5 ms·

In case it wasn't clear from my comment, I'm less willing to argue for the innocence of a person who was at .07, or .075, or .0799, because of the potentially s

In case it wasn't clear from my comment, I'm less willing to argue for the innocence of a person who was at .07, or .075, or .0799, because of the potentially serious consequences of their decisions and the number of convenient alternatives they had available. That's my personal position on this. It's consistent with my own moral framework. I get that there's a valid counterargument from a position of law-and-order morality. But I've also had friends who were first responders to a horrifying drunk driver collision. Trying to keep innocent people from bleeding out on the side of the road messes you up for a while. It's not a victimless crime. You can get from .08 to .06 by walking around for an hour. If you think you might be close enough to borderline, go take a walk.

ironjunkie 8y ago
We are in a state of law. you cannot argue that a person is innocent but "not innocent enough" because they came too close to the fixed limit. A person is over it and guilty or under it and innocent. As said above, if you think this limit is too high, fight to have it lowered but please don't blur the lines of the law based on your personal convictions.
lolsal 8y ago
> In case it wasn't clear from my comment, I'm less willing to argue for the innocence of a person who was at .07, or .075, or .0799, because of the potentially serious consequences of their decisions and the number of convenient alternatives they had available. Do you feel the same way about getting ticketed for Speeding when going 55mph in a 55mph zone? Going 56mph is technically speeding you know and 55mph is very close to 56 mpg. 55mph and 56mph are arguably equivalently dangerous. A limit is a limit. It's a discrete, unchanging, unambiguous, line in the sand that once crossed warrants consequences. That's why we codify these things into laws.
driverdan 8y ago
Your moral framework and personal position is not what should be used to determine guilt. One issue is that some places set a very low standard, one lower than evidence shows to effect driving ability. Being borderline with unnecessarily low limits means the person is not impaired.
camgunz 8y ago
> You can get from .08 to .06 by walking around for an hour. If you think you might be close enough to borderline, go take a walk. This isn't what the science says, and you can't "think you might be close enough to borderline" because you don't have an internal BAC meter. All in all this is extremely bad advice.
- djrogers 8y ago
  > This isn't what the science says Umm yeah - science and personal experience say it really is. Do you have a source for your claim?
  - Dylan16807 8y ago
    Science says that when you start walking, your body stops absorbing alcohol from your digestive tract? What if that walk takes you from .6 to .8? Oops.
    - djrogers 8y ago
      Citation please? That's not supported by any of the studies I've read or personal experience with BAC testing. In fact, pretty much everything points to walking having no affect on alcohol metabolism at all, so what you've done is spent an additional hour metabolising the alcohol, and lowering your BAC.
      - Dylan16807 8y ago
        https://mcwell.nd.edu/your-well-being/physical-well-being/alcohol/absorption-rate-factors/ https://mcwell.nd.edu/your-well-being/physical-well-being/al... "A person who has not eaten will hit a peak BAC typically between 1/2 hour to two hours of drinking. A person who has eaten will hit a peak BAC typically between 1 and 6 hours, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed." Walking does nothing, but giving the alcohol more time to absorb can take you from safe to unsafe.

ironjunkie 8y ago

We are in a state of law. you cannot argue that a person is innocent but "not innocent enough" because they came too close to the fixed limit. A person is over it and guilty or under it and innocent. As said above, if you think this limit is too high, fight to have it lowered but please don't blur the lines of the law based on your personal convictions.

lolsal 8y ago

> In case it wasn't clear from my comment, I'm less willing to argue for the innocence of a person who was at .07, or .075, or .0799, because of the potentially serious consequences of their decisions and the number of convenient alternatives they had available. Do you feel the same way about getting ticketed for Speeding when going 55mph in a 55mph zone? Going 56mph is technically speeding you know and 55mph is very close to 56 mpg. 55mph and 56mph are arguably equivalently dangerous. A limit is a limit. It's a discrete, unchanging, unambiguous, line in the sand that once crossed warrants consequences. That's why we codify these things into laws.

driverdan 8y ago

Your moral framework and personal position is not what should be used to determine guilt. One issue is that some places set a very low standard, one lower than evidence shows to effect driving ability. Being borderline with unnecessarily low limits means the person is not impaired.

camgunz 8y ago

> You can get from .08 to .06 by walking around for an hour. If you think you might be close enough to borderline, go take a walk. This isn't what the science says, and you can't "think you might be close enough to borderline" because you don't have an internal BAC meter. All in all this is extremely bad advice.

djrogers 8y ago
> This isn't what the science says Umm yeah - science and personal experience say it really is. Do you have a source for your claim?
- Dylan16807 8y ago
  Science says that when you start walking, your body stops absorbing alcohol from your digestive tract? What if that walk takes you from .6 to .8? Oops.
  - djrogers 8y ago
    Citation please? That's not supported by any of the studies I've read or personal experience with BAC testing. In fact, pretty much everything points to walking having no affect on alcohol metabolism at all, so what you've done is spent an additional hour metabolising the alcohol, and lowering your BAC.
    - Dylan16807 8y ago
      https://mcwell.nd.edu/your-well-being/physical-well-being/alcohol/absorption-rate-factors/ https://mcwell.nd.edu/your-well-being/physical-well-being/al... "A person who has not eaten will hit a peak BAC typically between 1/2 hour to two hours of drinking. A person who has eaten will hit a peak BAC typically between 1 and 6 hours, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed." Walking does nothing, but giving the alcohol more time to absorb can take you from safe to unsafe.