If your an average size/weight guy - e.g. five ten to 6 foot 2 - will you still be under the limit if you drink two pints - over a couple of hours - and possibly eating a packet of crisps as well to soak it up a bit.* :hehe:Do you think getting on a motorcycle after a pint (or two - but no more than that) is acceptable?
Now it’s summertime this scenario is kinda on the cards more often + when i go into town to see my mates it’s by bike - and I like to have a drink - but nothing that’s gonna put me over the limit - which I reckon is 2 pints of average strength lager - but I’m not absolutely sure. . . :ermm::w00t:
I’d feel weird about getting on the bike or in the car after even one.
There’s something about the drink-drive limit that unsettles me. Not that I think anyone on LB would do this, but there’s an implication that if the limit were higher, then some people would simply drink more before getting in/on their ride.
If the limit was, say, five pints, I have no doubt that there’d be people driving/riding around drunk, just because, well, it’sh legal, innit, offisher.
I think this would be a question to put to JimC as he is a pint specialist… Would never go to a ride that does not let him make it back to his local before closing time… :hehe:
Every person is different and even you as an individual can be effected by alcohol in different ways at different times dependent on all sorts of things like food, tiredness, medication etc etc.
There’s not one person who at some stage hasn’t had even just one drink and thought that it had ‘gone straight to your head’.
What is a unit of alcohol?One unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml of pure alcohol. As a rough guide:
1 pint of strong lager = 3 units 1 pint of ordinary lager, bitter or cider, 175ml glass of wine = 2 units 1 alcopop = 1.5 units 1 measure of spirits = 1 unit many wines are around 11 or 12 per cent alcohol, so a small glass = 1.5 units Lagers and ciders sold in bottles are usually stronger than those sold on draught. You can find out exactly how many units of alcohol are in the bottle by reading the label.
Drink drivingThe UK legal limit is 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood - as a rough guide this means men should consume no more than four units of alcohol, and women no more than three units, before driving. Still, there is no fail-safe guide as to how much you can drink and stay under the limit. The only safe way to avoid a fatal accident, driving ban and/or large fine is not to drink if you plan to drive.
So I guess it’s just a pint - then - perhaps a pint and a half if it’s over a long everning with food and stuff.
Best thing is to have nothing if you are going to ride/drive. Having said that, I’ve driven after a pint/glass of wine. With a meal too. But usually I’ll stick with soft drinks if I am riding/driving. As Trojan said, too much to lose.
I’m going on really sketchy memory here, the gist of which is that it’s not that simple.
From both a content-in-blood and effect-on-brain point of view, alcohol content is not in constant decline from when you stop drinking. It starts off rising a bit as the stuff enters your body and then, depending on what else your body’s got to do (sleep, run, walk, digest (and what it’s got to digest)) it may plateau, increase or decrease. The peak alcohol content can be at any point along quite a long timeline, and very pronounced or just a reasonably high plateau.
I’ll see if I can find any of my sources when I’m at work tomorrow.
I too dont drink if im out on the bike (= most of the time) but then again id rather not drink than take public transport.
I have once twice had a pint/bottle of beer with a meal when riding but make sure that i wouldnt be riding until at least 3-4 hours later.
another thing i do - and most will hate me for mentioning this - is drink (bring with me) non-alchoholic beers :crazy: (Becks blue is good - Bavaria is sh1t)
I have a fast metabolism and low tolerance so I feel the effects faster than most people. I wouldn’t consider having a drink and then riding or driving. It’s also important to note that driving or riding with a stinking hangover could mean you are still over the limit.
It’s also worth considering that if a pedestrian goes all lemming and walks out infront of you and you kill them if you are found to be over the limit they’ll most likely throw the book at you.
For me - in the car, would drive after one or two max. But wont have any on the bike.
Once drove after a couple on my scooter - very nearly had an off when pulling over to let an ambulance past - just totally fckd it up and hit the kerb - and I know I would’ve been fine normally. Put the wind up me and vowed not to ride after a drink.
