[News] "Morning after" drink driving / Kirsty Gallacher

[sydney]

Think pilots and other air crew can get randomly tested with some airlines. Based on how I've seen some crews drinking during their hotel stopovers when I've been working away I'd hope so......................

most major construction sites over here have random drug and alcohol screening both operating on a three strikes and you're out basis , there is a large s.a.s barracks being built at swanbourne in w.a where the workers are breathalysed every morning with a zero tolerance policy , all the major mine sites have drug & alcohol tests for workers coming back on shift.......not a great fan of it to be honest but i suppose if it stops accidents then it's a good thing.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

From experience: almost all drink drivers lie about what they've had. Whether it's before the breath test or after, it's only ever "two pints" or "a couple of glasses". Some deny drinking at all, even when it's obvious from their breath that they have been.

It's almost like they think if they say it, it might just either convince the police, or fool the equipment. I reckon I've probably met at most two or three people who've been completely up front and said "Yep, I've had about six pints, you've got me".

Kirsty Gallacher almost certainly had a very expensive lawyer who'll have spun every line in the book to try and get her off this one. Our drink-drive levels are far too high in England & Wales (jointly the highest in Europe), and you'd be surprised at how much you need to drink to be over (wouldn't recommend you try it of course as it varies). If she was still over the next morning then (a) she's been stupid enough to have been drinking until three or four am (b) she's had an absolute skinful, or (c) she's a secret lemonade drinker who likes a little morning top up. Being that far over at 11am is absolutely not the result of three or four standard glasses of wine, finished at 11pm.

Glad to see she's not been able to buy herself out of this one, as so many of these celebrities seem to think they can do when they get caught bang to rights behind the wheel.

 

[Triggaaar]

From experience: almost all drink drivers lie about what they've had.

When they're over the limit that is, I assume.

If she was still over the next morning then (a) she's been stupid enough to have been drinking until three or four am (b) she's had an absolute skinful, or (c) she's a secret lemonade drinker who likes a little morning top up. Being that far over at 11am is absolutely not the result of three or four standard glasses of wine, finished at 11pm.

Indeed.

 

[Triggaaar]

Use a home breath test - amazing to find seemingly modest evenings out are over the limit the next morning

Can you recommend one?

 

[dangull]

Working with Jim White could drive many people to drink.

 

[Easy 10]

I still love the whiskey plates law in Minnesota.

If you've been convicted of drink-driving in Minnesota, you have to buy and fit a numberplate to your vehicle that starts with a W (hence "whiskeyplate") for a minimum of a year, depending on the severity of the offence. $57 to have it done, and $57 to have it removed. Imagine that - everyone you know, family, work colleagues, everyone, knowing that you've been done for drink driving. What a deterrent. I think originally the cops could stop a whiskeyplates driver for a spot check whenever, but that might have changed now, they might need reason to suspect. But even so.

I can't think of a single reason for that not to be adopted here.

 

[Albion my Albion]

If I remember correctly women should drink 1/3 less than men because their body weight (on average) can only take in 2/3 of the alcohol that a man's body can take in. It's why men have always been under the illusion that getting a woman to drink as much alcohol as they do will eventually get the woman pissed faster and easier to get the woman to bed. What men usually forget is that alcohol also inhibits their erection. She may want it but if you can't get it up she won't wait long enough before passing out before you do get it up.

 

[dazzer6666]

From experience: almost all drink drivers lie about what they've had. Whether it's before the breath test or after, it's only ever "two pints" or "a couple of glasses". Some deny drinking at all, even when it's obvious from their breath that they have been.

It's almost like they think if they say it, it might just either convince the police, or fool the equipment. I reckon I've probably met at most two or three people who've been completely up front and said "Yep, I've had about six pints, you've got me".

Kirsty Gallacher almost certainly had a very expensive lawyer who'll have spun every line in the book to try and get her off this one. Our drink-drive levels are far too high in England & Wales (jointly the highest in Europe), and you'd be surprised at how much you need to drink to be over (wouldn't recommend you try it of course as it varies). If she was still over the next morning then (a) she's been stupid enough to have been drinking until three or four am (b) she's had an absolute skinful, or (c) she's a secret lemonade drinker who likes a little morning top up. Being that far over at 11am is absolutely not the result of three or four standard glasses of wine, finished at 11pm.

Glad to see she's not been able to buy herself out of this one, as so many of these celebrities seem to think they can do when they get caught bang to rights behind the wheel.

Well said. Looking at later reports, seems she was out until 3am.........it's bizarre that people think a short night's sleep will put them in the clear. I doubt anyone sensible would get ratarsed at lunch time and then go for a drive in the evening.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I knew of an engineering factory, where the workers could be breathalysed before operating machinery. It prevented industrial accidents, especially the large presses.

I used to work at Virgin Atlantic in IT, that rule applies to all staff, not just air crew.

I work for a local IT / Telecoms company and it's in our staff handbook that they can test us. Why I have no idea given most people catch the train to work and we do nothing dangerous - a vast majority of staff are desk based and answer the phone for most of the day.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Being that far over at 11am is absolutely not the result of three or four standard glasses of wine, finished at 11pm.
.

It's not the MOST scientific but I've got the 'Morning after' app which tries to give you an idea when you can drive again after drinking.

I've input 3 standard glasses (175ml) of 15% wine and it says 9 hours

 

[Bozza]

It's not the MOST scientific but I've got the 'Morning after' app which tries to give you an idea when you can drive again after drinking.

I've input 3 standard glasses (175ml) of 15% wine and it says 9 hours

That's pretty strong wine.

If you're going to put out an app that gives an indication of when someone can drive, even with all kinds of legal disclaimers I'm sure, you're going to err on the side of caution.

If it's approximately a unit per hour, then 3 glasses of more regular strength wine (c12%) will be c6 hours. And I'm guessing that clock starts ticking from the first drink, not the last, assuming you drink at a consistent speed. I'm assuming a body doesn't wait until we've finished drinking before it begins processing all the alcohol chucked down it.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

From experience: almost all drink drivers lie about what they've had. Whether it's before the breath test or after, it's only ever "two pints" or "a couple of glasses". Some deny drinking at all, even when it's obvious from their breath that they have been.

It's almost like they think if they say it, it might just either convince the police, or fool the equipment. I reckon I've probably met at most two or three people who've been completely up front and said "Yep, I've had about six pints, you've got me".

Kirsty Gallacher almost certainly had a very expensive lawyer who'll have spun every line in the book to try and get her off this one. Our drink-drive levels are far too high in England & Wales (jointly the highest in Europe), and you'd be surprised at how much you need to drink to be over (wouldn't recommend you try it of course as it varies). If she was still over the next morning then (a) she's been stupid enough to have been drinking until three or four am (b) she's had an absolute skinful, or (c) she's a secret lemonade drinker who likes a little morning top up. Being that far over at 11am is absolutely not the result of three or four standard glasses of wine, finished at 11pm.

Glad to see she's not been able to buy herself out of this one, as so many of these celebrities seem to think they can do when they get caught bang to rights behind the wheel.

Being that her father was a Pro golfer, she has probably hung around golf clubs in her early years it wouldn't surprise me if she is always on the lash.

If the Police were to breathalyse like they do speed trap they would probably catch a lot more DD's.

 

[Questions]

I still love the whiskey plates law in Minnesota.

If you've been convicted of drink-driving in Minnesota, you have to buy and fit a numberplate to your vehicle that starts with a W (hence "whiskeyplate") for a minimum of a year, depending on the severity of the offence. $57 to have it done, and $57 to have it removed. Imagine that - everyone you know, family, work colleagues, everyone, knowing that you've been done for drink driving. What a deterrent. I think originally the cops could stop a whiskeyplates driver for a spot check whenever, but that might have changed now, they might need reason to suspect. But even so.

I can't think of a single reason for that not to be adopted here.

Why stop there. You could have a large P or an R printed on your shirt ,jumper or jacket when you go out of the house at anytime. The P doesn't stand for Palace either. Even I wouldn't go that far.

 

[fleet]

Can you recommend one?

I got an Alcosense Elite - works well.

 

[Notters]

I got an Alcosense Elite - works well.

I had one of these a couple of years back but having tried it after having four points and it saying I was well under (half) the limit, I chucked it.

 

[Triggaaar]

If it's approximately a unit per hour, then 3 glasses of more regular strength wine (c12%) will be c6 hours. And I'm guessing that clock starts ticking from the first drink, not the last, assuming you drink at a consistent speed.

I'm reading that it takes "between 15 and 90 minutes for alcohol to enter the blood stream after drinking depending on whether the stomach is empty or has food in it."
So presumably the clock starts once the alcohol is in your blood, which will depend on how much food you've had.

 

[Triggaaar]

I had one of these a couple of years back but having tried it after having four points and it saying I was well under (half) the limit, I chucked it.

What did you eat, when did you start drinking and when did you do the test?

 

[Is it PotG?]

Not forgetting we all have differing metabolic rates. Add to that how much one may or may not have eaten, and you have a variable extremely difficult to predict and NOT a defined science.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Not forgetting we all have differing metabolic rates. Add to that how much one may or may not have eaten, and you have a variable extremely difficult to predict and NOT a defined science.

Said for years, even when I on the beat, the limit should be all but ZERO.

 

[amexer]

I drive in morning arter I have had 2/3 pints,a meal and 7/8 hours sleep. Always considered I was OK. Is it possible to buy a breathalyser it so you can test yourself in morning