.05 Blood Alcohol Limit for Driving?

Yakima 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Y'know what would really fix some asses? If you are caught talking on a non-hands free cell and the judge sentences you to either a ridiculous fine or several hours of "Distraction-Free Driving Training". Your choice. I bet it would only take one person in your house or even on your block to lose their saturday to an obnoxious class to bring the numbers way down.
 
DUI laws were originally enacted to protect citizens.

Now they are profit centers for local police departments and courthouses. I'm not surprised they want to make it more profitable by lowering the threshold by which citizens have to open their checkbook.

In my area, I wish they would focus on transportation options to avoid DUI instead of increasing enforcement. Getting a cab in my town is a nightmare(especially when you want it 11pm-1am). It's so bad, its not even a realistic option that you can rely on. That basically leaves getting a ride from a friend, or half of a couple staying sober. Neither of which are great options.
 
Might as well close down bars and stop selling beers at sporting events if this passes as nobody except the diehard drunks will drink in public anymore. :drunk:
 
Note to self, open a car service company in Morgantown, WV ;)

I don't disagree with you, Xpert. Is there anyway you can bring this up with your representative?
 
I just read about this in our newspaper. Seems likely to happen here. All the neo-prohibitionists with political juice are lining up behind it.
 
CreamyGoodness said:
Note to self, open a car service company in Morgantown, WV ;)

I don't disagree with you, Xpert. Is there anyway you can bring this up with your representative?
Click to expand...

Ha..they don't care. I used to work in politics and be an idealist.

Working in politics will either steal your soul, wear you down, or both. Seeing the realities of our political system(sadly both sides are equally stomach turning) luckily only wore me down and now I'm about as apathetic as they come. I still pull the lever on voting day, but I'm just going through the motions.
 
If a state doesn't go along with it, the Feds will withhold funding till they do, so if they want it they'll get it.

I agree DUI is a problem, but most accidents are caused by people well over the limit, not right at it.

I see people all the time, in the middle of the afternoon, driving like A-holes not because of alcohol but because of cell phones. I ride, and the number of people I see swerving all over because of texting is ridiculous. I watched a women the other day swerve into the opposite lane three times in less than 1/2 a mile, and once where someone blew the horn at her. When I pulled up next to her at a red light, there she was still texting away.

Till they impose the same penalties for that kind of "impairment", I call BS.
 
Most people who are getting pulled over for DUI are blowing well over .08. This change will likely do nothing for safety other than explode probation offices and an already overcrowded criminal justice system. What are the benefits of lowering to .05? Likely marginal. This, however will most likely pass because its political dynamite to not do so. Who wants to be the person who votes against a measure like this. I can see the adversarial political ads now... "In 2013, Senator X voted against decreasing the legal limit for drinking and driving which overwhelmingly passed. Senator X: against public safety, against saving lives, and against the interests of Americans. Vote for Senator Y."
 
One of my multitude of old roommates is a lawyer (or at least was at the time) and was working on a case that had him ripping hair out. Tractor-trailor driver makes a legal left turn at a green light. Jeep is not paying attention and t-bones the trailor after running the red light. Open and shut case right?

The tractor-trailor driver tested positive for cocaine.

If NOTHING NOTHING ELSE, refrain from driving with any intoxicants in you FOR THE SAKE OF YOURSELF. Cost the driver thousands in court fees, and I think it put him out of business. I do believe the majority of us could drive at .05 or even .08 safely... but what if?
 
I am with everyone that thinks this will have neglible impact on DUI deaths, most DUI deaths are people who are bombed. I would be ok if they do this as a tiered punishment

.05-.08= same punishment as texting while driving (small fine/warning) unless evidence of danger (weaving, etc.)

Good god, my kids screaming in the car is probably worse than .20 BAC. Seriously have you ever tried to drive while one kid is screaming the other is hitting them and the only thing to make them stop is to reach and grab the toy beneath their feet? All parents have done it. AT worst if they are pulled over the cop will say "You need to be more attentive on the road sir, have a good day." Or teenagers who text on their phone going above the speed limit get a warning or a minor ticket? Yet at .05 I can have two beers in 90 minutes, drive the speed limit and get slapped with a DUI, lose my license and likely my career?

I hate society.
 
I wonder if location has much to do with the way we think. I live way out in the country so if I choose to drive home after beer and cigar night it is no worry. But if I need to drive anywhere near town or people then zero tolerance is what I do. I would get tossed in the hoosegow for drinking and driving in either place but honestly out on farm roads I figure hell with them. I do not get soused maybe 6 pack of 3-4% beers over a 4 hour period.

Hmm I took a retired cop out shooting rockchucks to other day. I was not shooting so I had a few beers while spotting for him. I popped another top and drove home when we were done. I think because of the location and the fact it was all remote farm roads he was fine with it.
 
I would agree that if you are in the middle of nowhere your actions have fewer consequences to others, and should thus receive less punishment. Unless of course you wrapping your car around a tree in a ravine in the middle of nowhere means emergency workers have to risk their lives to get to you...
 
CreamyGoodness said:
I would agree that if you are in the middle of nowhere your actions have fewer consequences to others, and should thus receive less punishment. Unless of course you wrapping your car around a tree in a ravine in the middle of nowhere means emergency workers have to risk their lives to get to you...
Click to expand...

And that is a good point I have not considered. I might have to change my thinking
 
Another stupid law. Great I can not even keep up anymore. Seems like a new law or tax every day. Some crack pot on news radio today was talking about making it against the law to drive tired. How is that going to work when everyone is driving home after working 80 hours just to make enough money to pay thier taxes.
 
I dont know how you could prove someone was tired. "You look tired" "No Im not"

But seriously, if you just came down from a 40 hour shift and youve been slamming redbull and coffee by the gallon... it makes sense that you should take a wee nap before getting on the road. Particularly if you are piloting a Mac truck.
 
Supposedly they will just simply ask once they pull you over. And if you answer yes I am tired or whatever then you would be guilty. Or some type of field test. Then if you fail they punish you like a child molester and take all your money.
 
Getting on this late, so not sure if this was mentioned:

In Europe, the limit is .03-.05 in most countries. Many are now adding a second tier where the limit is 0.00 for anyone under 21 (remember drinking ages are lower) or who has had a DL for less than 3 years. In Italy (and several others) if you are over .15, your car is confiscated and you DON'T get it back.
I think they allowed the people to police themselves for many years with alcohol but finally came to the conclusion that they could not be trusted with that responsibility (too may deaths related to drunk drivers). Losing your car is a pretty good deterrent, and they really do it.

IMO, a drunk driver who kills someone should be charged with murder. A drunk driver who does not, simply attempted murder. We should not need a new law, but there are too many stupid people in the world and we make make a law against being stupid. Too bad.

Smart folks get a ride, or walk.
 
+HopSpunge+ said:
Supposedly they will just simply ask once they pull you over. And if you answer yes I am tired or whatever then you would be guilty. Or some type of field test. Then if you fail they punish you like a child molester and take all your money.
Click to expand...

Anyone, no matter how "tired" they are is going to be WIDE AWAKE once blue lights come on in their rearview.

My heart rate usually doubles the moment I see a cop in my rear view when there is a chance I was speeding, let alone getting pulled over!
 
motobrewer said:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/opinion/granderson-drunken-driving/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
Click to expand...

Looking up the source of this statistic, it turns out that based on a survey of approx 7000 people, it is estimated that about 4 million adult Americans would admit to having driven, "when they had perhaps too much to drink." It is not clear to me how they extrapolate from that 4 million people to 112 million incidents. I can come up with several ways, but can't determine exactly how they did.

All quite valid statistics, but I'm not sure we can reliably decide that there were 112 million legal violations based on the language of the survey question.

I would also point out that while these statistics can support the view that 99 out of 100 drunk driving incidents are not caught, an equally valid interpretation is that about 1 in 3 drunk drivers were caught. (1.4 out of 4 million.)
 
widsith said:
Looking up the source of this statistic, it turns out that based on a survey of approx 7000 people, it is estimated that about 4 million adult Americans would admit to having driven, "when they had perhaps too much to drink." It is not clear to me how they extrapolate from that 4 million people to 112 million incidents. I can come up with several ways, but can't determine exactly how they did.

All quite valid statistics, but I'm not sure we can reliably decide that there were 112 million legal violations based on the language of the survey question.

I would also point out that while these statistics can support the view that 99 out of 100 drunk driving incidents are not caught, an equally valid interpretation is that about 1 in 3 drunk drivers were caught. (1.4 out of 4 million.)
Click to expand...

If 4 million said they have driven while intoxicated, 40 million lied.
 
And that's 40 million people about 50 times a year.

I DJ as a part time job, so I'm crusing home around 3:00 a.m. most Saturday nights, and I'm certain that 6/10 cars on the local roads after midnight are over that 0.05 BAC.
 
Politicians need to quit wasting time on DWIs and go after people texting while driving. I 8-10 years ago, if I saw somebody weaving for more than a couple blocks, I'd call the police and make sure they got off the road. I probably called the cops 4 or 5 times. Since texting has become the normative way of communication for many folks I can't drive to the grocery store without seeing people weaving because they are looking down at their phones. I think that its a far worse problem and the enforcement needs to be cracked down on, big time.
 
TopherM said:
And that's 40 million people about 50 times a year.

I DJ as a part time job, so I'm crusing home around 3:00 a.m. most Saturday nights, and I'm certain that 6/10 cars on the local roads after midnight are over that 0.05 BAC.
Click to expand...

I used to work the front desk at a gym where a cop I was friends with went to work out. He was basically telling me that (this is in Wisconsin) he'll pull anyone over between 11PM and 3AM any given night of the week (even something like a license plate light being out, this is important later). He said that nearly every single one had had something to drink, and around 2/3rds of them were over the legal limit.

Which, one lovely evening (when I was much younger) I had been playing beer pong with some friends and decided I wanted to sleep in my own bed that night. Same cop who had been telling me about pulling people over pulled me over at I think it was around midnight. I blew a .104 (I think thats what he said). And I honestly consider myself the luckiest person in the world, he let me go because "I don't know how you manage it, but you were not weaving, you were driving basically like you were stone cold sober, and you're less than a mile from home so, consider yourself really lucky".

So really, the difference between .05 and .08, meh, most of the people that are getting caught (no statistical data just what I think) are going to be out of this world drunk anyway. I'm lucky SWMBO likes beer, but not nearly as much as I like beer so she drives most of the time (if I've only had 1 or 2 drinks with a large dinner, and I'm 260ish lbs, I know thats the limit, any more I hand the keys over). If its true that lowering it to .05 cuts road deaths even a couple percent, thats great, I like drinking beer in the comfort of my own home anyway.
 
ArkotRamathorn said:
I'm lucky SWMBO likes beer, but not nearly as much as I like beer so she drives most of the time (if I've only had 1 or 2 drinks with a large dinner, and I'm 260ish lbs, I know thats the limit, any more I hand the keys over).
Click to expand...

Marry a DD and you're set for life! Best policy solution in the whole thread. :mug:
 
justkev52 said:
I think the cops will be hauling little old ladies coming home from Bingo to jail.
I think it's stupid.
Click to expand...

I think this may be true, to a certain extent. Then again I kind of look at it like this. I can count on one hand the number of times I was inches from death because of a drunk driver (or a potential drunk driver). I'd be a millionaire if I had a dime for every time I've been inches from death because of an elderly driver (drunk or not).

I'm not saying old people shouldn't be able to drive and have that freedom... But, drunk driving is drunk driving, a lot of the drunk drivers that hit another car (not a statistic, just, from personal experience and anecdotal evidence) are just people that "couldn't hurt a fly" "nicest person in the world", yet they made the mistake of drunk driving and now someones daughter or son is dead (I don't mean to appeal to peoples emotions here, but, everyone is someones son or daughter).

I know just recently I saw in the news a 65 year old gentleman who had been drinking crashed into a van, the family in the van died, and several of the passengers in the elderly gentlemans car were seriously injured as well.
 
It just goes to prove the phylosophical arguments I've had with cops. It's the folks that don't drink much deciding to go out with the gang on Friday & aren't used to handling a certain level of buzziness. I'm not saying alcoholics are better,but they do drink to get normal (to a point),where the rest drink to get all happy.
 
it's starting to sound like some of you just want to drive buzzed. argue all you want, but no one has to drive after they've been drinking. if you can't get back home from the bar without driving, stay the flocc home. too tired to drive, then don't drive. can't stay off your cell phone while driving, then quit floccing driving. too bad all the fancy arguing couldn't bring all the dead back from the incidents.
 
Billy-Klubb said:
it's starting to sound like some of you just want to drive buzzed. argue all you want, but no one has to drive after they've been drinking. if you can't get back home from the bar without driving, stay the flocc home. too tired to drive, then don't drive. can't stay off your cell phone while driving, then quit floccing driving. too bad all the fancy arguing couldn't bring all the dead back from the incidents.
Click to expand...

I think anyone who has said anything against the law has prefaced it by saying something like "I am against drunk driving". The points they are making is that the overall effect would be largely negative.

The overall effect on bar business is hugely negative. Someone already mentioned the liability issue with serving someone past the legal limit of intoxication. Now that limit is .05? A point where some people show no effects and get there after one drink?

I think they are just making a point that as a society, MADD has made us crazy to where now one beer and then driving is awful. It's obviously not ideal but until they cut down on other less ideal driving circumstances I don't want to hear it. Anything from elderly people with reduced reactio time, to people messing on their phone, to people driving angry or tired is potentially worse than driving after a beer.

I don't need to speak for them as they can do it themselves but to characterize us as just wanting to drive drunk is not the point I want to hold. In fact I think that to really cut down on this drunk driving issues it should be a 2-3 strikes and your out policy. I have coworkers who have 5 dwi's and still have a vehicle and license. That is INSANE. They are the issue. Crappy drivers in general. It's not just alcohol.


Rant done.
 
widsith said:
Looking up the source of this statistic, it turns out that based on a survey of approx 7000 people, it is estimated that about 4 million adult Americans would admit to having driven, "when they had perhaps too much to drink." It is not clear to me how they extrapolate from that 4 million people to 112 million incidents. I can come up with several ways, but can't determine exactly how they did.

All quite valid statistics, but I'm not sure we can reliably decide that there were 112 million legal violations based on the language of the survey question.

I would also point out that while these statistics can support the view that 99 out of 100 drunk driving incidents are not caught, an equally valid interpretation is that about 1 in 3 drunk drivers were caught. (1.4 out of 4 million.)
Click to expand...

that's a fair assessment.

i guess I was more agreeing with his point that we need to enforce the law we have.

in wisconsin, the DUIsituation is ridiculous. people with 5 DUIs are still on the road. the penalty here is very minimal.
 
It's not about drunk vs buzzed driving. There's even a PSA going around now about that. Some guy gets in a DUI wreck and his girlfriend is lying in the hospital near death. He says he wasn't even drunk. He was just a little buzzed. When he says that, his girlfriend makes a miraculous recovery. He's all like, What!? Really!? And the doctors says, no, and she dies on the spot. Then the PSA announcer comes on and tells you buzzed driving is drunk driving. It'd be foolish to argue for driving while just a little drunk.

One reason we have a BAC limit is that everybody knows different people get different drunk on different amounts of booze. So'k, we have a limit. One limit to rule them all. Fine. Great. .08. Leave it there.

We shouldn't feel paranoid or be prohibited from driving after having a drink or two at the bar, beer fest, diner, homebrew club meeting, concert, friend's house or whatever else. If one wants that as their personal standard, fine. Great. The entire rest of the country is not going to abide. People are going to have a drink or two somewhere and drive. And they're going to be just fine to do it. There's no good reason to make a law against doing something that isn't damaging.

Now, regardless of one's feelings toward the police. Love em, hate em, you are them, F da police; whatever. We must understand that driving in a car is damn near a free pass for the police to stop and investigate us. We must be careful with how much more power is given there.
 
I'm going to say that while I think the idea that one has a right to drive impaired (no matter what their choice in footwear might be) is ridiculous, I also think some of the open container laws in vehicles are ridiculous. In college we used to return empties to the store for spending money (we were rather broke) and on one occassion we were pulled over for no seatbelt. The trooper was actually pretty cool, let us off with a warning on the seat belt and the several hundred open containers in the lawn and leaf bag in the back seat, but I was absolutely shocked to find out that we could have gotten a ticket for each and every one of them. Thats absurd.
 
BAC laws are kind of silly at least for me. I brewed last night and after the first beer I was buzzed. It was a low gravity beer and I had eaten a nice dinner. It just goes to show that alcohol will hit you differently sometimes.

If I feel to buzzed I do not drive pure plain and simple. And drunk driving never no matter what BAC I am at
 
Here it's .08, and .05 in most of the rest of Europe.

Personally I won't drive if I've had more than one beer, I'm not really sure how that relates to blood alcohol but I don't feel any different after one drink of (average strength) beer compared to normal. I also tend to try and leave it as long as possible after drinking, say an hour or so, if I can.

I'd guess that .05 or .08 are below the level where most people would feel "buzzed" anyway, but that would depend on the person - maybe you yanks are all lightweights ;)
 
then quit floccing driving
Click to expand...

I love the juxtoposition of curse words and brewing terms! It's floccing awesome!

Back on topic, though. Can you imagine a world where a responsible bartender serves you ONE Stone Ruination (or insert your favorite imperial here), then cuts you off, because they don't want the liability of overserving you? Or a world where you can go sue the bar because they served you two pints of beer with lunch prior to your "drunk driving" accident.

Everyone just needs to be completely honest and recognize that this proposal has nothing to do with the practical public good. It's a mix of political correctness run amuck and the new police politics where revenue matters much more than public safety.

This 0.05 business smells an awful lot like the RED LIGHT CAMERA endevour to me, and red light cameras have been proven to do exactly TWO things:

#1 Cause more accidents and injuries
#2 Produce millions in revenue for local police

When the police are selling the idea of red light cameras to the public, they do it under the guise of public safety, just like they will with this 0.05 thing, but in the end, it's all about #2 (pun intended)

They started the red light camera experiment here in my town about a year ago. Rear end accidents are up big time. The fee to fight a red light camera ticket is also conveniently about $50 more than the ticket itself. Tricky.

When a reporter asked the chief of police "What are your goals for the red light cameras for 2013," the chief answered "We hope to increase revenue by 20%." Think about that a second. A Public Safety organization that wants violations to increase over time. The more people running lights, the better.

THAT is what this 0.05 business is about. The police want to increase violations. They are making it so that drunk driving violation are in their best interest as an organization! They have people who work from them that are responsible for figuring out new ways to legally make drunk driving incidents INCREASE. They might as well just give out free beer coupons at XX bar, then stake out the joint.

Think about it. When it comes down to it, that's what all this is about, and you are literally giving up civil liberties under the illusion of public safety in order to increase police revenue.

Don't fall for it! This proposal isn't about drunk driving or public safety! As with most political agendas, just follow the money!
 

Similar threads

Bramling Cross
Driving Coast-to-Coast in a Miata....with DC plates. Advice?
Replies
11
Views
604
MaxStout
MaxStout
K
Sam Adams Double Bock
Replies
21
Views
2K
danb35
D
J
Bulk Pasteurization Research Thread
Replies
4
Views
143
Chalkyt
Chalkyt
A
RO Water - starting with lower pH
Replies
30
Views
1K
jerrylotto
jerrylotto
P
Keg has flat beer an froth
Replies
17
Views
1K
WesBrew
WesBrew
SSBrew 300

Latest posts

Back
Top