Have you ever driven when over the drink-drive limit?

[Biddlybee]

Never.

Even though I can drive, I don't (and never have) owned a car; but if I did drive more regularly I wouldn't drink - not even a half. Once cancelled an early driving lesson because I got so wasted the night before. Not worth taking the risk imo... how could you live yourself if anything went tits up?

 

[beeboo]

I have driven when very tired though, after a night shift, and arguably that's just as dangerous. My reactions were very slow, and it all felt vaguely surreal.

The difference is anyone can choose not to drive after drinking, but it's often harder to choose not to drive when you're tired, or at least the tiredness creeps up on you when you're driving.

I've drifted over into the opposite lane before when tired - eyes closed for a moment and when the opened I was on the wrong side of the road. Thank fuck nothing was coming the other way! It was early hours of the morning but I hadn't felt ridiculously tired when it happened.

I've had hallucinations when driving down the motorway as well due to tirednes.

At least the adrenaline hit of realising you'd nearly fallen asleep shakes you wide awake.

 

[catrina]

The PR effort to put people off drink driving didn't stick as well in the US as it did here. Everywhere I've been in the US, the policy seems to be to let whoever is least drunk to drive. There are some people who don't drink drive ever, and some people who try to be good most of the time. But the reality is, there are no taxis and no public transport in the vast majority of the country, and most people go out drinking.

Very strange. A few years ago I was visiting my parents with a UK friend and we walked to the nearest bar and had a pitcher each (maybe 4 pints?). When we paid the bill, the waiter told us to drive safely.

Anyway, I'm guilty, but never again. It's just really stupid.

 

[Passdout]

Yes, i did for a while until i belatedly realised how deeply stupid it is.

Same as me

I dont even like speeding now really, but used to do that without thinking twice at one point.

 

[Calva dosser]

The whole thought is anathema to me, but last chrimbo I did. Just 2 km down a country lane at 0200 hrs.

I didn't get out of second gear. Horrible. I don't know what made me do it, but then, that pissed who does?.

 

[DarthSydodyas]

I also managed it once, some time ago during the early hours of the morning. Never have done since as I make sure there is a way of getting to a from where I drink.

 

[Errol's son]

In some countries, it is acceptable to drink and drive.

If you knock someone over, you have the excuse that you were drunk.

If you were sober, what excuse do you have?

 

[_angel_]

One of the reasons I don't drive is because I am scared I will have an accident and knock someone down. The whole not knowing if you're over the limit the morning after would scare the crap out of me as well.. I wouldn't drink intentionally before driving if I did drive, but not knowing how long the alcohol stayed in my system would worry me too much.

 

[Poot]

I'm pretty certain I've done it as a teenager because I went out the night before and had to drive the next day. I honestly thought that as long as I'd had 8 hours sleep it would be out of my system- I never realised how long it actually takes to get rid. The Now me would like to go back in time and twat the Then me round the head for being so dangerously stupid.

 

[skaboy]

i had a driving LESSON while pissed once!that was fucking stupid, but i suppose a bit safer with an instructor in the car.

Id been out the night before, in a club till 3/4 in the morning and completely forgot that my driving lesson was at 9 in the morning.Got woken up by my instructor- he didnt notice id been pissed the night before, he just put it down to tiredness from being woken up too early!

Luckily thats put me off drink driving for life.

I also nearly died in a car with my 'mate' when he was drink driving(i didnt know he was pissed until hed started moving away and he refused to stop and let me out) a couple of weeks after that, so never again am i getting in a car with someone pissed, never again am i drink driving!

 

[pagan]

I'm sorry to say I've knowingly drink-driven about half a dozen times, but not in the last ten years or so. Thouroughly ashamed but luckily no harm came of it.

More scarey was the fact that throughout my twenties I constantly drove in a combination of states - e, heroin, coke, acid - usually long distances back from raves/parties etc. Possibly worse one was having to flee from a police raid at party in Goa, three-up on my Enfield gouching and coming up on liquid acid. Not nice.

Having said that, I still believe that in 20 years of driving, including a stint as a white van man and plenty of left hand drive miles, the fact that I've never had an accident is down to the fact that I'm usually quite stoned when I drive. Flame me if you like but I believe it's true. I'm much more aggressive/offensive when driving straight

 

[Swearing Nonna]

I'll have a pint and drive but that's me lot however I've driven back from parties having taken class a's which is undoubtedly as selfish and stupid as drink driving.

 

[Yetman]

I usually drive after smoking a few spliffs, always have done, but I dont really get that stoned off them any more. I did have a massive bong at a mates though once and driving was well out of the question after that.

The first time I drove while drunk (after 4 pints) I crashed my lammy straight into the back of my mate have only done it once or twice since then and that was in the middle of nowhere for a couple of miles only. Its not worth the risk tbh - a mate of mine drove the 1/2 mile home from the pub once and got caught. 5 year ban

 

[Swearing Nonna]

I usually drive after smoking a few spliffs, always have done,

Me too, after and while.

 

[teuchter]

Only once, on a morning after, and I didn't realise I was still drunk until I was on the move and a bit all over the place, at which point I stopped and gave myself a few hours before continuing.

I've been surprised how accepted drink-driving still seems to be in other European countries - had a couple of hairy rides as a passenger in Sicily and it still seems to go on in Spain as well.

In fact, I lived with a Spanish housemate a couple of years ago, who brought her car over to London and would quite happily drive home across the city drunk and stoned after a night out. We tried to tell her it wasn't really on here and she'd be in alot of trouble if she got caught but the concept seemed quite alien to her.

 

[beeboo]

Yep - whilst we were in France last year we were arranging to go to an Auberge where unlimited wine was apparantly included in the price and they were very generous with the top-ups. We were lamenting that one of us would have to drive and forgo the generous drink, but the locals were all "oh don't worry, the police turn a blind eye".

 

[longdog]

Yes I have. Loads, probably hundreds of times and also while smashed out of my head on other substances. I've driven so blind drunk I can't remember even getting home. Mercifully I've never hurt anyone or damaged anything (I don't think).

I know it's stupid, dangerous and just plain wrong but once I'm hammered I forget all of that and act like an irresponsible cunt.

Probably a good idea I don't drive any more really.

 

[Sunray]

The difference is anyone can choose not to drive after drinking, but it's often harder to choose not to drive when you're tired, or at least the tiredness creeps up on you when you're driving.

I've drifted over into the opposite lane before when tired - eyes closed for a moment and when the opened I was on the wrong side of the road. Thank fuck nothing was coming the other way! It was early hours of the morning but I hadn't felt ridiculously tired when it happened.

I've had hallucinations when driving down the motorway as well due to tirednes.

At least the adrenaline hit of realising you'd nearly fallen asleep shakes you wide awake.

Its incredible, but I've gone 20 seconds maybe more asleep on a m/way doing 90. I didn't feel that tired but just came to with a start. That is probably the closest I have come to dying and really shook me up. The night time drive with the cat eyes is very hypnotic.

Fortunately I had the tracking adjusted and that car hugged the road. If I now feel slightly tired I pull over at the next services for a break. If I feel very tired, have a kip for an hour or so. Makes a massive difference, even just one hour sleep.

I've never drunk anything and driven.

 

[dirtysanta]

i used to lots when i was younger. Stupid irresponsible cunt that i was. Then i had a massive smash with a car load of people that very bad. Then i stoppped.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I was a young new drinker, back before they started all this stuff about drinking and driving. Back then, if you got pulled over, the cops would wink and send you on your way, so long as you weren't lippy. We got stopped one night, and there were southern comfort bottles rolling around on the floor of the truck; the cops waved us on.

Drinking and driving wasn't really frowned upon, except as lip service, until sometime in the Eighties, at least over here. Then they started getting heavier and heavier about it. I suppose it makes sense: I knew a handful of people who died as teens, because of drinking and driving. One guy I worked with lived, because when the vehicle went over the embankment and started rolling, he was the shortest guy, in the front seat between two taller guys. Their heads took the bulk of the force as the roof caved, I guess.

Another guy, Allan, was a mormon, and this was maybe his third time drinking. I guess he should have listened to the Elders.

As for the rest of us, it is through the sheer grace of god that we aren't dead.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Right when things were on the cusp, I moved to Vancouver. I got stopped three times when I was pissed out of my mind, and they let me go each time.

One time, I was pissed off about this woman or something. I was driving down a street at about 50 mph. I look in the rear view mirror, and a cop is there with his lights on, about two blocks back. To give an indication of my altered state, I actually thought about trying to outrun them. I didn't. I pulled over.

They got there, and started writing all these tickets for minor things, like not having a licence from this province, taillight out, etc. I said, 'you're writing an awful lot of tickets.' They said, 'we could write a lot more.' I shut my mouth and accepted the tickets.

Then two more times after that, all within about a year or so.

I figured, three times was pushing it. That's when I stopped.

 

[Termite Man]

Yes I have. Loads, probably hundreds of times and also while smashed out of my head on other substances. I've driven so blind drunk I can't remember even getting home. Mercifully I've never hurt anyone or damaged anything (I don't think).

I know it's stupid, dangerous and just plain wrong but once I'm hammered I forget all of that and act like an irresponsible cunt.

Probably a good idea I don't drive any more really.

Didn't you get stopped for riding a bicycle drunk once as well ?

 

[1927]

No, never.

No one can answer the question so catagorically unless they have either 1) Never had an alcoholic drink ever, or 2) had a breath test every time they have got behind the wheel.

 

[longdog]

Didn't you get stopped for riding a bicycle drunk once as well ?

Allegedly yes.

I was actually arrested for drunk and disorderly purely because I smelt of beer . I wasn't disorderly or even drunk come to that, I just wasn't going to pushed about by a pair of bullies and I made that quite clear.

I have ridden a bike blind drunk and it's a damn sight harder than driving a car. You don't have to worry about falling off a car

Just as an aside... I once got stopped on my motorbike after having drunk five pints of lager. I passed the breath test, fuck knows how

 

[Oswaldtwistle]

What is the drink drive limit in terms of beer, just out of interest?

 

[BlackSpecs]

I drove over the limit , smashed into 4 trees ruining a 2 weeks old car ...... This happened in the forest and the police only found out about it the next day . They tried to proof I was drunk at the time but couldn't . Anyway , it taught me a lesson !!!!!!

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

A few years ago I cycled to the garage K'd off me face. On the way home I crashed in to a police car whilst trying to balance a bag of stolen coal on the handlebars.

The coppers just told me to fuck off.

 

[chymaera]

What is the drink drive limit in terms of beer, just out of interest?

There is no answer to that, due to the number of variables.

 

[hiccup]

I've done it a couple of times. Never driven pissed out of my mind or anything, but after two or three pints. The first time I did it, I hit a speedbump at about 30mph. Twat.

Have definitely been over the limit the morning after a few times. Christmas morning the past couple of years springs to mind. One year was up drinking until 3am, then had to pick my brother up at 11am and drive 50 miles to my gran's house. I hadn't been totally wasted or anything, but no way I should have been driving.

Sitting here the picture of sobriety on a Saturday morning, I can say I have no intention of ever, ever drink driving again, but then that's the thing with drink driving innit, you'd never do it sober.

My Dad told me that he'd once driven home from central London to Notting Hill or somewhere, so drunk the only way he could stay on the right side of the road was to keep his wheels against the kerb. Obviously appauling, unforgivable behaviour, but the thought of it does make me laugh. A mini traveller, driving at 10mph in the gutter, sparks flying from the hubcaps.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I've taken car keys off people when they're pissed. They've never thanked me at the time but have thanked me afterwards.