How do decide what is your drinking limit when driving?

[CZroe]

So easy:
Pick one.

Drink OR drive.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

DUIs suck. Hard. Don't do it, not worth it.

It's not just DUIs that suck, it's driving drunk that sucks. You're putting other people's lives in jeopardy through your poor judgment, and that's a shitty thing to do. Be responsible.

I don't go so far as to advocate that one must always completely abstain from drinking if they're going to drive, but limit yourself to fewer than one drink per hour, and no more than three or four total depending on your tolerance. Watching a three hour game at the bar? Have three beers spread out over the entirety of that game and you'll almost assuredly be sober enough to drive competently. When someone starts saying "yeah, I'll have six drinks and drive fine," I get nervous.

 

[skyking]

My dad was a professional alcoholic. If he was not at work, going to work, he was legally drunk. He eventually quit after his second DUI and mandatory inpatient treatment.
My point? Both of his DUI's were due to being rear-ended by other drunks. Even if you are some freakishly good driver, shit will happen. Don't drink and drive, more than the classic two beers I see mentioned by all the people above.

 

[DCal430]

OP says he drives after downing a six pack and we aren't inventing new obscenities to call him?

I always check my breathalyzer before I drive after drinking. The highest I have driven is with a BAC of 0.065, still within safe limits. Those drinks are over many hours.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Beer or two with dinner is fine. If I'm 'going out' it's an Uber.

 

[MustISO]

I got extremely lucky when I was young. Event got pulled over a few times but never had any issues. I did a lot of stupid things even in my 20's and 30's but finally decided it just wasn't worth it.

Two drinks max was my limit after that (when I did drink) if I had to drive. Personally I preferred to drink at home or within walking distance, I found paying $4-$7 per beer kinda dumb.

 

[saratoga172]

Drinking impairs me enough I don't like driving. I keep it to 1 or no drinks. I prefer to drive when I go places so I often don't have more than a beer. If I'm there for 3-4 hours I might have 2 earlier on.

 

[leper84]

If I've drank anything period, I do not drive.

This.

I pretty much only drink alcohol at home when alone.

And this.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If I know I'm going to drink like a party or something I just take a cab there. If I'm driving then I don't drink. If I do happen to drink, I'll make sure to drink water after and wait AT LEAST several hours before driving again. Though I avoid even being in that situation as I still have to question if I waited long enough or not.

 

[BxgJ]

So easy:
Pick one.

Drink OR drive.

This.

As a single dad, its just not ever worth it to have anything to drink and then drive, since I always have the kids with me. Now that the 'single' part is about to change, I may get the chance to have a drink when going out when she drives.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Only idiots drive after drinking. I never drive if I drink. I won't even drink one beer and drive.
Plus, what's the point of one beer anyway? If I'm going to drink, I'm having 2-3, and then I'm damn sure not driving.

 

[Belegost]

One glass of wine or beer in the past hour before driving, and I've never had more than 3 drinks in a day (and that was at a party in my own house.)

 

[smackababy]

I have a fairly high alcohol tolerance, and even then, if I have more than a glass of wine / beer with dinner, I won't drive. A cab, at most, is like $20. Deal with it.

 

[natto fire]

Why exactly would you include this as an authority on physiology?

Well not directly, but they do supply bullet riddled corpses for the medical field to study.

 

[Ruptga]

1 serving of alcohol per hour and you'll be good to go.

If you have a hard time killing the hour, have a water or soda in between.

edit: And to echo the "better safe than sorry" comment, you get a DUI and you are in for it. Just not worth taking the chance.

Technically one per hour since you started is the safe limit, but in practice I don't even then. Even if you're in some good ol boy small town where you're on a first name basis with all the cops and they don't care, it's just not a smart practice.

 

[88keys]

I find that testing my ability to read fine print from an arm's length to be a pretty good indicator of my intoxication level.

 

[MetalMat]

2 beers an hour

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Sound like a question only and alcoholic would ask, OP.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Someone I know recently got a DUI, so it made me wonder how do you all decide how much is safe to drink when driving. For me usually about 5 or so drinks, about when I start feeling a little light headed, and my brain feels like it slowing down. I also keep a breathalyzer in the car to be safe too.

Some people I know only do 1 drink, others do 2 or 3, and some like me do 4 to 6 drinks. So what is your limit? Do you keep a breathalyzer in your car too?

i limit myself to 1 drink and plenty of time in between if i know i will be driving. anything more than that and i will be staying the night, taking public transport, having a friend pick me up, or otherwise avoiding driving.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

I calculate one drink per hour if I am driving though if I have to drive I rarely drink. There are enough idiots on the road to deal with when you're sober.

 

[KeithP]

For many of us that is feasible.

What isn't feasible? Acting responsible or ending the thread? Either way you are wrong.

-KeithP

 

[John Connor]

Someone I know recently got a DUI, so it made me wonder how do you all decide how much is safe to drink when driving. For me usually about 5 or so drinks, about when I start feeling a little light headed, and my brain feels like it slowing down. I also keep a breathalyzer in the car to be safe too.

Some people I know only do 1 drink, others do 2 or 3, and some like me do 4 to 6 drinks. So what is your limit? Do you keep a breathalyzer in your car too?

All it takes is one. Especially if you are a drunk!

 

[Gooberlx2]

No more than two over at least two hours. Lately I just stick to one drink with the meal.

As others have said, if we're going out to party, then we Uber.

 

[JEDIYoda]

It really does not matter to me, I have diplomatic immunity...hehehee

 

[z1ggy]

This is a good thread for Alky to weigh in on. I say we lift his ban temporarily to get his thoughts?