Drinking the night before driving

iain_j
iain_j Posts: 1,941
edited April 2010 in The bottom bracket
Let's say I'm up early in the morning and will be driving at 7am. I fancy a few drinks tonight. How many can I have tonight, let's say I stop at midnight, and be well clear of the drink drive limit by next morning?

If I know I'm going to be driving the next morning I usually have no more than 1 or 2 pints, but how far could I push it?

Comments

  • crumbschief
    crumbschief Posts: 3,399
    Hmm each person is different and it depends on your body,what you have eaten etc,if you are unsure and are worried,stick to 1-2 pints of low strength beer or none at all to be safe,you know yourself best and what can happen.
  • rally200
    rally200 Posts: 646
    If you're like me then when you start to "push it", 4-5 & finish at 12, becomes 8-9 or 10, or god knows what, finish at 3-4 and wake up face in a kebab at 9.
  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    An average adult body can digest 1 unit of alcohol per hour, To be safe I'd say 1 unit every 90 minutes. So 5 pints of low strength beer would take 10 hours to digest....... minimum.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/guilliano/
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    As it is, I have no more than 2 pints if I'm driving the next morning, but if I feel the first is having an effect on me, I'll stop there. Even if someone told me I could get away with 4 pints I wouldn't feel happy with it.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    edited April 2010
    Some of the worst accidents I've been to have been 'morning after' drink driving caused.

    One recently was a fireman on his way to work at 11am who had been drinking the night before, he crashed coming off a motorway slip road. He was 50% over the limit. He was incredibly shocked as he was adamant he had only had 5 pints of lager and stopped at 11.30pm.

    Everyone is different.

    If you are driving in the morning then I certainly wouldn't have any more than a couple. It's not worth it...
  • Will Snow
    Will Snow Posts: 1,154
    pilots say 8 hours from bottle to throttle... but then again you are allowed a lot less in your system when flying planes.
    i ride a hardtail
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    It is estimated that men metabolise 2 units per hour, women 1, but there are so many variables it surely can't be relied upon.
  • crumbschief
    crumbschief Posts: 3,399
    iain_j wrote:
    As it is, I have no more than 2 pints if I'm driving the next morning, but if I feel the first is having an effect on me, I'll stop there. Even if someone told me I could get away with 4 pints I wouldn't feel happy with it.

    I can see you already have your answer.
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Some of the worst accidents I've been to have been 'morning after' drink driving caused.

    One recently was a fireman on his way to work at 11am who had been drinking the night before, he crashed coming off a motorway slip road. He was 50% over the limit. He was incredibly shocked as he was adamant he had only had 5 pints of lager and stopped at 11.30pm.

    Everyone is different.

    If you are driving in the morning then I certainly wouldn't have any more than a couple. It's not worth it...

    I beleive it was a Rugby international player last year got sent down for being drunk in charge of his vehicle. He was 15 stone and had 9 pints the night before. He'd had something like 16 hours between stopping drinking and driving.

    Perhaps we all need some kind of home breatherlizer that works? Or a pee kit.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    downfader wrote:
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Some of the worst accidents I've been to have been 'morning after' drink driving caused.

    One recently was a fireman on his way to work at 11am who had been drinking the night before, he crashed coming off a motorway slip road. He was 50% over the limit. He was incredibly shocked as he was adamant he had only had 5 pints of lager and stopped at 11.30pm.

    Everyone is different.

    If you are driving in the morning then I certainly wouldn't have any more than a couple. It's not worth it...

    I beleive it was a Rugby international player last year got sent down for being drunk in charge of his vehicle. He was 15 stone and had 9 pints the night before. He'd had something like 16 hours between stopping drinking and driving.

    Perhaps we all need some kind of home breatherlizer that works? Or a pee kit.

    Or some common sense and an ability to stop drinking when you've had enough!
  • crumbschief
    crumbschief Posts: 3,399
    edited April 2010
    I was just about as say as much,it's not hard,we all go for it now and again,but a little thought for your actions for the night or next day can go a long way,you know what it's like when that car get's really close.
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    NapoleonD wrote:
    downfader wrote:
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Some of the worst accidents I've been to have been 'morning after' drink driving caused.

    One recently was a fireman on his way to work at 11am who had been drinking the night before, he crashed coming off a motorway slip road. He was 50% over the limit. He was incredibly shocked as he was adamant he had only had 5 pints of lager and stopped at 11.30pm.

    Everyone is different.

    If you are driving in the morning then I certainly wouldn't have any more than a couple. It's not worth it...

    I beleive it was a Rugby international player last year got sent down for being drunk in charge of his vehicle. He was 15 stone and had 9 pints the night before. He'd had something like 16 hours between stopping drinking and driving.

    Perhaps we all need some kind of home breatherlizer that works? Or a pee kit.

    Or some common sense and an ability to stop drinking when you've had enough!

    Unfortunately common sense is the biggest oxymoron of the lot. :lol:

    I myself dont drink. I made the conscious decision to be teetotal after seeing its affects on relatives and neighbours. I think many people just cannot stop once they start.. I read THIS today and it says to me so many things about human nature.
  • deptfordmarmoset
    deptfordmarmoset Posts: 3,118
    downfader, I can't help thinking that's she hasn't understood anything yet. ''A WOMAN says she never wants to drive again.''

    Nobody's stopping her from drinking or driving, it's the drinking and driving that causes the problems. Unless, of course, she's given up on the driving to concentrate on her drinking... :cry:
    Looking for a cycling buddy?
  • chunkyboy
    chunkyboy Posts: 97
    This may come across a bit on the heavy/o.t.t side but i feel it needs to be said. I'm a truck driver, i've heard many stories of peolpe losing friends and loved ones through being involved in accidents with drink drivers. Those people can never be replaced but the drunk driver could have chose not to drink before getting behind the wheel. We all have different recovery periods from the effects of alcohol so we can never be sure that we will be ok to drive the morning after. So if you have got to drive the next morning, don't drink and get behind the wheel with a clear, alcohol free head.
  • crumbschief
    crumbschief Posts: 3,399
    chunkyboy wrote:
    This may come across a bit on the heavy/o.t.t side but i feel it needs to be said. I'm a truck driver, i've heard many stories of peolpe losing friends and loved ones through being involved in accidents with drink drivers. Those people can never be replaced but the drunk driver could have chose not to drink before getting behind the wheel. We all have different recovery periods from the effects of alcohol so we can never be sure that we will be ok to drive the morning after. So if you have got to drive the next morning, don't drink and get behind the wheel with a clear, alcohol free head.

    Check.
  • rally200
    rally200 Posts: 646
    and just being under the legal limit doesn't necessarily mean you're fit to drive
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    +1 rally200, it's just not worth it on so many levels.

    Sermonising over, we all have personal choices to make, and if you can live with any consequences then .............
  • BigG67
    BigG67 Posts: 582
    The rough guide is 1 unit per hour to metabolise alcohol (pint of regular lager 2 units, single spirit 1 unit, SMALL glass of wine 1 unit)

    But you need to factor in your own individual variables and the issue that alcohol will really affect your quality of sleep and hence your alertness.

    I'd go with the good rule that if you feel affected the next morning, even if it's "just" a hangover then get a cab.
  • chunkyboy
    chunkyboy Posts: 97
    crumbschief wrote:
    chunkyboy wrote:
    This may come across a bit on the heavy/o.t.t side but i feel it needs to be said. I'm a truck driver, i've heard many stories of peolpe losing friends and loved ones through being involved in accidents with drink drivers. Those people can never be replaced but the drunk driver could have chose not to drink before getting behind the wheel. We all have different recovery periods from the effects of alcohol so we can never be sure that we will be ok to drive the morning after. So if you have got to drive the next morning, don't drink and get behind the wheel with a clear, alcohol free head.

    Check.

    Maybe being a bit dizzy here but what does 'check' mean ?
  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    chunkyboy wrote:
    crumbschief wrote:
    chunkyboy wrote:
    This may come across a bit on the heavy/o.t.t side but i feel it needs to be said. I'm a truck driver, i've heard many stories of peolpe losing friends and loved ones through being involved in accidents with drink drivers. Those people can never be replaced but the drunk driver could have chose not to drink before getting behind the wheel. We all have different recovery periods from the effects of alcohol so we can never be sure that we will be ok to drive the morning after. So if you have got to drive the next morning, don't drink and get behind the wheel with a clear, alcohol free head.

    Check.

    Maybe being a bit dizzy here but what does 'check' mean ?

    Done/OK/yes/agree/affirmative.

    I read somewhere a few years ago 25% of all fatal accidents involve a drunken driver. That means 75% don't, therefore you're less likely to be involved in a fatal accident if you're over the limit. :lol:

    Seriously though If I was driving at 7.00am I would have no more than two pints if I was drinking 'til midnight.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • BigG67
    BigG67 Posts: 582
    While I agree with the sentiment here it's the flaw in looking for a solid formula of amount drunk/time finished/driving that is a problem.

    If you decide on x pints then stick to it your not being aware on how your being affected. Real risk of being caught out with the "oh I only had 6 pints and it was 8 hours ago", and once you've decided that 6 pints and 8 hours is Ok you'll stick with it....even if it's wrong.

    Be aware of your body and just don get in the car if you feel affected at all. Regardless of the equation that you believe is true.
  • Dunk_911
    Dunk_911 Posts: 239
    they say 2 hours per pint plus 2 hours for you body to start to moving it through. So 2.5 pints.
    Road Bike; http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12727419

    MTB; http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12695499

    Something I will never do justice; viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=12809333
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    The problem is not so much when you have an early drive the next day at least in my case. If I know I'm driving the next morning I won't drink much. It's knowing when you are safe to drive again after a heavy night. Let's face it how many can actually be certain how much they have drunk? For example, I may go out on an international day and start drinking early (11.00am) and be home by 10.00pm having consumed a lot. Now, I know I can't drive the following morning but when can I start? I may feel fine my lunchtime but how much alcohol is still in my system? Do I wait another few hours or until the next day? If there was a reliable home testing system I would definitely get one as feeling fit to drive doesn't necessarily mean I am fit to drive.

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