A question for all you drivers!!

[Belle68]

I know the rules in America are much tighter than in the UK on drinking and driving, but what are they? At home we never drink and drive. DH is terrible when it comes to flying and usually has a couple of drinks on the plane. We have hired a car for the first time this year, but DH is worried about having a drink on the plane and then driving the car when we pick it up at the airport. Any advice would be much apprectated.

 

[Goofysmate]

To play safe don't even have one .
Other might disagree with this but better to be be safe then sorry , and you would'nt want your trip to get of on the wrong foot

 

[Belle68]

Thanks Goofysmate , thats just what we thought, but Im interested in what other people think.

 

[KayleeUK]

Just moving this over to Trip Planning

 

[disneyger]

To play safe don't even have one .
Other might disagree with this but better to be be safe then sorry , and you would'nt want your trip to get of on the wrong foot

i would agree. You also have to deal with the fact you would be tired after a long flight and the stress of driving in a what may be unfamiliar circumstances.

Geraldine

 

[syko]

The offical rules:

Florida has adopted a 0.08 per se limit.
A breath-alcohol level of 0.08 or higher is prima facie evidence that a driver was under the influence of alcohol to the extent that his normal faculties were impaired.
A person convicted of a first DUI offense must pay a fine of at least $250, attend DUI school, serve up to 12 months probation, and perform community service.
The offender may also be sentenced to serve up to six months in jail.

It is illegal in Florida for a driver under age 21 to have a breath-alcohol or blood-alcohol level of 0.02 or higher.
Young drivers found to have illegal breath-alcohol levels will have their drivers licenses administratively suspended for a minimum period of six months.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

They are very strict in the US. however I do allow my self 1 drink a day with a meal. 1 Small beer or small glass of wine. If you buy any alcohol from a store, it has to be put straight in you car boot and locked away, do'nt even think about removing it from the bag on the carpark.
I do'nt have a drink on the plane because i'm a bit nervous about jumping straight in to a different car and heading out on to those big wide roads on the wrong side. 5-10mins driving and Im fine.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Forgot to say do not have one of those frozen alcohol slushies from epcot. Very nice but very strong. I take the bus to epcot.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Hi Syko. You've got me worried now . I think I'll stick to the Root beer.

 

[wayneg]

Same limit in Florida to UK isn't it?
The legal alcohol limit for driving in the UK is 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
Isn't that 0.08 same?
Glad I don't drink to worry about it.

 

[irongirlof12]

If he is worried about flying he can try 'rescue remedy', they come in pastilles now. They work for me!

 

[dc1964]

have a good drink and get the wife to drive!

 

[Belle68]

have a good drink and get the wife to drive!

Thanks, I thought someone would come up with that, unfortunately DH isnt to keen, weve already discussed it, Ive never driven an automatic, Ive never driven on the wrong side of the road and Im a woman

 

[bazzanoid]

Thanks, I thought someone would come up with that, unfortunately DH isnt to keen, weve already discussed it, Ive never driven an automatic, Ive never driven on the wrong side of the road and Im a woman

Well, I wasn't going to say anything...... *ducks to avoid various projectiles thrown by the women of the DIS*

On a serious note, driving in FL is soooo much better than this country, and an automatic is a doddle... no clutch, just stop(Park/Neutral), go(Drive), and reverse(Rev-- you know this one). Most american cars have a parking brake in place of our handbrake, which is a stiff pedal normally found on the left of the driver's footwell, with a release lever just above. The roads are nicer too, just remember you can turn right through a red light (unless otherwise signposted)

 

[Aardvarks]

You are going to be on the plane for 8 hours.

you metabolise alcohol at the rate of one unit per hour if you are a man

The legal limit in Florida is the same as the UK, which means borderline fail at 3 units.

I usually have a double whiskey at the start of a flight and then sleep

The Americans work on the principle of one 330ml bottle of Bud per hour and you will always be well inside the limit.

 

[CustardTart]

You are going to be on the plane for 8 hours.

you metabolise alcohol at the rate of one unit per hour if you are a man

The legal limit in Florida is the same as the UK, which means borderline fail at 3 units.

I usually have a double whiskey at the start of a flight and then sleep

The Americans work on the principle of one 330ml bottle of Bud per hour and you will always be well inside the limit.

Absolutely. My DH has a glass of champagne on boarding and a couple of glasses of red wine with the meal and then sleeps for the rest of the flight - approx 5 hours. No problems with driving at all...

 

[Sapper383]

Another thing to bear in mind is dehydration. Most people dehydrate significantly on long haul flights without drinking alcohol. Add alcohol and being unacclimatised to the Florida heat and you could have a potential recipe for diaster.

I would play safe and not drink at all.

Have a good holiday.

 

[Red-Snapper]

I dont drink alcohol at all while I am driving over there but I usually have 1 Vodka with the meal on the plane as it is still roughly 6 - 7 hours out from Florida plus say another hour before I get behind the wheel of the hire car.

 

[Belle68]

You are going to be on the plane for 8 hours.

you metabolise alcohol at the rate of one unit per hour if you are a man

The legal limit in Florida is the same as the UK, which means borderline fail at 3 units.

I usually have a double whiskey at the start of a flight and then sleep

The Americans work on the principle of one 330ml bottle of Bud per hour and you will always be well inside the limit.

Wow, that sounds like a lot! DH was thinking he might get away with one glass of wine at the beginning of the flight and thats it. I think he will be very happy and should be OK with that after what you have told me. Thanks

 

[Aardvarks]

I dont drink alcohol at all while I am driving over there but I usually have 1 Vodka with the meal on the plane as it is still roughly 6 - 7 hours out from Florida plus say another hour before I get behind the wheel of the hire car.

Yes, I forgot to add an hour to 90 miniutes to clear passport control, collect luggage and then walk out to the hire car area, and then stand in line before finally walking out and loading luggage in the hire car.

My advice is to have a drink early on the flight, no more than 3 units so a good double whisky, or 3 small glasses of wine with the meal and thereafter either sleep or switch to rehydration mode by drinking soft drinks, water, or I find tea helps (yes I know about caffeine being said to dehydrate but I an not convinced)

Plan your route to your hotel before hand and write down the road junctions, number and direction changes beforehand. If landing at night at Sanford, most road signs will take you down the toll road and at night not all toll booths are manned so have change in quarters and half dollars.

It is possible to to get from Sanford to Orlando and Kissimmee via the I4 but you will need to plan how to find it.

Car hire pick up and luggage collection seems much faster at Sanford than Orlando Int, mainly because they have a single stage luggage pick up process and are geared for moving British tourists through the system from charter flights.

Orlando Int is however about 30 minutes drive time nearer to all the activities and it is pretty hard to go wrong finding your way into Orlando and Kissimee

Always ask for a free map when you pick up your hire car, but as soon as you get to a gas station, I would buy an American Automobile Association folding map of either Florida or just Centrel Florida depending on your plans.

Lastly, If you can split your hire cars keys easily, do so. Have the two keys carried by different adults, if you lose your key, the cost to get a man out to make a new one and then programme it to work with your immobiliser can cost up to $300. If you cant split them, then attach a good solid dog clip and always clip inside pants, bumbag or rucksack. I have seen quite a few families stood in the WDW parking lot, waiting for the man to come out and do the key thing. It is real easy to lose keys on coasters and when you are in and out of a sack or bag during days in the parks.

Oh, and have a small flashlight with you. Invaluable if you are landing at night , you will need to find all the car controls and seat adjustment switches ( a lot of the bigger cars have all electric seats)