Cycling after a few drinks

[Profpointy]

Not against the law to cut metal useing an angle grinder with no PPE or even use a chainsaw after drinking but very few would even consider doing so, my view is if anyone can pay to drink they can pay a taxi, cycling after drinking could cost a lot more than the cost of a taxi.

Well OK, but to use the PPE analogy, sensible people will wear appropriate PPE and be dead sober whilst operating a chainsaw but would be quite sanguine about making a sandwich after the pub without a chain mail glove.

Similarly the law puts a zero alcohol obligation on airline pilots, a specified alcohol restriction on operators of motor-vehicles, but
for cycling you have to be actually drunk for an offence to be committed. For merely walking being drunk is allowed providing you are not also disorderly or incapable. This seems reasonable to me and proportionate to the danger caused to others

 

[Dogtrousers]

Finland has the same limit as Scotland.

I didn't know that. Being a non drinker it's not something that I've needed to know. I just knew Finland was quite low and strict. I just looked it and in the grand scheme of things Finland and Scotland are not particularly low, and the UK is ludicrously high.

Source: https://etsc.eu/issues/drink-driving/blood-alcohol-content-bac-drink-driving-limits-across-europe/
Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia. 0 Zero tolerance.
Spain 0.5 but soon to be 0.1 according to @Drago
Estonia, Norway, Poland, Sweden 0.2
Lithuania 0.4
Everyone else (19 countries on the list including Scotland) 0.5
UK (excl Scotland). Out on its lonesome. 0.8 WTF?
Most countries have lower limits for commercial drivers, but not the UK. That's still 0.8.

That's probably not news to most of you who are better informed than me. But seriously, WTF?

Enforcement is another side of it. In Finland they can and do happily stop you and breathalyse you for no other reason than that you are driving a car. In the UK I think they have to have reasonable cause ( @Drago correct me there). In France you have to carry your own little breathalyser. In Ireland the Gardai can't be arsed to enforce it, or indeed do anything at all https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/roads-policing-in-ireland.304081

All off topic really as the OP is about drink cycling. Sue me.

Edit. It would appear that I've been living under a rock (what's new). This is a live topic of debate. (And as it affects road safety should be ok for CC even if it is technically a political matter). Here's an interesting article. https://www.ias.org.uk/2025/08/26/why-england-and-wales-need-a-lower-drink-drive-limit/

 

[Hover Fly]

Not against the law …to even use a chainsaw after drinking but very few would even consider doing so, my view is if anyone can pay to drink they can pay a taxi, cycling

It actually is, cba to go through the law and HSE website, but chainsaw use after alcohol and even certain prescription medicines is prohibited, even in your own back garden.

 

[Punkawallah]

I dont drink, so avoid all this worry.

That’s OK - I’ll keep your end up.

 

[Punkawallah]

Curious comment! Are we now at the stage of our dissolution as a society that we consider any wrong doing is okay as long as we are not penalised for it?

To be fair, all wrong doing is okay if you are not penalised for it. Ask shop-lifters, politicians, water companies etc.

 

[Drago]

I didn't know that. Being a non drinker it's not something that I've needed to know. I just knew Finland was quite low and strict. I just looked it and in the grand scheme of things Finland and Scotland are not particularly low, and the UK is ludicrously high.

Source: https://etsc.eu/issues/drink-driving/blood-alcohol-content-bac-drink-driving-limits-across-europe/
Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia. 0 Zero tolerance.
Spain 0.5 but soon to be 0.1 according to @Drago
Estonia, Norway, Poland, Sweden 0.2
Lithuania 0.4
Everyone else (19 countries on the list including Scotland) 0.5
UK (excl Scotland). Out on its lonesome. 0.8 WTF?
Most countries have lower limits for commercial drivers, but not the UK. That's still 0.8.

That's probably not news to most of you who are better informed than me. But seriously, WTF?

Enforcement is another side of it. In Finland they can and do happily stop you and breathalyse you for no other reason than that you are driving a car. In the UK I think they have to have reasonable cause ( @Drago correct me there). In France you have to carry your own little breathalyser. In Ireland the Gardai can't be arsed to enforce it, or indeed do anything https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/roads-policing-in-ireland.304081

All off topic really as the OP is about drink cycling. Sue me.

In the UK the constable requires reasonable ground to suspect only that you have alcohol in your body (not that you're over the limit), or have been involved in a recordable RTC, or have committed a moving traffic offence to be able to request a specimen of breath. The constable,e requesting it must be in uniform, but the constable administering it can be in plain clothes.

 

[Psamathe]

Whilst there is no prescribed limit in the sense of milligrams per whatever, you can still be "drunk in charge"

(Without considering "rights & wrongs") Can Police breathalyse a cyclist without grounds for suspicion they have been drinking to impare their cycling capabilities?

If a cyclist is hit by a car (entirely car drivers fault) can attending Police breathalyse the cyclist without any suspicion of imparement from alcohol? And does the driver who hit the cyclist declarations "he's drunk" provide any justification (given the driver who caused the collision is hardly independent and may be clutching for any mitigating factors)?

Plus, if there is no set limit for cyclists, does breathalysing serve any purpose? given that some people could drive several pints and maintain good motor function whereas others might start losing full coordination from lower alcohol levels.

 

[Binky]

I don't drink when cycling, a few I know do. They'll get near end of ride and head to pub for several pints but personally I'd rather get home have a shower, change then have a beer.
Also no question no matter how much you may think you can cope, a few alcoholic drinks will impair your judgement etc so the potential for an accident is raised.

 

[Binky]

Yeah!
__________________

At the end of the day, a cyclist is barely more dangerous than a pedestrian, and this topic covers too wide a spread of circumstances. I would rather someone stopped me - after say 5 pints - if I was about to ride across a motorway junction in rush-hour.

But if a drinking buddy had imbibed a few, a mile-or-two from home, and was off down a well-tested shared path ... well I'd probably not worry.

People driving a long motorway trip on not enough sleep, tired and grumpy from work, are probably a much bigger public hazard. Even with a clean blood-stream.

Complete rubbish.

A cyclist is potentially a lot more dangerous than a pedestrian. If a pedestrian walks into you or even runs into you then yes you could be injured but if a cyclist hits you at speed then that is far more serious.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Also no question no matter how much you may think you can cope, a few alcoholic drinks will impair your judgement etc so the potential for an accident is raised

I read some interesting research a few years back on cannabis and driving.

Turns out cannabis and alcohol have a similar effect in impairing reaction times and the like *but* drug drivers are aware of the impairment and drove more carefully as a result. Drunk drivers OTOH are very confident, so much more dangerous, even though equally impaired.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Arguing that it's ok for cyclists ignore the laws that apply to everyone else "Because we rarely kill anyone" might get you some support on a cycling forum, but out in the real world you'll get nothing but contempt and hatred.

So to all urban speeders, red light jumpers and alcohol impaired cyclists who think they are too important to obey the rules, thank you for increasing the dangers the rest of us face every time we go out and share the roads with motorists who think we are a bunch of smug, lawless prats who deserve no respect.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

can attending Police breathalyse the cyclist without any suspicion of imparement from alcohol?

As has been pointed out already in the thread, police have no power to require a breath specimen from a cyclist, regardless of the circumstances. Since there’s no prescribed limit for a cyclist, there’s no point in administering the test anyway.

 

[Binky]

Arguing that it's ok for cyclists ignore the laws that apply to everyone else "Because we rarely kill anyone" might get you some support on a cycling forum, but out in the real world you'll get nothing but contempt and hatred.

So to all urban speeders, red light jumpers and alcohol impaired cyclists who think they are too important to obey the rules thank you for increasing the dangers the rest of us face every time we go out and share the roads with motorists who think we are a bunch of smug, lawless prats who deserve no respect.

On this very forum I've been criticised and insulted for stating similar view. It seems some think that being a cyclist forgives all sins.
We get a hard enough time as it is from other road users when we cycle within the laws, sensibly, with due care and attention/respect for others but those that purposefully flout the laws do the rest of us no service.

Flame away....

 

[Ian H]

Arguing that it's ok for cyclists ignore the laws that apply to everyone else "Because we rarely kill anyone" might get you some support on a cycling forum, but out in the real world you'll get nothing but contempt and hatred.

So to all urban speeders, red light jumpers and alcohol impaired cyclists who think they are too important to obey the rules thank you for increasing the dangers the rest of us face every time we go out and share the roads with motorists who think we are a bunch of smug, lawless prats who deserve no respect.

It is perfectly possible to drink, ride a bike, and remain within the law. The law only refers to lack of control through excessive drink.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

It is perfectly possible to drink, ride a bike, and remain within the law. The law only refers to lack of control through excessive drink.

And being over the limit for driving means you have drunk excessively and have a lack of control.