will breathalyse you on request? Say you've been to a pub in town and had a couple and wanted to know if you were legal to drive. I realise it's absolutely not their job to do that and people should take responsibility for their own actions, but just wondered if they'd offer the 'service' if you asked.
Yes police did this for a friend once, but advised them it was only correct at the time and in 20 minutes you could be over/more under

Derek Smith

45,514 posts

247 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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MYOB said:
Years ago I had a pint and rode my motorbike. It was extremely difficult to maintain concentration, and that was the moment I realised it was not safe to drink when riding bikes or driving cars. Even though I felt fine driving after a pint when driving, I realised from the above example I shouldn't put faith in my concentration when on the bike or car.
This, I think, is the main problem with alcohol. You miss things you would normally see, and have register on your subconscious. It is so subtle that you will not notice, and others won't, right up until the car pulls out in front of you, or you miss the motorbike that was hidden in the headlamps of the oncoming car. Normally you would have registered the fact that one light was a bit brighter but . . .




K50 DEL

9,227 posts

227 months

Friday 28th October 2016
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I've always had a zero tolerance rule, latterly relaxed to a max of 1/2 pint only.

Interestingly, at a BTaP a few years ago, PH had arranged for a breathalyser to be present at breakfast time the following morning...
I kept a record of what I drank that evening and between 5.30pm and 1am I consumed 2 pints of cider, 2 glasses of wine and 12 single vodkas.

when I came down for breakfast at 8am I was under the limit, though I felt pretty rough and wouldn't have considered driving.
I was tested again at 11am and blew a zero but still didn't feel right so had lunch before setting off for home.

Some of the reading were so high that at least two people opted to have another night in the hotel and someone else had another BTaP attendee drive them home.