Legal limit for alcohol

craigmandu

What do ya'll think of the push right now to drop the legal limit from 0.08 to 0.05?

I have no vested interest, as I don't drink alcohol at all, just want to hear some opinions.

Cre8veLifeR

It doesn't matter one bit here in AZ. If you even smell like booze they arrest you. You can fight it in court, but you're arrested regardless. Plus it's just stupid.

My advice? Get a cab or a DD if you are going to be drinking. It's a LOT cheaper than a DUI.

bearkisses

drinking and driving is one of the most retarded things i have seen or heard people boast about doing

no one is an exception to biology. alcohol ****s you up. you shouldn't be driving.

THAT is my opinion!

ldrosophila

I guess if they can show impairment at .08 then the level should be dropped. Bad news for us social drinkers but I guess if it saves lives.

Thomasm198

If you witnessed the bloody mess caused by drink driving you would be all in favour of a zero tolerance level.

I'm referring to mangled and torn bodies, decapitated bodies, etc.

ohenry78

The legal limit for driving should be 0.00. Nobody needs to drive after they've had a drink under any circumstances. If you know you have to drive then don't drink.

Now, the legal limit for stumbling around like an idiot in my own house and puking so hard I pop a vessel in my eye? Not even sure why we'd want to cap that

Lisa1971

drinking and driving is one of the most retarded things i have seen or heard people boast about doing

no one is an exception to biology. alcohol ****s you up. you shouldn't be driving.

THAT is my opinion!

Agreed!

Capt_Inzane

I have family that was killed by a drunk driver and saw how the judicial system has failed in preventing them (the guy that hit my cousin had 4 previous DUI's). His children now have to grow up fatherless because some drunk guy hit him and didn't even remember he had done it (couple days later the guy's father actually turned him in).

I have another friend of mine who was charged with a DUI but swears he wasn't drunk. I trust my friend and it's difficult because he declined the breathalyzer and failed the sobriety test so can I believe him? I don't really discuss this with him because it's a difficult topic for me. Since then he's sworn off alcohol and hasn't had a drop so in the end the DUI helped him tremendously.

I'm adamantly against drinking and driving and actually was stabbed and ran over for trying to prevent someone to drive (long story) however through the mist of all what I've written above I've actually driven home after having a few and while I when I left I thought I was fine the drinks actually hit me a little while after I left. I honestly didn't know what to do other than pull over into a parking lot and sleep it off.

What would had happened to me if I was pulled over? Worse what if I hurt someone? It's unfortunate that sometimes we don't realize how drunk we really are and I think that's what gets most people.

So should the limit be lowered? Honestly would it make that big off a difference? The people who are typically getting DUI's and/or hurting someone are so far over the limit that it's an arbitrary number that doesn't mean anything at that point.

http://vh3.ca/VH3_BAC.htm

a simple calculator I have no idea how accurate but you gotta drink a good bit and quickly to be over .08 (at least beer).

craigmandu

I have family that was killed by a drunk driver and saw how the judicial system has failed in preventing them (the guy that hit my cousin had 4 previous DUI's). His children now have to grow up fatherless because some drunk guy hit him and didn't even remember he had done it (couple days later the guy's father actually turned him in).

I have another friend of mine who was charged with a DUI but swears he wasn't drunk. I trust my friend and it's difficult because he declined the breathalyzer and failed the sobriety test so can I believe him? I don't really discuss this with him because it's a difficult topic for me. Since then he's sworn off alcohol and hasn't had a drop so in the end the DUI helped him tremendously.

I'm adamantly against drinking and driving and actually was stabbed and ran over for trying to prevent someone to drive (long story) however through the mist of all what I've written above I've actually driven home after having a few and while I when I left I thought I was fine the drinks actually hit me a little while after I left. I honestly didn't know what to do other than pull over into a parking lot and sleep it off.

What would had happened to me if I was pulled over? Worse what if I hurt someone? It's unfortunate that sometimes we don't realize how drunk we really are and I think that's what gets most people.

So should the limit be lowered? Honestly would it make that big off a difference? The people who are typically getting DUI's and/or hurting someone are so far over the limit that it's an arbitrary number that doesn't mean anything at that point.

http://vh3.ca/VH3_BAC.htm

a simple calculator I have no idea how accurate but you gotta drink a good bit and quickly to be over .08 (at least beer).

I tend to agree with you that the majority of people who "drive drunk" are usually already past the .08 limit...I'm not sure if lowering to .05 will have much real effect. I'm sorry you've had family lost because of it.

marcvandenberg

Here in holland its already 0.05 and for new drivers 0.02

BigDaddyRonnie

If you witnessed the bloody mess caused by drink driving you would be all in favour of a zero tolerance level.

I'm referring to mangled and torn bodies, decapitated bodies, etc.

Ya, because this never happens when people aren't drinking.



Me, in favor, but it also tells me the penalties at .08 were to difficult to enforce and too difficult to make more strict that lowering the level was the only way to go.

patrickblo13

I don't think lowering to .05 is going to do much except make more people criminals. IMO they need to enforce stricter penalties even for first time offenders. Here in our lovely state of NY after your first offense you may be required to have a breathalyzer installed (at your own expense of course) in order to start your car. I think higher fines, stricter penalties is enough of a deterrent. There is definitely a problem with repeat offenders.

I am against drinking and driving but .05 is so low. It is to the point you can't go have a beer or 2 after work then go home without driving yourself home.

sdokeefe

I am completely against drink driving, but,

When has anyone who's caused an accident been only 0.01 above the legal limit?

People who cause **** are often far above legal limits, so any limit is irrelevant.

Its the same as punishing them with "Disqualified from driving" they already break the law while driving, so how about a better punishment then "you aren't allowed to drive". Cars should be taken from the drink drivers and unless they are reported stolen (which would allow the legal owner to get it back, unless of course they willingly let the person use their car whilst drunk) they should be resold. Repeat offenders should be jailed.

RGv2

I don't think lowering to .05 is going to do much except make more people criminals. IMO they need to enforce stricter penalties even for first time offenders.

^^Correct answer.

You can drop the level all you want, but if there aren't stricter penalties it won't stop the repeat offender. You'll just turn the person that had a beer with dinner into a criminal.

links_slayer

should be 0.00 imo

RGv2

It doesn't matter one bit here in AZ. If you even smell like booze they arrest you. You can fight it in court, but you're arrested regardless. Plus it's just stupid.

My advice? Get a cab or a DD if you are going to be drinking. It's a LOT cheaper than a DUI.

This does not sound constitutional.

Mmmmona

I don't think it really matters. One beer can put you at .08 (in Canada where we have real beer) so I think this is just a waste of time.

RGv2

should be 0.00 imo

You could get a positive reading from a Halls Cough drop and be over the limit then.

craigmandu

should be 0.00 imo

You could get a positive reading from a Halls Cough drop and be over the limit then.

I agree that you couldn't drop it all the way, unless you have a better way to test (other than breath) on the spot. Too many people could "pop positive" that had absolutely no drink in them.

eric_sg61

If you witnessed the bloody mess caused by drink driving you would be all in favour of a zero tolerance level.

I'm referring to mangled and torn bodies, decapitated bodies, etc.

Ya, because this never happens when people aren't drinking.

Exactly!

bearkisses

should be 0.00 imo

You could get a positive reading from a Halls Cough drop and be over the limit then.

i'd wager that this is false