Don't drink and drive

[Valkyrie_2]

30 years ago when I was learning to drive I forgot and had half a pint of beer. The instructor didn't notice but I did. I noticed my driving was worse. At that point I made a lifelong decision that my drinking and driving level would be 0.00 and follow the WW2 British Fighter pilot motto of 8 hours between bottle and throttle.

Roll on a few decades and I am in America driving school busses. We were taught in school bus driving class that we should be at 0.00. We are also supposed to be randomly checked for drugs yet that's never happened to me. I'd welcome the morning off to go do that!

Anyway, what brought this to mind was a workmate of mine being killed by a drunk driver on Thursday evening. The silly decision by the drunk driver to drive after drinking.

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Killed an innocent man
Injured a passenger in the innocent mans car
Ruined the drunks own life as they will undoubtedly lose their job as a special ed teacher and go to jail with possible knock on effects such as losing everything they own due to non payment of rent etc.
Impacted the lives of their own family, friends and colleagues negatively
Impacted the lives of the victims family, friends and colleagues negatively
Disrupted the lives of commuters with possible knock on effects
Maybe given people close to the site of the crash ptsd.
Added to the weight of what emergency services have to do already.
Burdened the court system as the driver has been charged with felony dui.
Next, the taxpayer will have to pay to keep the driver in jail.

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And all of that because the driver decided they were ok to drive after drinking.




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[Dena]

I don't drink at all but 8 hours may not be sufficient to get all the alcohol out of your system. If you are socially drinking and you limit your intake, 8 hours should clear your body as you burn about an ounce a hour. On the other hand, if you put on a real bender, it may take more than 8 hours to clear your system out so 16 hours might be more appropriate.

They did a study on alcohol and driving. The findings were that driving improved a bit if you limited yourself to half an ounce because it relaxes a person. Over half an ounce and performance dropped. The safest bet is to be fully sober before driving.

[KathyLauren]

I don't drink at all but 8 hours may not be sufficient to get all the alcohol out of your system. If you are socially drinking and you limit your intake, 8 hours should clear your body as you burn about an ounce a hour. On the other hand, if you put on a real bender, it may take more than 8 hours to clear your system out so 16 hours might be more appropriate.

When I was in the Air Force, I knew pilots who took the eight hour rule literally.  At 7 hours 59 minutes, they were strapped in the cockpit, looking at their watch, going "Three, two, one, hit the start switch!"  We were frequently reminded that the rule actually said "eight hours or while still under the influence", and that even hung over was most definitely still under the influence.

[JMJW]

Don't use cellphones and drive either.  I bet this kind of YOLO recklessness will end overnight if the eye for an eye morality was used as punishment. If you run someone over with your car while intoxicated, the victims' family get to run you over with their car. 

[JeanetteLW]

   Alcohol was one of the poor coping mechanism I employed to deal with my myriad problems. One of which is this feeling that I wanted to be someone other than who I was raised to be. I know a lot of my living problems can be directly and indirectly linked to my wanting to look like and be like a female. Unfortunately trying to drown my problems didn't work, It only exasperated them and gave me another. Alcoholism. I had a cooler stocked with beer in the back seat within reach wherever I went. I was lucky in that I never ran into anyone, but I cannot say I never had an accident while drinking. I did eventually get caught and issued a DUII citation and spent a night in jail. I paid the consequences. I can now say that I haven't had a drink since 2/2/1999.

     Sometimes it takes a single act to make you willing to change. I started another change by ordering hrt and taking them when they arrived. I've reinforced that decision by telling my doctor and now am getting them the right way. I took another step by making an appointment to start therapy.

  You do not know the motivation for that driver making a decision to drink and drive. The consequences of doing so were tragic as you have detailed. I am sorry for the lives he's ruined, his own and those around him. He will have to live with what he's done for the rest of his life. I only hope the he and those he effected get the help they need.

   I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

There but for the grace of God go I,

  Jeanette