Drinking and driving: should it be illegal?

[MobBoss]

I dont have a problem with open container laws. If you cant wait to get home (or to a bar) to have that beer, then you gotta problem.

 

[Perfection]

drinking and then driving, not while driving

albeit makes no logical difference

NO! DRINKING WHILE DRIVING!

It's illegal in most states. This is common knowledge.

 

[Kraznaya]

No, it should not be illegal, but if you cause and accident because you were drunk at the wheel, you should be punished. If you kill someone, you ought to be executed. If some people can drive safely with an '0.XX', then let them.

That won't bring the victims back.

 

[Elta]

I dont have a problem with open container laws. If you cant wait to get home (or to a bar) to have that beer, then you gotta problem.

What about when you have an only half empty bottle of 1.75 liters Rum?

Should you not be allowed to put it in your trunk for transportation?



What about sleeping in you vehicle while drunk?



*What about being drunk in your own home which you rent out and have your keys in your house?



Because all three of those things equal DUI in Nevada thumbsdown:


I am dead serious, no bullpucky - If a police officer comes to your home which you rent (for the sake of an example, a noise complaint) and figures out that a car in front is yours (runs the plates or something) If you are honest and say the keys are in house - Bam DUI. It is different if you own the house though, I don't know why.

Take a nap in your car to sober up and you have your keys on you? - straight to jail.


My advice is, hide the keys a few 100 feet away under a rock or something. If the cops knock on your window, tell them your buddy took the keys from you and that you are sleeping it off.

 

[Dragonlord]

It should be illegal for the reason that it is impossible to have "just one beer".

It just never happens. You have one beer and the next thing you know you've had 12 and you're wallking around in the snow in your socks and you don't know where your car is.

What? Are you serious? If you're talking about personal experience then you have a real alcohol problem...
I very often have only one drink (sometimes beer, but more often wine) and have absolutely no scruples about driving afterwards.

What about when you have an only half empty bottle of 1.75 liters Rum?

Should you not be allowed to put it in your trunk for transportation?



What about sleeping in you vehicle while drunk?



*What about being drunk in your own home which you rent out and have your keys in your house?



Because all three of those things equal DUI in Nevada thumbsdown:


I am dead serious, no bullpucky - If a police officer comes to your home which you rent (for the sake of an example, a noise complaint) and figures out that a car in front is yours (runs the plates or something) If you are honest and say the keys are in house - Bam DUI. It is different if you own the house though, I don't know why.

Take a nap in your car to sober up and you have your keys on you? - straight to jail.


My advice is, hide the keys a few 100 feet away under a rock or something. If the cops knock on your window, tell them your buddy took the keys from you and that you are sleeping it off.

Another example of totally fubar American laws...

OT, I find those open container laws idiotic. If you are able to drive after a beer in your house, you're no worse off drinking that same beer in your car.
One should definitely have a cup-holder, though - I agree that holding a drink (with or w/o alcohol in it) in your hand while driving is a no-no.

 

[really]

We are planning to reduce it from 80mg/100ml to 20mg/100ml for learner, novice and professional drivers, and to 50mg/100ml for other drivers.

That is essentially 0 drinks or maybe 250ml of beer max.

We also have random breath tests - my father was stopped at 11am on New Years day - they were checking for people who were still over the limit from the night before.

People over the old rate will get an automatic ban.

Testing will be mandatory if the police are called to traffic accidents.

 

[Atlas14]

I agree that one beer while driving may have negligible effects on most people, but allowing that alcohol to be consumed while driving almost entices people to do it, and as we all know, there are a crapload of people out there with pretty low standards for what qualifies as safe driving practices. Texting while driving comes to mind.

The alcohol can wait, for the sake of your own safety and everyone else's.

 

[bathsheba666]

When I was young and would get smashed at the weekend, I always used to drive very carefully because I was smashed. I never had an accident.

When I was sober, I used to drive with gusto, and had an accident.

Conclusion, I should always get smashed when driving.

 

[Bill3000]

When I was young and would get smashed at the weekend, I always used to drive very carefully because I was smashed. I never had an accident.

When I was sober, I used to drive with gusto, and had an accident.

That just means you're a person who should have never received a driver's license in the first place, not that alcohol made you a better driver.

 

[Virote_Considon]

Link to video.

 

[bathsheba666]

That just means you're a person who should have never received a driver's license in the first place, not that alcohol made you a better driver.

Reading isn't difficult.
And so I observe I never said alcohol made me a better driver.

Your other conclusion is equally absurd.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Drinking anything, whether it has drugs in it or not, whilst driving is a hazard because it takes one hand off the wheel and takes your focus away from the road onto the drink.

Alcohol is a CNS depressant, causing decreased reaction times, etc. Any amount, no matter how small, will have an effect (unless of course it is so small that it is metabolized before you drive, or instantaneously while driving, but the latter is implausible). The matter of blood alcohol content is just to what degree you will be effected.

This.

The only thing thought should be done while driving is driving. Except for talking, but that's because it doesn't require you to deviate significant attention from operating the vehicle, though even that can get out of hand. If we're in some real [charlie foxtrot] traffic or its an ice storm or something outside, I'll drop out of the conversation until its safe again.

 

[MeteorPunch]

If someone can take a sip and drive completely fine, they should be allowed to do so.

Open container laws just are ********.

 

[illram]

I guess I don't really have an issue with having an open container in the car, i.e. if I was king of the universe it would probably be legal. Your average sized person can drive fine after 1 or 2 beers. (Then again of course some people absolutely cannot.)

Then again that's asking for a field sobriety test if you get pulled over, even if it's legal.

I'd vote "no" but add so long as they remain under the legal limit and sober, obviously.

edit: sheesh you guys are alcoholics... can't have just one beer?

 

[woody60707]

Open container law is just window licking stupid. Someone want to explain to me the justice in a law that punishes people for an act that they may (but likely wont) do in the future? Oh wait? Never mind

The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car

 

[MobBoss]

What about when you have an only half empty bottle of 1.75 liters Rum?

Should you not be allowed to put it in your trunk for transportation?

Well, from my understanding of it you can do that (although it varies state by state). The only restriction on the open container is that it not be where the driver could be drinking out of it (i.e. arms reach). An open container, say in a cooler in the trunk of a car should be ok to transport said open container.

What about sleeping in you vehicle while drunk?

If the key is in the ignition, its a DUI.

*What about being drunk in your own home which you rent out and have your keys in your house?

Lets not be silly.

Because all three of those things equal DUI in Nevada thumbsdown:

I would say citation needed on the rental thing.

Another example of totally fubar American laws...

Why do you assume he is being accurate in this description?

 

[emzie]

If you stay under the threshold (.05 now in Ontario) I don't see the problem from a theoretical standpoint. In practice, it's an unnecessary risk.

 

[MeteorPunch]

Open container law is just window licking stupid. Someone want to explain to me the justice in a law that punishes people for an act that they may (but likely wont) do in the future?

"That bottle might jump out and shoot someone or get someone wet...err, I mean we really need a reason to tax you for no reason, uh..what am I saying? You with the bottle! Criminal! Yeah that'll have to go on your record. I mean, I'm cool with you having a bottle in your car; that's completely legal...but OPEN!? Wow."

 

[Yared]

Well, I think it should be legal.

Seeing people whose faces are so disfigured from having their beer bottle break against their faces should deter anyone else from doing such a thing.

 

[Labtec600]

What about when you have an only half empty bottle of 1.75 liters Rum?

Should you not be allowed to put it in your trunk for transportation?



What about sleeping in you vehicle while drunk?



*What about being drunk in your own home which you rent out and have your keys in your house?



Because all three of those things equal DUI in Nevada thumbsdown:


I am dead serious, no bullpucky - If a police officer comes to your home which you rent (for the sake of an example, a noise complaint) and figures out that a car in front is yours (runs the plates or something) If you are honest and say the keys are in house - Bam DUI. It is different if you own the house though, I don't know why.

Take a nap in your car to sober up and you have your keys on you? - straight to jail.


My advice is, hide the keys a few 100 feet away under a rock or something. If the cops knock on your window, tell them your buddy took the keys from you and that you are sleeping it off.

Like some references to examples because it seems you're missing something.