anyone here ever drive drunk? c'mon... admit it! (you morons!)

[Lazymeatball]

You are still overemphasizing the facts based on your emotional stance on the issue.

All you had to say was that being drunk makes it more likely for any driver to be involved in a fatal accident than if they were sober.


[ QUOTE ]
The argument was that a drunk person cannot react in time to some unexpected event on the road. I guess I should have said that it's extremely unlikely instead of using an absolute.

[/ QUOTE ]
By saying "extremely" you are using a variation of an absolute. All you have to say is that it's less likely, as the use of the word extremely is highly subjective. This part of the argument is purely semantics, but semantical arguments can be meaningful (but this one probably isn't.)


[ QUOTE ]
Garbage. While there are obviously some very bad drivers out there, it really doesn't matter how "great" of a driver anyone is drunk - the killer ingredient is the significant decrease in reaction times caused by alcohol. I will say that it is extremely unlikely that anyone who is drunk can drive more safely than anyone who is not, regardless of how bad that sober person is, based purely on their impaired ability to react to a hazardous situation in time. Even the most retarded of sunday drivers can slam on the brakes when they need to.

[/ QUOTE ]

My original response still holds true
[ QUOTE ]
It should be obvious that the variance in the skill level of driving is so vast, that there must be some great drivers who can drive better drunk than some horrible drivers who are driving while sober.

[/ QUOTE ]

Look, I'm not defending drunk driving, I'm just pointing out that your argument is piss poor.

[Notorious G.O.B.]

[ QUOTE ]

thats such bullshit. My friends didnt die because somene was drunk, both of them died becuase someone was drunk and stupid. Appealing to the victim has little emotional power with me because i had spoken with both victims so many times. Drunk driving is scary. Stupid driving is lethal.


[/ QUOTE ]
Drunk driving is stupid driving. It doesn't get much stupider than that.

[Lazymeatball]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

thats such bullshit. My friends didnt die because somene was drunk, both of them died becuase someone was drunk and stupid. Appealing to the victim has little emotional power with me because i had spoken with both victims so many times. Drunk driving is scary. Stupid driving is lethal.


[/ QUOTE ]
Drunk driving is stupid driving. It doesn't get much stupider than that.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are alot of old people who drive much stupider than that. you know the ones who always panic and step on the gas instead of the brake.

[Notorious G.O.B.]

Of course. But you agree it's up there on the stupidity level, right?

[Lazymeatball]

Drunk driving is way high on the poor decision level. Right up their with teen pregnancy and deciding to become a General Studies Major.

[Dave G.]

[ QUOTE ]
You are still overemphasizing the facts based on your emotional stance on the issue.

All you had to say was that being drunk makes it more likely for any driver to be involved in a fatal accident than if they were sober.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wanted to get across why this is the case, rather than just make a statement. My point is that for some people, everything is fine and happy with their drunk driving, until something unexpected happens. At that point, you may have only a few split seconds to do something. Alcohol removes those split seconds from every driving decision that a driver can make on the road, regardless of how good the driver happens to be.

[ QUOTE ]
My original response still holds true
[ QUOTE ]
It should be obvious that the variance in the skill level of driving is so vast, that there must be some great drivers who can drive better drunk than some horrible drivers who are driving while sober.

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess we'll just disagree on this point. I don't think any amount of driving skill can make up for the loss of reaction time alcohol causes. If your brain doesn't register that something dangerous is happening in time, you can't react in time to that danger, and it doesn't really matter how good you are.

Think of it this way. If I stand 3 inches from a guy with my hands up in a fighting guard, there is no way he can stop me from punching him with my front guard, regardless of how much training he has or how fast he is, or even how slow I am (assuming that I don't telegraph of course).

I'm just too close. He is going to get hit. His brain doesn't receive the light signals from his eyes that there is a fist flying to his face quickly enough, so he can't move his arms to intercept the punch. If he stands back further, he can see those signals before my fist is that close and he can react in time. The effect that alcohol has on your reaction time is to effectively move you closer and closer to the guy who is punching.

[ QUOTE ]
Look, I'm not defneding drunk driving, I'm just pointing out that your argument is piss poor.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't agree. Reaction time is exactly why drink driving is so dangerous. I'll give that I used too much hyperbole, but the basis of the argument still stands.

[Lazymeatball]

[ QUOTE ]
I wanted to get across why this is the case, rather than just make a statement. My point is that for some people, everything is fine and happy with their drunk driving, until something unexpected happens. At that point, you may have only a few split seconds to do something. Alcohol removes those split seconds from every driving decision that a driver can make on the road, regardless of how good the driver happens to be.[ QUOTE ]

Yes. Yes. this is very good. i agree.
[ QUOTE ]
I guess we'll just disagree

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, Ill call a truce here, I just think there are some really really bad drivers out there, and your seem to believe that even these bad drivers at least have a better reaction time than drunk drivers, even if the drunk drivers normally make good driving decisions.


I think that sums it up. Have a nice day. I'm going to continue drinking now. Luckily I'm in my bedroom so no driving is involved.

[drewjustdrew]

[ QUOTE ]
I've done it too many times to count, and even while quite drunk felt I was in decent control. But judgment's the first thing to go, and I'm sure thinking I was driving okay and kind of safe on the road had a hefty helping of illusion in it. I kind of regret it now, even though that sounds a bit stupid in a way, since it can't be undone and no harm ever came. I just regret being that stupid not with my own life, but with the lives of others. Heck, I could have killed a whole family or something. Hard to get happy after that one.

I'm glad I grew out of that particular form of stupidity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto on everything except the "grew out" part. I still occasionally do it, but am working on identifying and avoiding the situations that would get me in trouble.

[OrangeHeat]

Growing up in Northern New York driving drunk was a frequent occurance. I never did it with passengers and the most likely things to hit would have been deer, trees, or the random loose cow.

Dumb now that I look back. I can remember a few times having to pull over and puke before continuing on the way home.

When I go back to visit it appears to still be a sport of sorts up there. Go to the bar with friends, they all get hammered, and they all want to drive home. Being DD means a good hour and a half of traversing country roads dropping everyone off.

Orange

[HopeydaFish]

I drove way over the limit once about ten years ago when I was definitely over the limit, and I'll never do it again. I drove by a RIDE program at an intersection where they were stopping all eastbound and westbound drivers, but letting the northbound and southbound drivers through. Thankfully I was heading north. I nearly [censored] myself as I was approaching the intersection when I saw the flashing lights...that was enough to scare me straight. I realized the next morning how close I'd come to severely screwing up my life over something so stupid and avoidable.

Btw...to all you heroes who are arguing that you "drive better when you're drunk" and "I drive better drunk than most people drive sober"...you need to get your heads out of your asses.