Too much blood in his alcohol system?

[techs]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060523/ap_on_fe_st/lithuania_record_drink_driver

Driver Has 18 Times Legal Alcohol Limit

Lithuanian police were so astonished when they pulled over a truck driver and his breathalyzer test registered 18 times the legal alcohol limit, they thought their testing device must be broken. It wasn't.

Police said Tuesday 41-year-old Vidmantas Sungaila registered 7.27 grams per liter of alcohol in his blood repeatedly on different devices when he was pulled over for driving his truck down the center of a two-lane highway 60 miles from the capital, Vilnius on Saturday.

Lithuania's legal limit is 0.4 grams per liter.

"This guy should have been lying dead, but he was still driving. It must be an unofficial national record," Saulius Skvernelis, the director of the national police traffic control service, told the AP. "He was of high spirits and grinning the whole time he was questioned."

Medical experts say anything above 3.5 grams per liter of alcohol in the blood is lethal for most people.

"A person this intoxicated should be in an intensive care unit, not behind the wheel," said Tautvydas Zikaras, head of the dependence illness center in the country's second-largest city, Kaunas. Zikaras said he had never heard or read of someone being so drunk.

Sungaila, who was slapped with a 3,000 litas ($1,110) fine and the loss of his license for up to three years, told police he had been drinking the night before and tried to freshen up by downing a pint of beer for breakfast.

Lithuania has one of the worst road safety records in the European Union. Last year, 760 people died in traffic accidents in this country of 3.5 million residents. Most were alcohol-related.




Some fool will now try and break the record.

 

[dainthomas]

What's this in US units?

 

[Forsythe]

Wow, seriously, he coukld have lighted his breath with a match. Just insane.

 

[catnap1972]

And yet I'll bet you more than a few here (P&N) would say that the police should've minded their own damn business since the guy hadn't killed anyone.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: catnap1972
And yet I'll bet you more than a few here (P&N) would say that the police should've minded their own damn business since the guy hadn't killed anyone.

Although I hate our DUI laws...

He was driving irresponsibly.

However, this just goes to show that if you've got some sanity and a little tolerance, you can still function...even while driving. The morons that run red lights going 80mph while drunk are just plain idiots...I've driven intoxicated many times and have never even come close to doing anything like that...nor have I come close to even hitting another car.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: catnap1972
And yet I'll bet you more than a few here (P&N) would say that the police should've minded their own damn business since the guy hadn't killed anyone.

Although I hate our DUI laws...

He was driving irresponsibly.

However, this just goes to show that if you've got some sanity and a little tolerance, you can still function...even while driving. The morons that run red lights going 80mph while drunk are just plain idiots...I've driven intoxicated many times and have never even come close to doing anything like that...nor have I come close to even hitting another car.

You are proud of driving intoxicated? That's pretty damn sad. And if you were truly intoxicated, you judgement is impared, so you have no actualy idea how close you were. Driving under the influence is a crime, and a very good law to have.
Who are you to say you're not impared? Chances are, if you're saying that, you're too impared to know. I was a bartender for many years, and I saw plenty of people who thought they were fine, but I could hear the slurred speech, watch their hands not grasp the glass of beer/whiskey/etc firmly, yet they would swear in a court of law they were fine.
The DUI laws are there to protect people from drunk drivers like you, not to make your life difficult. If you get busted, and at this point I hope you do before someone gets hurt or worse, you only have your self inflated ego to blame.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: Sheik Yerbouti
You are proud of driving intoxicated? That's pretty damn sad. And if you were truly intoxicated, you judgement is impared, so you have no actualy idea how close you were. Driving under the influence is a crime, and a very good law to have.
Who are you to say you're not impared? Chances are, if you're saying that, you're too impared to know. I was a bartender for many years, and I saw plenty of people who thought they were fine, but I could hear the slurred speech, watch their hands not grasp the glass of beer/whiskey/etc firmly, yet they would swear in a court of law they were fine.
The DUI laws are there to protect people from drunk drivers like you, not to make your life difficult. If you get busted, and at this point I hope you do before someone gets hurt or worse, you only have your self inflated ego to blame.

Trust me. I drive just fine...as do TONS of people. Even ask my sober friends who've rode with me. It's the downright stupid people who can't drive. Don't see why the law should apply to somebody like me.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: Sheik Yerbouti
You are proud of driving intoxicated? That's pretty damn sad. And if you were truly intoxicated, you judgement is impared, so you have no actualy idea how close you were. Driving under the influence is a crime, and a very good law to have.
Who are you to say you're not impared? Chances are, if you're saying that, you're too impared to know. I was a bartender for many years, and I saw plenty of people who thought they were fine, but I could hear the slurred speech, watch their hands not grasp the glass of beer/whiskey/etc firmly, yet they would swear in a court of law they were fine.
The DUI laws are there to protect people from drunk drivers like you, not to make your life difficult. If you get busted, and at this point I hope you do before someone gets hurt or worse, you only have your self inflated ego to blame.

Trust me. I drive just fine...as do TONS of people. Even ask my sober friends who've rode with me. It's the downright stupid people who can't drive. Don't see why the law should apply to somebody like me.

Trust you? No, thanks, sorry, heard and saw too many things when I was bartending. And I heard that far too many times.
I don't trust anyone who drinks enough to be intoxicated to judge themselves sober enough to drive. If you take out a child, or anyone, be ready for some serious and well deserved jailtime.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: Sheik Yerbouti

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: Sheik Yerbouti
You are proud of driving intoxicated? That's pretty damn sad. And if you were truly intoxicated, you judgement is impared, so you have no actualy idea how close you were. Driving under the influence is a crime, and a very good law to have.
Who are you to say you're not impared? Chances are, if you're saying that, you're too impared to know. I was a bartender for many years, and I saw plenty of people who thought they were fine, but I could hear the slurred speech, watch their hands not grasp the glass of beer/whiskey/etc firmly, yet they would swear in a court of law they were fine.
The DUI laws are there to protect people from drunk drivers like you, not to make your life difficult. If you get busted, and at this point I hope you do before someone gets hurt or worse, you only have your self inflated ego to blame.

Trust me. I drive just fine...as do TONS of people. Even ask my sober friends who've rode with me. It's the downright stupid people who can't drive. Don't see why the law should apply to somebody like me.

Trust you? No, thanks, sorry, heard and saw too many things when I was bartending. And I heard that far too many times.
I don't trust anyone who drinks enough to be intoxicated to judge themselves sober enough to drive. If you take out a child, or anyone, be ready for some serious jailtime.

The sad part is you're right. If some child runs out int he middle of a 40mph street and there is literally nothing I can do about it (sober or drunk) and I hit him and injur/kill him...it's my fault and i'll probably be charged of manslaughter because I had 3 beers earlier.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Very, very simple solution, and I guarantee it to work 100%. Never, ever drive after drinking. If you don't you won't get caught, in an accident, etc. It's failsafe.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: Sheik Yerbouti
Very, very simple solution, and I guarantee it to work 100%. Never, ever drive after drinking. If you don't you won't get caught, in an accident, etc. It's failsafe.

The way our laws are setup...I agree. It's just too bad they're structured around the incompotent moron drivers that make up a very very small percentage of drivers under the influence.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

It's a shame you believe that tripe. You have no idea what you're talking about.

It's just too bad they're structured around the incompotent moron drivers that make up a very very small percentage of drivers under the influence.

Can you provide proof of that? Alcohol does not affect everyone the same. That's a given, but to say it's a very, very small percentage is either totally naive on your part of just flat out stupidity.

 

[BDawg]

.4 g/L = .04 BAL

So, a 3.5 = .35 BAL

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: Sheik Yerbouti
Very, very simple solution, and I guarantee it to work 100%. Never, ever drive after drinking. If you don't you won't get caught, in an accident, etc. It's failsafe.

The way our laws are setup...I agree. It's just too bad they're structured around the incompotent moron drivers that make up a very very small percentage of drivers under the influence.

Some stats from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Total driving fatalities in 2004 was 42,646
Total driving fatalities alcohol related 16,694
So 39 percent of all traffic fatalities were alcohol related in 2004.

Alcohol is a drug that impairs judgement and reflexes. Many people SAY they drive better after a few drinks but every objective test disagrees.
The only conclusions I can draw from this:
1) Some people just want to drink and drive and use this as a rationalization.
And
2) Some people really believe, mistakenly, that they drive better drunk.
Either way lets lock them up. NO ONE, no matter how well they THINK they drive under the influence actually drives BETTER. And everyone under the influence has impairment of reflexes and judgement and drives WORSE. Especially in critical moments where judgement and reflexes are vitally important.

Here's the kicker. Since 1984 when drunk driving beacme a target of most states and enforcement was stepped up the percentage of accidents with fatalities that were alchohol related dropped from 60 percent to 39 percent in 2004.

 

[BlancoNino]

And what's the statistic of those who drive under the influence that can still drive well without problems to those who drive under the influence that don't drive well?

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
And what's the statistic of those who drive under the influence that can still drive well without problems to those who drive under the influence that don't drive well?

Zero.
Everyones judgement and reflexes are impaired by alcohol.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
And what's the statistic of those who drive under the influence that can still drive well without problems to those who drive under the influence that don't drive well?

Zero.
Everyones judgement and reflexes are impaired by alcohol.

Okay, so I have lets say 5 drinks (I weigh 175) and decide to drive. Based on my record, I'm not the one who swerves lanes or runs stop lights...so lets say it brings me down to somebody who is less good at driving. I know plenty of people who are less good at driving than myself while sober. Should we lock them up?

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
And what's the statistic of those who drive under the influence that can still drive well without problems to those who drive under the influence that don't drive well?

Who gives a crap. If 40% of fatalities were caused while driving drunk, that seems like a bit of a problem to me.

Oh, and guess what. Everyone thinks they're a great driver when they aren't sober :disgust:

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
And what's the statistic of those who drive under the influence that can still drive well without problems to those who drive under the influence that don't drive well?

Who gives a crap. If 40% of fatalities were caused while driving drunk, that seems like a bit of a problem to me.

Oh, and guess what. Everyone thinks they're a great driver when they aren't sober :disgust:

I'm willing to guess that roughly 40% of the people on the road driving are under the influence alcohol.

Yeah I know. Funny how you guys haven't acknowledged my friends' sober presence in the car while I'm driving under the influence... "I don't notice a difference" "You seem to be driving safer".

 

[BDawg]

Just to throw this in there -

There was a mythbusters where they showed that talking on the cellphone was worse an imparment than being at the legal limit. Should we ban cell phones too?

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: BDawg
Just to throw this in there -

There was a mythbusters where they showed that talking on the cellphone was worse an imparment than being at the legal limit. Should we ban cell phones too?

Nobody will be completely happy until we ban driving. What's really sad about banning cell phones is that a lot of companies really benefit from workers who can drive to locations and talk at the same time. Saves a lot of time and money.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
And what's the statistic of those who drive under the influence that can still drive well without problems to those who drive under the influence that don't drive well?

Who gives a crap. If 40% of fatalities were caused while driving drunk, that seems like a bit of a problem to me.

Oh, and guess what. Everyone thinks they're a great driver when they aren't sober :disgust:

I'm willing to guess that roughly 40% of the people on the road driving are under the influence alcohol.

Yeah I know. Funny how you guys haven't acknowledged my friends' sober presence in the car while I'm driving under the influence... "I don't notice a difference" "You seem to be driving safer".

Yeah, that makes sense. My friend in the car didn't notice a difference.
And your guess that 40 percent of the people on the road are under the influence of alcohol is so wacky it doesn't deserve a rebuttal.
Truth be told there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO EVER BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE AND DRIVING EXCEPT IN A LIFE OR DEATH EMERGENCY.
I personally believe that many people who continually argue to be allowed to drive under the influence have some sort of problem with alcohol.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: techs

Yeah, that makes sense. My friend in the car didn't notice a difference.
And your guess that 40 percent of the people on the road are under the influence of alcohol is so wacky it doesn't deserve a rebuttal.
Truth be told there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO EVER BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE AND DRIVING EXCEPT IN A LIFE OR DEATH EMERGENCY.
I personally believe that many people who continually argue to be allowed to drive under the influence have some sort of problem with alcohol.

No, we just think it's sad that if we decide to drive home after 3 beers from a friends house and get pulled over for a broken tail-light, we're out about 8,000 dollars, have a DUI on our record, and lose our license and go to jail and pay through the nose for insurance.

 

[f95toli]

Originally posted by: BDawg
Just to throw this in there -

There was a mythbusters where they showed that talking on the cellphone was worse an imparment than being at the legal limit. Should we ban cell phones too?

Talking on the cellphone while driving is indeed illegal in some countries. However, in some countries you can talk if you are using a hands-free.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: BDawg
Just to throw this in there -

There was a mythbusters where they showed that talking on the cellphone was worse an imparment than being at the legal limit. Should we ban cell phones too?

Yes, Mythbusters are where I get all my scientific facts.
Not.