There is overwhelming evidence that the certainty of punishment is a far better detriment than the severity. In about 1997 I was stopped for speeding in Los Angeles; I was allegedly going one mile per hour over the speed limit downhill on an Interstate. I had drunk one non-alcoholic beer, but smelled the same as though I had drunk a case of Budweiser. The clinching argument was that I couldn't pass a roadside sobriety test. I had not been able to do so since suffering a stroke at age 30.
Breathalyzer on the spot showed zero alcohol; so did breathalyzer at the station. The police decided to let the judge sort it out. Drunken driving charged dismissed, I plead guilty to speeding, suspended fine.
Ever since then I have eschewed alcohol-free beer if I will be driving. It was the certainty, not severity, that convinced me.
There is overwhelming evidence that the certainty of punishment is a far better detriment than the severity. In about 1997 I was stopped for speeding in Los Angeles; I was allegedly going one mile per hour over the speed limit downhill on an Interstate. I had drunk one non-alcoholic beer, but smelled the same as though I had drunk a case of Budweiser. The clinching argument was that I couldn't pass a roadside sobriety test. I had not been able to do so since suffering a stroke at age 30.
Breathalyzer on the spot showed zero alcohol; so did breathalyzer at the station. The police decided to let the judge sort it out. Drunken driving charged dismissed, I plead guilty to speeding, suspended fine.
Ever since then I have eschewed alcohol-free beer if I will be driving. It was the certainty, not severity, that convinced me.