cycling under alcohol

just seen the report on drink drining in poland......if you get caught you are banned and sent to prison.........

this includes cyling and 4000 cyclist got sent to prison last year and you get banned from driving as well as a ban from cycling.............

have you ever cycled after a couple of drinks..............if I'm driving i won't even have a single drink.but cycling I would happily have a couple of pints and then cycle

I think over here you would get a fine, but they couldn't take your license off you, I have heard of people using electric bikes and drink driving because they aren't classed as a vehicle so they only get fined if caught and not lose their license.

I think you have to be drunk over here for them to stop you and fine you...........poland you can be randomly breath tested by the look of it

I'm quite happy to have a pint or two and cycle, though never drive. Logic being that there's an awful lot of dangerous cyclists out there - scallies jumping MTBs up and down kerbs and pedalling with no hands etc - and if I cycle carefully I'll still be a lot safer (and less noticeable to police etc.) than most, drink or no drink.

Pethead wrote (see)

I'm quite happy to have a pint or two and cycle, though never drive. Logic being that there's an awful lot of dangerous cyclists out there - scallies jumping MTBs up and down kerbs and pedalling with no hands etc - and if I cycle carefully I'll still be a lot safer (and less noticeable to police etc.) than most, drink or no drink.

I'm quite happy to have a pint or two and drive. Logic being that there's an awful lot of dangerous drivers out there - scallies jumping lights, on their mobile phones steering with their knees, etc - and if I drive carefully I'll still be a lot safer (and less noticeable to police etc.) than most, drink or no drink.

No logic here or there.

If you want to cycle and drink cycle and drink but its not logically safer than drinking and driving. Statistically may be. Logically no.

The official line.....:

Section 30 Road Traffic Act 1988 says: "It is an  offence for a person to ride a cycle on a road or other public place  when unfit to ride through drink or drugs - that is to say - is under  the influence of a drink or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable  of having proper control of the cycle.

In Scotland a PC may arrest without warrant a person  committing an offence under this section. There is no obligation for a  cyclist to submit to a blood or urine alcohol test.

'Road' in the above bit of legislation includes a  bridleway so don't think you can get blotto at a country pub and ride  home 'off road' without risk.

And, as stated  above, cycling 'dangerously' can be fined by up to £2500.

You can not get endorsements on your UK driving licence  for a 'drink cycling' offence

But Seren - are you ever sober??

Stephen E Forde wrote (see)

Pethead wrote (see)

I'm quite happy to have a pint or two and cycle, though never drive. Logic being that there's an awful lot of dangerous cyclists out there - scallies jumping MTBs up and down kerbs and pedalling with no hands etc - and if I cycle carefully I'll still be a lot safer (and less noticeable to police etc.) than most, drink or no drink.

I'm quite happy to have a pint or two and drive. Logic being that there's an awful lot of dangerous drivers out there - scallies jumping lights, on their mobile phones steering with their knees, etc - and if I drive carefully I'll still be a lot safer (and less noticeable to police etc.) than most, drink or no drink.

No logic here or there.

If you want to cycle and drink cycle and drink but its not logically safer than drinking and driving. Statistically may be. Logically no.

SEF, if you could compare the quality of my driving and my cycling when I'm stone-cold sober, I think the logic would emerge! I'm an experienced, steady and considerate cyclist, but I certainly don't need anything to make my driving any worse than it is...

Rafi.i have given up alcohol for 3 weeks.......1 week in already and sober thank you very much.....

The fact is a car is a dangerous weapon if not handled correctly............it is a very rare occassion when a bicycle does damage to anyone but the rider themselves........

Two pints of medium strength lager will put you over the limit, if you're an averagely built bloke.

You'd REALLY be happy to get behind the wheel of a car knowing you're breaking the law?

seren nos wrote (see)

 

The fact is a car is a dangerous weapon if not handled correctly............it is a very rare occassion when a bicycle does damage to anyone but the rider themselves........

ohhh I don't know about that - I've seen you ride a bike

Quite a few years ago, I cycled to a friend's for the evening, about a mile and a half away. I expected to have a few social drinks and cycle back about 11. Hmmm... Well, it turned into a huge girly chat between the 3 of us, really emotional good stuff and we were all arsed by whatever O'clock in the morning.

How hard could it be to cycle home? It'll be fine I thought.

DON'T DO IT (is my word to the wise, I'm always there to get your back and try and beat anyone to a Darwin Award).

I couldn't tell you how many times I fell off, there's a very steep hill leading to the farm lane, how I even attempted it who knows. Anyway I made it home but the bike didn't, as soon as I got onto the farm I ditched it and staggered the last 1/3 mile.

The result? By the state of me my husband thought I'd been mugged, probable fractured jaw, huge bruising down one side of my body, and the bike once rescued was a bit of a mess too.

I did have a cycle helmet on though

Not clever, (vaguely funny in points) and a huge proper bollocking from hubby for even attempting it.

Luckily I only had to negotiate deserted rural lanes and didn't meet any traffic.

My dad rode his bike into the canal pissed up, good effort.

Yes I'd do it - the potential for a bike to do damage to someone is very small except if you cause a motor vehicle to crash - best cycle on the pavement then.   

I rode home drunk from a friend's.  Clearly too drunk to ride but all was fine (cycle pathed it at night!) until I got home and cycled down the drive and round the corner into the back garden. I took the corner too sharply, too fast and fell sideways into the corner of the house with my wrist.  Very painful!

Now I get off at the end of the drive

Rafiki, I understand your reading of the legislation. However there is an urban myth that goes aong the lines of not admitting to a (sober) Police Officer that you do actually have a driving licence, because you could get points on the licence. Try thinking faster than them if asked for some id....

None the less, I also admit to drunk cycling (before I could drive). I met a gently curving kerb line which went to the right, and that's where my bike went. Me? I hit the lamp post with my collar bone. I'll tell you for free that it hurt the next day, once I woke up.