[Chyld]

Prison for Red Bull binge driver

Drivers have been warned about caffeine excess after a man was jailed for leading police on a 50-mile car chase after drinking 20 cans of Red Bull.

Peter Edwards, 48, from King's Lynn, was jailed for four months on Friday after Norwich Crown Court heard he was pursued across Cambs and Norfolk.

His car was seen "swerving from side to side" across the A10, the court heard.

The AA motoring group said too much caffeine can affect the way you drive.

'Stay awake'

Andrew Howard, head of road safety for the AA Motoring Trust, said: "The message is that if you take anything as a stimulant, whether it be caffeine or herbal medicines, then you have got to be aware that they ultimately have an effect on you and the way you drive.

"Caffeine in sensible quantities can help drivers stay alert, but if taken to excess, like many other drugs, it can have strange effects on people."

An RAC spokesman said: "Caffeine is something that we recommend drinking in small quantities."

At one stage police drove in front of Edwards to slow him down but he simply veered out to overtake in front of a lorry.

Police eventually stopped his car at Swaffham by using a stinger device to puncture his tyres.

Edwards, who was later tested and found to be free of any alcohol or drugs, admitted dangerous driving on 13 March last year.

David Bird, in defence, said Edward's mother had died of cancer two weeks before the chase and Edwards had been suffering from severe depression.

He was also said to have had a history of mental illness.

"He had been drinking cans of Red Bull as he was ferrying members of his family to various parties during the night and had consumed the drink to stay awake," he added.

A spokeswoman for Red Bull said: "Research has proven that just one or two cans of Red Bull can help alleviate the effects of tiredness - there is no added benefit in consuming the product in excessive amounts.

"One can of Red Bull contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of filter coffee."

http://news.bbc.co.u...olk/4634638.stm

Well, this still doesn't disprove my general assertion that weed doesn't impare ones driving. Even considering some of the drivers I've ridden with...

Thanks to Marky for this one!

This post has been edited by Chyld: 23 January 2006 - 07:46 PM

[Mirithorn]

I always wondered what would happen if I ate two packages of those caffeine candies.

[Revan-47]

CAFFINED MAKES U UP THESHUTE SEEM LIK e a bAD CAS OF THE MUNCHIES.?!?!?

[Mirithorn]

...

[Deepsycher]

I think what matters is the speed of the affects. Usually the cause of taking anything in large quantities. For the depression, "Taking the bull on the road certainly gave him wings, to lock horns with police."

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 23 January 2006 - 08:49 PM

[Otal Nimrodi]

Wow... That was almost sensical.

[Deepsycher]

Wow... That was almost sensical.

Yes, it was sensical for flying on the bulls?
He just got caught in the red.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 23 January 2006 - 10:22 PM

[Chyld]

I knew I should have gone out on the piss tonight...

But yeah, I suppose its nutters like this guy that explain why such silly countries as France apparently have/had banned it.

[Deepsycher]

I knew I should have gone out on the piss tonight...

But yeah, I suppose its nutters like this guy that explain why such silly countries as France apparently have/had banned it.

Well it does contain a cocktail that makes you fly.

[Mirithorn]

Is that a joke? No sarcasm meant.

[Despondent]

Caffeine candy? I'd like to hear about that.

[Deepsycher]

Is that a joke? No sarcasm meant.

It is multi meaning.

[Mirithorn]

I found it at a gas station in Conneticut, and bought a package. They're little brown lozenge things that are like coffee only a lot smaller so you don't have to eat as much to get the desired effect. 1 lozenge=1 cup of coffee.

[Deepsycher]

I found it at a gas station in Conneticut, and bought a package. They're little brown lozenge things that are like coffee only a lot smaller so you don't have to eat as much to get the desired effect. 1 lozenge=1 cup of coffee.

A bit of quantity is nice, but no water?
Don't they do non caffeine stuff or is it that they like to see people pass the highway.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 23 January 2006 - 11:09 PM

[KurganX]

I haven't seen those, but I've seen those chocolate covered expresso beans which are caffeine rich.

Yeah, those energy drinks are pretty bad for you (but then so is too much coffee). They're really bad for exercise, since they tend to dehydrate a person, unlike say, gatorade or even (shock!) plain water. While I worked the night shift at a warehouse I used to drink them (we got all the free pop we could drink), and they did help me keep awake, but I was careful never to have more than 2 a day, and after I quit working there I stopped drinking them. When it got hot I made sure to drink something sensible instead.