How much do/would you drink before you drive?

[dudleybloke]

I drink nun,
Its a dirty habit.

[JF87]

1.5 pints.

The science suggests that an average 12-stone man is extremely unlikely to be over after 2 pints (of sub 5% strength).

[StuntmanMike]

I drink with my bezza every Friday night, I'm on coke because I usually drive, I can't see the point in having a pint, I can't see the point in getting that taste for it, I can take or leave drink, what I can't do is have the odd pint.

[B.J.W]

I've always scored my best lap times on GT whilst hammered (steering wheel, pedals used etc.) On this basis I am actually a better driver when I'm under the influence, but social protocol dictates otherwise. It's the same with speeding - I'm far more alert and confident at 125mph than at 70 mph, simply because the latter is very slow and I find that my attention is diverted from the road elsewhere.

In the real world, I'll max at a couple of pints of bitter, or not bother at all.

[Warnie]

2 and drive straight away. Can feel I've had a drink but find my concentration levels go up ten fold. Not saying I'm a better driver just that I won't tend to daydream or be messing with the radio as I do sometimes on my commute. If I felt I was a danger on the road I wouldn't drive. I also know that if I fail the roadside test then there's a pretty good chance I'll pass the one at the station.

Ready to get flamed, but just being honest and I never have any more than 2 even if I'm eating.

[budfox]

Trip to the pub for a swift drink, or after work with colleagues - 1 pint.
Out for a meal, spread over a couple of hours - perhaps 2 pints or two medium glasses of wine.

[ch108]

If I'm driving I stick to soft drinks. Never really seen the point of having one pint. Unlikely to put you over the limit but I'd rather just know if I get stopped that I am definitely in the clear. Also that one pint makes you wish you could have another. If I want to have beer I'd rather leave the car at home and have a few without worrying about it.

If I'm driving the next morning I'll limit what I drink.

[TheAngryDog]

I Won't even drink shandy and drive.

[MrBig]

None. I'm either on a night out drinking in which case I go nowhere near a car; or I'm not. As I'm perfectly capable of enjoying a meal/night out without alcohol I don't see the point.

On one hand a zero tolerance policy seems like a good idea, but you don't always know how what's in the tiramisu

[PompeyM3]

Just drink Becks Blue (alcohol free beer) these days, even if I'm not going to drive until the following day.

The risk of causing an accident or getting a ban and not being able to drive and doing and going to all the car events, makes it a simple choice really.

Plus, I'm a bit of a lightweight these days !

[LukeR94]

1 pint of cider, however I have very good self control (I like to think) and never drink and drive after having more than 1.

[Lancsbreaker]

As a poor pensioner I only go out to the pub on one or occasionally two nights a week - and will usually have 3 pints of bitter (not high-strength). I weigh about 17 stone as I'm a biggish lad, and I have been breathalysed on the way home (MID had my reg recorded as L400 XX rather than the correct L40 OXX, so showed up as uninsured - which was why I was stopped - no comment on my driving, but as it was after midnight I was asked if I'd had a drink and told the truth). Breathalyser taken maybe 15 minutes after I finished my last drink showed me at 18 against the limit of 35.

The headlines of "Half a pint and you could be over the limit" are, like most headlines, grossly over-simplified / dramatised. I guess some people "could" be, but it certainly isn't true of the majority.......

Not advocating this for everybody - there are plenty of people I regard as unfit to drive when stone-cold sober, let alone after they've had a drink, but I do think reducing the limit is pointless - the vast majority of those breathalysed after an accident are, I would suggest, well over the current limit.....no problem with them being banned, and of course reducing the limit wouldn't have affected them at all.........

[Zedboy1200]

Nil, nowt, zilch, never...ever

[kiethton]

2-3 pints depending on how much I've eaten. Had to blow a few times and been between 11-16 on all

[cologne2792]

None.

[sebhaque]

I'll have a pint and drive after about half an hour after finishing it off. I'll drive after two pints if one of those is with a meal.

I'd just finished my second pint of the night about half an hour ago before realising that I didn't have any milk for tomorrow morning. The nearest shop's 4 miles away so I was tempted to drive - but since I've not eaten since dinner at 6:30pm, I'll just wake up early tomorrow and cycle to the offy.

[mike9009]

I used to stick to one pint if I was driving.

Nowadays, I won't even have one pint as I don't feel the 'need'.

Mike

[clowesy]

I was very close to spending the night in a Turkish prison having being pulled over in a rental car with no documents or license and blowing 0.02 (not sure of the units) under their limit after a couple of pints. The car needed to be back at the garage and I was the most sober of us. I left half of my pint on the bar and left, had I necked it I'm sure I'd have been over. That put me off and I'll only have shandy or one pint if I'm eating. I'm far more guilty of having a very heavy night and driving in the morning, I try to plan ahead and organise a lift to work etc but if I have to drive I will. If I ever got pulled I'd probably blow off the chart.

[Nigel Worc's]

Swanny87 said:

I'm a mega lightweight so no alcohol.

Same here, I just can't take it.

I love a pint of real ale, but I can really feel the affect upon me.

I don't begrudge those that can handle their drink though, and cannot support a lowering of the drink drive limit as nobody has ever been able to show me that there is a problem with those above whatever new limit they want, but below the present limit.

[TurboHatchback]

Nothing at all. There's no need and any alcohol affects ones judgement and coordination regardless of whether it's legal or not. I won't drive in an impaired state regardless of its legality.