Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[lprkn]

As I understand it, two drinks will put almost everyone over the legal limit in most areas. I could see someone passing a sobriety test but failing a breathalyzer, but not the other way around.

As far as the drunk driving thing goes, I stopped even considering it when I found out that it would ruin my career with the Marines if I got a DUI. Hate to say it, but that brought it home a lot more for me than "you might kill somebody."

[miles]

Basically I'm just clumsy and nervous around cops. Really, I freaked out for no reason.

[wombat]

As far as the drunk driving thing goes, I stopped even considering it when I found out that it would ruin my career with the Marines if I got a DUI. Hate to say it, but that brought it home a lot more for me than "you might kill somebody."

That's just because we can all vividly imagine fuck*ng up at work but can't really take in the possibility of killing somebody. There's an important lesson there, I think.

And, who isn't nervous around cops? But I thought the point of the tequila was exactly that one would not be afraid of the fuck*ng police.

[JorgeFabregas]

As I understand it, two drinks will put almost everyone over the legal limit in most areas.

Not exactly. Here is a table that's similar to one I saw in high school health class:
http://www.drunkdrivingdefense.com/general/bac.htm

.08 is the legal limit in most states so far as I know.

[miles]

For me the threat of a night in jail alone is enough to freak me out about drunk driving. Clearly I'm no Cornelius.

[lprkn]

http://www.drunkdrivingdefense.com/general/bac.htm

Interesting. Apparently I'd have to down 5 drinks to be over the limit. My personal rule is still two, though. Just to be safe.

[JorgeFabregas]

Yeah, I think one is likely to have their driving affected somewhat past that--regardless of what the legal limit is.

[miles]

A good chart to keep handy. But surely other factors are at play in determining whether one is capable of driving that a breathalyzer may not detect, right?. Drinking on an empty stomach, prescription (or non) drugs, and one's own body chemistry. Or maybe I don't understand the science behind breathalyzer tests. But in Utah, I believe, you can refuse a field sobriety test, but not a breathalyzer. Well, you can, but it's an automatic suspension of your license and I think some jail time.

[JorgeFabregas]

A good chart to keep handy. But surely other factors are at play in determining whether one is capable of driving that a breathalyzer may not detect, right?. Drinking on an empty stomach, prescription (or non) drugs, and one's own body chemistry. Or maybe I don't understand the science behind breathalyzer tests. But in Utah, I believe, you can refuse a field sobriety test, but not a breathalyzer. Well, you can, but it's an automatic suspension of your license and I think some jail time.

To the bolded: right. It's only a chart for BAC levels, which say nothing about tolerance, etc. I believe that empty stomachs do not affect BAC in the medium term, but increase the speed of absorbtion of alchohol into the bloodstream by about 10 minutes.

[lprkn]

But in Utah, I believe, you can refuse a field sobriety test, but not a breathalyzer. Well, you can, but it's an automatic suspension of your license and I think some jail time.

In Idaho you can refuse the breathalyzer, but then you automatically have to go to the hospital for a blood test. So you're buggered either way, really.

I think this is pretty standard. The slim advantage to refusing the field test is that the officer has to make a judgment call on whether to bring you in and do a lot of paperwork on you, just to have you pass the breathalyzer.

Apparently, the best way to avoid a DUI (other than not driving impaired, that is) is to keep your registration and proof of insurance clipped to your visor. When you get pulled over, slide your window down just an inch and hand out the documentation through the crack. You do not have to respond to a word the officer says. This helps you from indicating that you are impaired, either by your actions or smell. Even if the things the officer says sounds like orders, you do not have to do them due to the right against self-incrimination. If you are confident, refuse the field sobriety test. This basically gives the officer the least amount of evidence to go on when they are deciding whether to take you in or not.

Or so I was told by a friend who is a policeman in Washington.

Edit: He also said that after he was trained, he was extremely surprised that he had never received a DUI. All it takes to get pulled over is the slightest infraction, like driving on the white line on the on-ramp. Apparently a field sobriety test is pretty conclusive. The nystagmus (eye movement) test is really the only thing you need, no matter the person's tolerance levels.

[jaydub]

Interesting. Apparently I'd have to down 5 drinks to be over the limit. My personal rule is still two, though. Just to be safe.

It would take 4 for me, which seems about right.

[lprkn]

Bottoms up! Where's my keys?

[jaydub]

Bottoms up! Where's my keys?

Go on, on more's not gonna kill you

[Doc]

Go on, on more's not gonna kill you

I'll do you one better.

[miles]

Go on, on more's not gonna kill you

I first I was like "phew, the drunk one's on the passenger side. No one's getting hurt in this commercial."