Yeah, because you totally have the judgement to decide whether or not you can drive in your current state when you're drunk.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I don't think they mean to drink directly before getting in a car... It'd be like having 16 for the drinking age an 18 for driving. Alcohol isn't so new and exciting and forbidden then when you actually get around to driving.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

First of all, it's not like people don't drink before the age of 21. Second of all, my point was that if you are drunk, you're not going to know that you are too impaired to drive even if you're been drunk before.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Obviously they drink before 21. But if it was legal, it would be less exciting and people would actually be more responsible about it. No one's denying that if you're already drunk, you'll make poor decisions about driving. But the post isn't about drinking and then getting right in a car.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Isn't it that way in canada? You can get your permit but you have restrictions on driving but the drinking age is 16...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

In Canada the drinking age is 19, not 16. Different provinces have different age requirements for the graduated licensing program, varying from 14 to 16 for the permits. In more European Countries, the drinking age is lower than the driving age-(example- drink at 16, drive at 18)- and it simply gets the impulsive behaviour out of your system early- so when you are an adult, and able to responsibly drive a car, you know the effects.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Surely it would be better to get a sense of how much responsibility it takes to drive a car safely before developing a taste for alcohol?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yeah, teenage brain damage sounds grand. R-tard... if that's your thought process, then you shouldn't be allowed to drive at all.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You shouldn't drive at all if you have had any alcohol. Its stupid and reckless.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Really? Are you sure that's a good idea?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It honestly astounds me how ignorant people can be. Have any of you heard of Germany? They don't have a drinking age there, so they have far less alcoholics and drunk drivers because kids grow up drinking and don't abuse it. Therefore, this idea does work and would work in other countries.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

um that's the way they do it in plenty of countries in europe. and it works. my friends in germany don't drink at ALL if they know they have to drive, whereas in the states it's always "oh i'll just have one beer... or 2 or 3..."

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If alcohol was banned altogether then this wouldn't be a problem.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You honestly don't think people would just buy alcohol illegally anyway?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You honestly don't think it would still lower the drunk driving rate?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I agree with the alcohol being banned bit, only because marijuana is. Either both are legalized/decriminalized or neither are. And if anyone says they're completely different, go shoot yourself. Alcohol is a drug, just like marijuana, and it fucks with your mind/body a lot worse. Try to tell me "marijuana's a plant, it's different", beer's main ingrediant is yeast/wheat.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

<3 that comment.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You do relieze the the U.S. tried that once. Then people strated smugling alcohol in. One of those lovely people was Al Capone, famous murder. When the U.S. lifted the ban, there where twice as many bars, because there where so many illegal ones.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

My inner dictionary just exploded.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yeah i was gonna say, we've tried that before - it was called the prohibition. didn't exactly work.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Ever heard of prohibition? Wonder why it's the only amendment that was ever repealed?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Because women got the right to vote, we kinda needed an outlet. :D jk

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The OP doesn't mean drinking five minutes before driving, they mean to have the drinking age lower than the driving age so you know how it will affect your perception skills. Sure, people drink before 21, but most kids do it to be "rebellious", not because that shit tastes good. If they realize how dangerous it can be before they start driving, they'd be more responsible knowing very well what could happen.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Exactly.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

alright. reefer. alcohol. it ALL needs to be legalised. leave smack and that shit out of it, but come on. really? in france children drink, they have virtually no drinking problems with teens and young adults. and for the record, weed IS a plant. if you get the kind with fucking, PCP in it, then that's not just marijuana. you have to make sure you don't have stuff laced in it. but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it otherwise. and you fucking conservatives need to broaden your opinion, maybe accept a joint every now and then and chill the fuck out. jesus christ. this is probably why the world is in such crappy condition, people spend too much time arguing over pointless things when they could be worrying about issues that actually matter.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I live in Holland, Your allowed to purchase Marijuana at 18 (smoke it at 16), drink alchohol at 16 and you can get your license at 18. Comparing DUI accident statistics between the USA and the Netherlands, the rates of Holland are significantly lower. I say smoke weed, get fucked up at 16-17, everything which will completely destroy your brain and then get at 18 responisble and learn to drive.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

this is a great idea, in belgium and most of continental europe children are allowed alcohol from 5 in their house with their parent's permission, and at 16 our in pubs and without parent's permission. it means that we can get used to alcohol and then we don't abuse it when we're allow to drive. and alcohol was illegal for some time in america but then looked what happened people just bought it on the black market and then the government got no money from the sales as it could not be taxed.

by Anonymous 13 years ago