As most of my reader(s) know I enjoy drinking beer in social settings (although rarely at home).  While I don’t have much of a social life, I do play darts two or three times per week and I’ve found beer to be a useful tool in that endeavor.  In fact, beer is commonly referred to in the sport as “aiming fluid”.

Given the outstanding public transportation system in Korea I never really had to worry about the amount of beer I consumed during a dart match (other than recognizing that after a certain point inebriation will impact on the quality of my game).  Here in the USA there is no getting around driving to the various dart venues, so it is imperative to not drink in excess of the legal limit (currently .08 blood alcohol content in South Carolina) when operating a motor vehicle.  I’m actually very paranoid about driving after drinking.  I never get “drunk-drunk”, but I’m quite certain I could potentially exceed .08 with no outward signs of impairment.

The rule of thumb is to limit yourself to one drink per hour which I find difficult to do.  I’m a big guy and based on the online calculators I’ve looked at, I can probably partake in four beers in an hour without crossing the line.  What I normally do is drink five beers during a three hour dart match, then switch to diet Coke at the end of the evening.  That’s probably a “safe” amount, but other factors come into play (for example, what you have eaten) and the truth of the matter is you can never be certain.  Alcohol impairs judgement, and making the judgement that you are okay to drive after drinking is a fool’s bet.

Being arrested for DUI is an expensive and life altering event.  And that’s really the best case scenario.  God forbid you do something stupid which causes death or injury to yourself or someone else.  I’ve learned that two friends were busted for DUI during the six months I was staying in Korea.  I’ve also been told that DUI checkpoints are frequently set up along the route I travel home after a night of darting.  Despite my intent to be responsible when it comes to drinking and driving, I really fear inadvertently fucking up.

So, this morning I purchased one of these from a company called BACtrack:

My own personal breathalyzer. A bargain at $129.95 considering what a miscalculation would cost me.

Once it arrives it will be interesting to see how accurate my personal rule-of-thumb has been.  But one thing is certain, I will never drive my vehicle anytime I am anywhere near the legal limit.  In fact, my plan is to not get behind the wheel at over .05. That’s the standard the federal government wants the states to impose.  It’s the right thing to do and you can’t put a price tag on the peace of mind that comes with being a responsible driver.