BOOZE WARNINGS IGNORED
Discussion
The Government's anti-drink-drive campaigns are failing to get their message across, says a new survey.
And it is the "morning after" drivers who are not heeding drink-drive warnings, the study from the Churchill Insurance company showed.
As many as 48% of people admitted they had, or knew someone who had driven the morning after drinking the night before, knowing they could still be over the legal limit.
Churchill spokeswoman Frances Browning said: "Despite consistent Government campaigns to reduce the numbers of those who drink and drive, there are clearly large numbers of risk-takers prepared to put other drivers' and pedestrians' lives in danger.
"Even more worrying are the avoidance myths that they believe will get them off the hook."
The survey showed:
:: A quarter believe that lining their stomach with custard or milk will counteract the effects of alcohol.
:: A quarter believe that just by driving around with the car windows open they will sober up.
:: One fifth believe that a simple cup of coffee will decrease the effects of alcohol.
:: One in 10 relies on dry bread to soak up the booze.
:: One in 10 sobers up with a cold shower.
:: One per cent sucks a 2p piece.
Ms Browning added: "With figures from the Department for Transport showing that almost a quarter of all road deaths or injuries occur when someone is driving over the limit, our statistics are particularly worrying as the festive partying moves up a gear."
The survey showed the worst morning after offenders were those aged under 24, with two thirds admitting driving, or knowing someone who had driven, while probably over the limit.
This compared with a figure of just one third for people aged 55-64
And it is the "morning after" drivers who are not heeding drink-drive warnings, the study from the Churchill Insurance company showed.
As many as 48% of people admitted they had, or knew someone who had driven the morning after drinking the night before, knowing they could still be over the legal limit.
Churchill spokeswoman Frances Browning said: "Despite consistent Government campaigns to reduce the numbers of those who drink and drive, there are clearly large numbers of risk-takers prepared to put other drivers' and pedestrians' lives in danger.
"Even more worrying are the avoidance myths that they believe will get them off the hook."
The survey showed:
:: A quarter believe that lining their stomach with custard or milk will counteract the effects of alcohol.
:: A quarter believe that just by driving around with the car windows open they will sober up.
:: One fifth believe that a simple cup of coffee will decrease the effects of alcohol.
:: One in 10 relies on dry bread to soak up the booze.
:: One in 10 sobers up with a cold shower.
:: One per cent sucks a 2p piece.
Ms Browning added: "With figures from the Department for Transport showing that almost a quarter of all road deaths or injuries occur when someone is driving over the limit, our statistics are particularly worrying as the festive partying moves up a gear."
The survey showed the worst morning after offenders were those aged under 24, with two thirds admitting driving, or knowing someone who had driven, while probably over the limit.
This compared with a figure of just one third for people aged 55-64
oggs said:
As many as 48% of people admitted they had, or knew someone who had driven the morning after drinking the night before, knowing they could still be over the legal limit.
"Could" isn't the same as "certainly is".
I tried to quantify this recently.
I assume that an average male will be guilty of drink driving after having consumed about two pints of average beer.
I assume that a pint of average beer will be processed in about two hours by the average male.
I assume about eight hours sleep overnite.
So to be guilty of drink driving in the morning after, I make that 2 plus (8 / 2) = 6 pints at the end of the evening.
Call that 8 to ten pints over the course of the previous evening.
I don't know about you, but if I've been out for anything like six pints the previous evening, picking up the car keys isn't top of my priority list in the morning.
All my numbers are made up for illustration purposes only and are not to be confused with reality. Your mileage may vary.
All this flannel in the newpapers about morning after drinking is to cover up the fact that drink driving, over the last twenty years, is occuring a lot less than it used to.
dcb said:
I assume that an average male will be guilty of drink driving after having consumed about two pints of average beer.
I assume that a pint of average beer will be processed in about two hours by the average male.
I assume about eight hours sleep overnite.
So to be guilty of drink driving in the morning after, I make that 2 plus (8 / 2) = 6 pints at the end of the evening.
That's pretty good math. This is a really rough guide because everyone processes alcohol differently - it has a little to do with body mass, what you ate etc, but not as much as you'd think. Meet and love your pyloric valve!!
Lets say the you can be on the limit (35) after a pint and a half. A pint therefore is about 23 points. You drop about 7-10 points an hour. So if you drink 8 pints in 5 hours (between 6 and 11) when you leave the pub you'd be around 140-ish. (My highest ever drink driver was 182 - apparently he should have been dead, but no-one told him!)
After 8 hours sleep you could still be twice the limit!
Bad mojo!
madant69 said:
After 8 hours sleep you could still be twice the limit!
Do you see a difference between drunk drivers on the night and drunk drivers in the morning, assuming the same level of alcohol?
I'm not sure that the effect is the same on the way down rather than the way up, so to speak. It'd be interesting to see if there has been any research done on this.
I'd have thought the hangover would cause more problems than the residual alcohol level, stopping to barf isn't always an option
madant69 said:
I assume that an average male will be guilty of drink driving after having consumed about two pints of average beer.
I assume that a pint of average beer will be processed in about two hours by the average male.
I assume about eight hours sleep overnite.
So to be guilty of drink driving in the morning after, I make that 2 plus (8 / 2) = 6 pints at the end of the evening.
That's pretty good math. This is a really rough guide because everyone processes alcohol differently - it has a little to do with body mass, what you ate etc, but not as much as you'd think. Meet and love your pyloric valve!!
Lets say the you can be on the limit (35) after a pint and a half. A pint therefore is about 23 points. You drop about 7-10 points an hour. So if you drink 8 pints in 5 hours (between 6 and 11) when you leave the pub you'd be around 140-ish. (My highest ever drink driver was 182 - apparently he should have been dead, but no-one told him!)
After 8 hours sleep you could still be twice the limit!
Bad mojo!
That is indeed excellent information which proves the government are now deliberately misleading the public. The information available to the public is related to units of alcohol both for medical and DD. We are supposed to process 1 unit of alcohol (half a pint, glass of wine, single shot) per hour. Therefore 8 pints from 6 till 11 is 16 units which means by 8 the next day 2 units left. Limit is 4 units so 9 pints required to get to border line by next morning.
If any of this were other than total rubbish of course the accident rate in the early hours of say 5am to 7 am before the rush gets going would be about 6 times that of when people are sober. It isn't so I don't believe a word of it. It is all lies and anti car nonsense. We would probaly do better to go in to the urban areas and use a megaphone to tell the parents "Its Christmas, all the drivers / workers are pissed so if you let your kids do runny thingy all over the road, thats the big black bit between the houses, they will probably get killed, you have been warned, don't blame us". Alternatively we could just attend B&Q on a Sunday and quietly have a word with the people whos kids are just running wild.
nonegreen said:Does that 1 unit/hour apply while asleep with reduced metabolic rate, or is it a daytime/average activity figure? - Streaky
...
We are supposed to process 1 unit of alcohol (half a pint, glass of wine, single shot) per hour. Therefore 8 pints from 6 till 11 is 16 units which means by 8 the next day 2 units left. Limit is 4 units so 9 pints required to get to border line by next morning.
...
streaky said:
...
We are supposed to process 1 unit of alcohol (half a pint, glass of wine, single shot) per hour. Therefore 8 pints from 6 till 11 is 16 units which means by 8 the next day 2 units left. Limit is 4 units so 9 pints required to get to border line by next morning.
...
Does that 1 unit/hour apply while asleep with reduced metabolic rate, or is it a daytime/average activity figure? - Streaky
Dunno, good question. Heart rate when pissed is much higher that normal so is metabolic rate reduced so much by sleep?
I agree with nonegreen here. If madant's figures are correct then we are being lied to by the gevernment/medical fraternity and it's no wonder people are driving the following day still over the limit.
Nonegreen has used the figures that we are always being given and the ones I use if I am worried about driving the following day.
If I start drinking at 7pm and will be driving at 8am I start on the basis that the first hour doesn't count. Therefore I have 12 hours before driving. Using the government stats I can process 6 pints of beer in this time. So as long as I drink 7 or less I will definately be under the limit. Drinking 8 pints would be borderline and I would try not to drive until 9am.
I would adjust this slightly if drinking strong beers of over about 5%.
Nonegreen has used the figures that we are always being given and the ones I use if I am worried about driving the following day.
If I start drinking at 7pm and will be driving at 8am I start on the basis that the first hour doesn't count. Therefore I have 12 hours before driving. Using the government stats I can process 6 pints of beer in this time. So as long as I drink 7 or less I will definately be under the limit. Drinking 8 pints would be borderline and I would try not to drive until 9am.
I would adjust this slightly if drinking strong beers of over about 5%.
icamm said:
I agree with nonegreen here. If madant's figures are correct then we are being lied to by the gevernment/medical fraternity and it's no wonder people are driving the following day still over the limit.
Nonegreen has used the figures that we are always being given and the ones I use if I am worried about driving the following day.
If I start drinking at 7pm and will be driving at 8am I start on the basis that the first hour doesn't count. Therefore I have 12 hours before driving. Using the government stats I can process 6 pints of beer in this time. So as long as I drink 7 or less I will definately be under the limit. Drinking 8 pints would be borderline and I would try not to drive until 9am.
I would adjust this slightly if drinking strong beers of over about 5%.
Which in any reasonable society (ie one that does not contain Brunstrom and Begg) means you have done all you can to take resonable precautions to ensure you are driving within the law. So just to recap then. If you go out and nick a car, wreck it and then nick another on the way home from the party you get 2 extra social workers. If you beat up an old woman so she dies in pain a fortnight later you will probably not be caught. If you run Iraq for 25 years and murder thousands you will get a medical. However if you try hard to make sure your not too pissed to drive tomorow and through some quirk of genetics your a bit slower at dealing with alcohol than you thought we will take away your livelihood cause your missis to sod off and your kids to start taking drugs. Great innit cool Britania, New Labour, David Begg for president, happy christmas give us yer money and get back ter work.
An interesting observation based on my experiences this weekend in North Wales ( works do - driving around totally sober late Friday 11:00 - 03:00 Saturday ) and Saturday evn to Northamptonshire ( the other motorists Salem ) and back early Sun morn .
I saw ONLY one panda in N Wales and ONLY one in Northamtonshire. None Sun morning anywhere. But there were 3 Talivans after 09:00 ( these operators are really lazy stick-a-beds ) all in their favourite hideyholes on safe stretches of road.
In N Wales the police like to lurk near big employers before shift start the morning after the firms weekday Xmas do's randomly breathalysing dozens.
Regarding Madant's remarks it seems that public education limted to the banal " dont Drink and Drive" slogans on the new motorway signs. Its difficult to avoid the conclusion that police policy has generated into one of craftily catching the motorist out to raise revenue, meet 'targets' and generate shock-horror soundbites to frighten the rest of the public like this
I saw ONLY one panda in N Wales and ONLY one in Northamtonshire. None Sun morning anywhere. But there were 3 Talivans after 09:00 ( these operators are really lazy stick-a-beds ) all in their favourite hideyholes on safe stretches of road.
In N Wales the police like to lurk near big employers before shift start the morning after the firms weekday Xmas do's randomly breathalysing dozens.
Regarding Madant's remarks it seems that public education limted to the banal " dont Drink and Drive" slogans on the new motorway signs. Its difficult to avoid the conclusion that police policy has generated into one of craftily catching the motorist out to raise revenue, meet 'targets' and generate shock-horror soundbites to frighten the rest of the public like this
icamm said:
I agree with nonegreen here. If madant's figures are correct then we are being lied to by the gevernment/medical fraternity and it's no wonder people are driving the following day still over the limit.
Nonegreen has used the figures that we are always being given and the ones I use if I am worried about driving the following day.
If I start drinking at 7pm and will be driving at 8am I start on the basis that the first hour doesn't count. Therefore I have 12 hours before driving. Using the government stats I can process 6 pints of beer in this time. So as long as I drink 7 or less I will definately be under the limit. Drinking 8 pints would be borderline and I would try not to drive until 9am.
I would adjust this slightly if drinking strong beers of over about 5%.
In all the time I've been driving I can't remember anyone, especially the government, publishing any sort of equation to use to calculate if I'm safe to drive the morning after...personally if I'm hungover I consider that I'm probably still over the limit.
Has anyone ever used a home breathaliser kit to check before they go out - what is the BiB view of these kits?
windsorphil said:
icamm said:
I agree with nonegreen here. If madant's figures are correct then we are being lied to by the gevernment/medical fraternity and it's no wonder people are driving the following day still over the limit.
Nonegreen has used the figures that we are always being given and the ones I use if I am worried about driving the following day.
If I start drinking at 7pm and will be driving at 8am I start on the basis that the first hour doesn't count. Therefore I have 12 hours before driving. Using the government stats I can process 6 pints of beer in this time. So as long as I drink 7 or less I will definately be under the limit. Drinking 8 pints would be borderline and I would try not to drive until 9am.
I would adjust this slightly if drinking strong beers of over about 5%.
In all the time I've been driving I can't remember anyone, especially the government, publishing any sort of equation to use to calculate if I'm safe to drive the morning after...personally if I'm hungover I consider that I'm probably still over the limit.
Has anyone ever used a home breathaliser kit to check before they go out - what is the BiB view of these kits?
I've definately seen this a number of times. Possibly in medical articles about alcohol and how quickly the body processes it.
However, a hangover does not necessarily mean you are over the limit. A hangover is mainly caused by the dehydration due to alcohol so is actually an indicator that you have processed alot of it. Drinking lots of water before you goto bed often stops you getting one (works for me).
The only way to be certain would be a blood test.
>> Edited by icamm on Monday 15th December 17:56
Over the summer I bought myself a breathalyser precisely because I have a number of friends who live scattered about the country, see seldom.. and we tend to make the most of it when we do, so being able to tell when I am 'ok' then next day is v. useful.
Thing that struck me is how slowly you body metabolises the stuff whilst you're asleep.. if you've been drinking the night before and feel s'*t the next morning staying in bed just prolongs it.. getting up and doing things clears the stuff from your body much quicker..
And its also true that after a really heavy one I once had to wait till 5pm the next day... now would I have done that if I didn't have the breathalyser to tell me I was over?
Thing that struck me is how slowly you body metabolises the stuff whilst you're asleep.. if you've been drinking the night before and feel s'*t the next morning staying in bed just prolongs it.. getting up and doing things clears the stuff from your body much quicker..
And its also true that after a really heavy one I once had to wait till 5pm the next day... now would I have done that if I didn't have the breathalyser to tell me I was over?
Just to say guys that those figures are averages that I've worked out over 16 years policing.
I spent 2 years in the cell block (punishment post - don't ask!) and as I'm sure you know a drink driver won't be released until he's under the limit. (OK I know it doesn't actually say that, but that's what we do!)
Anyway, it got to the stage where I could predict to the peeps what time they would be charged and released to within an hour or so...
Some old timers still do this! I think the 2p thing comes from when we had the old crystal bags...the metal in the coins was supposed to stop the crystals reacting. You still get people doing it with the Lion 3000 - which is silly...
I spent 2 years in the cell block (punishment post - don't ask!) and as I'm sure you know a drink driver won't be released until he's under the limit. (OK I know it doesn't actually say that, but that's what we do!)
Anyway, it got to the stage where I could predict to the peeps what time they would be charged and released to within an hour or so...
mungo said:
:: One per cent sucks a 2p piece.
WTF???!!!
Some old timers still do this! I think the 2p thing comes from when we had the old crystal bags...the metal in the coins was supposed to stop the crystals reacting. You still get people doing it with the Lion 3000 - which is silly...
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