During the session, Hyelim Ha, 26, a Mainichi Shimbun reporter, drank and drove on a trial basis while colleague Rokuhei Sato, 29, traveled in the same vehicle to report on the boozed driving -- an experience exposing the danger of overconfidence. [...] Ha then had a 350-milliliter can of beer, a cup each of "umeshu" plum liquor and "shochu" distilled spirit, both diluted with water, over the course of roughly an hour. A breathalyzer test detected 0.30 milligrams of alcohol per liter of breath, twice the DUI threshold of 0.15 mg. A red-faced Ha said, "My hands are cold and my heart's beating fast," yet added, "I'm conscious and I feel like I can drive." [...] Soon after Ha started the car, however, fellow reporter Sato noticed anomalies. The now drunken driver repeatedly accelerated and slowed down along straight lines and curves in the early section of the course when there was no need to do so, resulting in Sato lurching back and forth every time. While Ha cleared the slalom without hitting any obstacles, vice school head Kubota stopped the driver when she was about to enter the S-curve.