Not that I encourage driving while intoxicated here in the United States, or anywhere for that matter, but be extra careful if you are out having a good time in Norway and you are the driver.\u00a0 Norwegian law states that an individual with a BAC (blood alcohol content)\u00a0at or over .02% is over the legal limit.\u00a0 In the United States, any number equal to or greater than .08 is considered over the limit.\u00a0 As you can see, Norway is much stricter when it comes to drinking and driving.\u00a0 Many countries in the world have a legal limit of .08, but the only country greater than that is Swaziland (0.1).<\/p>\n
In the United States, a DUI or DWI (depending on the\u00a0circumstances-speed, other cars involved, etc.) usually merits a ticket, a fine, and a court hearing.\u00a0 An individual can get multiple DUIs and not ever go to jail.\u00a0 In Norway, on the other hand, every offender goes to jail for a minimum of 3 weeks if he\/she is caught driving with a BAC above .02.\u00a0 There is a prison in the small village of Ilseng<\/strong> (near Hamar, <\/strong>which is in the southeastern part of the country)\u00a0where drunk driving offenders spend time.<\/p>\n I personally think that Norway has done it right once again.\u00a0 Norway has very few problems with drinking and driving compared to the U.S.\u00a0\u00a0Despite the fact that\u00a0there are much fewer people in Norway and fewer people driving cars because of the excellent public transportation, the low instance of drinking and driving in Norway can be greatly attributed to the strict legal limit and the\u00a0serious consequences.<\/p>\n When I was in Norway, people were very considerate of this law.\u00a0 Very seldom did I know about someone driving after they had had more than one beer.\u00a0 It’s pretty cool how much people respect it.\u00a0 Friends simply take turns being designated drivers.\u00a0 So when you’re in Norway in a similar situation, remember to be smart and take turns driving sober.\u00a0 Don’t want to get stuck in jail for 3 weeks!<\/p>\n And now for some related Norwegian vocabulary…<\/p>\n \u00e5 drikke=<\/strong> to drink\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 drikker <\/strong>= drinks\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 drakk = <\/strong>drank<\/p>\n alkohol = <\/strong>alcohol\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00f8l <\/strong>= beer\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 vin = <\/strong>wine<\/p>\n brennevin<\/strong> =\u00a0 the general term for distilled spirits-literally means “burnwine”<\/p>\n full <\/strong>= drunk\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 bakfull<\/strong> = hungover (apparently not in my dictionary, but Norwegians\u00a0use this)<\/p>\n brus<\/strong> = pop (if you are the designated driver)<\/p>\n \ufffd<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Not that I encourage driving while intoxicated here in the United States, or anywhere for that matter, but be extra careful if you are out having a good time in Norway and you are the driver.\u00a0 Norwegian law states that an individual with a BAC (blood alcohol content)\u00a0at or over .02% is over the legal…<\/p>\n