Drinking and Driving

This may interest some, particularly those that haven't researched it before (sorry to those that know it already).

I recently picked up an alcohol testing device. I hadn't bothered before, as what was available until fairly recently was a bunch of unreliabe instruments that wouldn't give the same reading twice running, so they were at most a mental placebo to make ytou feel better about maybe being OK to drive home after that tasting or dinner.

Recently, there have been some very decent fuel cell (similar to the police units) instruments released, and an article in Wired magazine prompted me to take the plunge. The article is here, for those interested: http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/pr_roundup_breathalyzers

I picked up the BACTrack S80 Pro which was available in Canada and was a few bucks less than the other best unit in the comparison test. It reads about 0.001 low, but as long as you remember that, it is consistent.

Being of scientific bent, I immediately set up a test of the new machine, consisting of me, a bottle of 14% Cabernet, and a TV set to keep my amused between readings.

First, I drank 1/2 boittle over 1/2 hour, and then waited for 20 minutes (the machine says to do that) before measuring. Result, 0.025 Not much, you say? Ah, but what I had imbibed wasn't all into the bloodstream yet.

I then proceeded to finish the other half of the bottle over the next half hour, making a whole bottle in about 1.5 hours, probably the same amnount but in a bit shorter time than I would in a long wine lunch.

The readings:

20 min. 0.049 This was my highest reading and even if you bump it to 0.059 it was still legal to drive in many areas (we are limited to .08 here and throughout the US, although some areas in Europe with stricter limits).

40 min. .040

60 min. .033

120 min. .023

I took readings every 10 minutes, but I only include a few here - you can see the trend.

PLEASE note that intake vs. BAC is a personal thing dependent on blood volume and body size, and that I am 'generousl;y proportioned'. Many, perhaps most regular sized people would probably be blitzed and well over the legal limit before they finished a bottle of wine in the same time.

Do NOT take this to mean that you could use this as a rule of thumb. DO use this as an incentive to consider buying your own meter if you often have to drive yourself to wine events, and test before going home. The tools are now available and they are reasonably priced compared to the consequences of erring and getting caught. The Bactrack I bought was about $225 and the AlcoMate AccuCell AL9000 closer to $300. But then what does that ticket and DUI charge end up costing.....

My results mean that for the most part, when I was going by the 'guess and hope' method, I was probably still OK to drive, but I think I'll be much happier knowing where I stand and being able to moderate drinking, wait awhile or take alternative transportation (all of which I've done in the past).

Hope this was of interest to some, but if it educated even one member into using one of these and driving more safely, I'll be happy. Finally, do not use these meters to tell you that you can drive if you don't feel up to driving. You may be tired, jet lagged, sick, run down, and a lower than legal reading may take the wind out of your sails to the point that even under the limit, you won't be able to drive alertly. Benefit of the doubt should always go to not driving.

If you can drink a bottle of wine over 90 minutes and not be legally drunk, you are a better person than I. I am relatively small, but I expect that I would be way over any legal limit.

[David M. Bueker]

I used a personal alcohol tester for a while & discovered that before I was "over the limit" I was not happy with how I felt. That was a useful realization.

With the assistance of two of the pride of the finest of Israel's police force, I recently completed a similar test. Three different methods of measuring alcohol in the blood stream were used (because of restrictions on the part of my newspaper details only after my article is published). Interestingly each showed similar results.

For the public knowledge my height is 6'0" (183 cm) and my body weight is 185 pounds (84 kilos)* The wines, half or full-bottles were intentionally consumed with a modicum of food and within a 90 minute period.

First experience:

1/2 hour after consuming a half bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, with 13.5% alcohol - over the legal driving limit by all measures
1 hour after consuming a half bottle of the same wine (same occasion) - just barely over the legal limit
1.5 hours after consuming the wine above - sober as a saint


Second experience:

1/2 hour after consuming a half-bottle of Cabernet Sauvingnon with 15.5% alcohol - very much over the legal limit - enough to lose my driving licence for 3 years
1 hour after consuming the above Cabernet - well over the legal driving limit, enough to lose my licence for one year
1.5 hours after - sober as a sait

Third experience:

1/2 hour after consuming a full bottle of Cabernet with 13.5% alcohol - did not feel it but according to the law was drunk as a proverbial skunk
1 hour afterwards - the skunk and I continued to walk in a rather wobbly manner
1.5 hours after - a bit over the legal driving limit
2.5 hours later - sober as a judge

Fourth and Final experience:

1/2 hour after consuming a bottle of Amarone 14% alcohol, felt it and was completely blotto.
1 hour after - still blotto
1.5 afterwards - testing impossible because I had fallen asleep and my police friends could not wake me

Best
Rogov

If you can drink a bottle of wine over 90 minutes and not be legally drunk, you are a better person than I.

Nope, just a bigger person. A normal size person would likely be snockered. I wanted to replicate a wine event but telescoped into about 90 minutes as a worst case scenario, rather than the more normal 3 hours it usually takes.

I used a personal alcohol tester for a while & discovered that before I was "over the limit" I was not happy with how I felt. That was a useful realization.

Absolutely agree, David. There was no way I felt like hopping into a car after drinking what I did. I think there is a danger that some people would rely on a meter and ignore their common sense (assuming they have any) and how they feel. If you wonder if you should be driving, chances are that you shouldn't.

1/2 hour after consuming a bottle of Amarone 14% alcohol, felt it and was completely blotto.
1 hour after - still blotto
1.5 afterwards - testing impossible because I had fallen asleep and my police friends could not wake me

Rogov, maybe that just shows an allergy to Corvina and Rondinella! And where did you find a wimpy 14% Amarone? Any Amarone I have is 15.5 - 16%. I have no doubt that a bottle of that wine would put you under for the count - next thing to downing a bottle of Port!

The other ones you cite are on target. The scary one is that you say you didn't feel over the limit. I always feel it when I have been drinking, even at a BAC of 1/2 or 1/3 of the limit and that is a good thing as it makes me careful. Not feeling as if you had imbibed could get you in trouble real quick!

Maybe I should pursuade She-who-must-be-obeyed to undertake a similar test as a comparison, as she often drinks very sparingly when she is to drive. She should know just how much wine equates to how much of a BAC problem.

I must say that these current meters are so much better than the old ones that wouldn't give consistent readings twice running and would vary hugely over several readings taken seriatim in a short time.

1/2 hour after consuming a bottle of Amarone 14% alcohol, felt it and was completely blotto.
1 hour after - still blotto
1.5 afterwards - testing impossible because I had fallen asleep and my police friends could not wake me

Rogov, maybe that just shows an allergy to Corvina and Rondinella! And where did you find a wimpy 14% Amarone? Any Amarone I have is 15.5 - 16%. I have no doubt that a bottle of that wine would put you under for the count - next thing to downing a bottle of Port!

Not sure it is safe to believe the alcohol content on many bottles on wine! I bet the real alcohol content of that Amarone is at least 16%.

If you can drink a bottle of wine over 90 minutes and not be legally drunk, you are a better person than I. I am relatively small, but I expect that I would be way over any legal limit.

Does Mosel Kabinett or Spatlese count in that?