Actually
according to recent medical advice, the bit between 0% and 0.05% is one of the worst for driving (or other activities requiring sound judgement). The general idea is that you are not yet obviously drunk or incapacitated, yet the part of your brain that that will usually stop you from making a bad decision has just been anesthetised.
According to the doctor that relayed this study, this is one the worst states to drive in, despite being legal. His reasoning also went on to mention that it is unlikely that any government (Australia) will lower to the limit to 0%bac as they don't want to be unpopular, thus failing to be re-elected.

The fact that this guy failed to notice the obvious uncovered bottle while focusing on the other, is perhaps an indicator of reality.
(M61A1 CUPID- STUNTS, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 2:46, 4 replies)

...or oversight. It's worth noting that the (presumably) sober copper didn't notice it either.

As an aside - it's perfectly possible for a non-drinker to have a BAC above 0%. Zero tolerance would make criminals of people who've not drunk so much as a sip of beer, let alone a pint.

I'd like to see this study, if you have the link to hand... The implication seems to be that you somehow get *better* at driving after the first pint.
( Happy Phantom has been to Hastings, Brighton, and Eastbourne too, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 2:59, closed)

I shall have to see
if I can get my hands on a hard copy, the information came via a well respected doctor, whilst talking about the effect of various drugs and their use whilst maintaining or flying aircraft. There is no implication that you get *better* at driving after the 1st pint, but that the effect are more obvious, both to the drinker and those around them.
As for myself, I can feel the significant effect that just 1 beer has on me, and because of this I refuse to drive, ride or fly at all, if I have had anything to drink.(or drink if I am going to drive/ride/fly)
(M61A1 CUPID- STUNTS, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 14:32, closed)

Uncovered bottle
Since when has it been illegal to have an open bottle in a car?
(dchurch bah, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 7:57, closed)

It's long been illegal in most parts of the US. ICBW but I think in some places you're not allowed to carry alcohol in the passenger compartment at all - you have to carry it in the boot (or trunk as they say over there).
(Vainomoinen went looking for the Sampo on, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 8:36, closed)

Ahhh
The land of the free....
(dchurch bah, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 13:41, closed)

Open containers
My Canadian friend was amazed when we showed him drive-through bottle shops (off-licences) in Australia. In Canuck land alcohol still seems to be a sin, and can only be carried locked away in the trunk of a car, after purchase from a dingy Government - run shop. The wrath of the Lord & the law will hit you if you try and carry an open container in your car or on the street. Amen.
(Classic Ray, Tue 24 Aug 2010, 9:54, closed)

And according to another recent study
a moderate wine intake causes an increase in your cognitive abilities, while being teetotal can lower them.

www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/18/booze_makes_you_clever/

Boston University Medical Centre in the USA replied to the study to say:
"The results of this study support findings from previous research on the topic: In the last three decades, the association between moderate alcohol intake and cognitive function has been investigated in 68 studies comprising 145,308 men and women from various populations with various drinking patterns. Most studies show an association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and better cognitive function and reduced risk of dementia, including both vascular dementia and Alzheimer's Disease."

My own study, comparing levels of drunkenness with pool and quiz scores, showed the same effect- booze is good to a point.

I still don't drink and drive, though. Seems like a very good way of losing your license.
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 8:59, closed)

.
What this means is you know a little quicker that you're about to ram into a packed bus stop, but as it takes you 3 x as long to get your foot onto the brake pedal, it hasn't really helped.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 12:40, closed)

And yet ...
... in studies that actually correlate intoxication with road accidents, there is a statistically significant dip in accident likelihood at low consumption (< about 0.04%). The original study that found this dip is called the "Grand Rapids study" (if you want to look it up) and it has been repeatedly reproduced since, much to the annoyance of the zero-tolerance proponents. The study showed the accident rate only really starts to increase above the 0 BAC baseline somewhere between 0.06% and 0.08%, and this heavily influenced the limits set by drink driving laws across the world (back in the days when laws were based on evidence rather than hysteria).

The purported dangers of the effect on components of driving ability (coordination, decision-making, hazard perception) at low BAC simply don't show up in any real accident statistics. Lab studies are not a good measure of driving ability.
(Mr T, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 10:16, closed)

.
Blood alcohol limits are pretty much in line with that though. We don't have zero limits. The limits we have are pretty much where the lowest denominator meets your statistics.

A pint of lager probably won't put you over the limit, and probably has little effect on your driving. A couple of pints may well put you over the limit. They will also effect most peoples driving. I know it would affect mine, and I'm a fairly hefty 6 footer.

There are probably a few people who it wouldn't affect, but then there are probably a lot of 13 year olds who could drive cars without problems. The limits aren't designed for averages, they're designed to cover the minimums. In real life nobody needs to drink and drive, they just do it because they're either too lazy to make safe arrangments, or they simply don't care. Either one of those makes them a bit of a tool.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 13:28, closed)