Cycling after a few drinks

[Profpointy]

There is not ‘only an offence of drunk in charge for cycling’.

The relevant offence is S30 RTA 1988;

Cycling when under influence of drink or drugs.​

(1)A person who, when riding a cycle on a road or other public place, is unfit to ride through drink or drugs (that is to say, is under the influence of drink or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the cycle) is guilty of an offence.

And your sentence wasn’t a statement, given that it ended in a question mark, suggesting some uncertainty on your part.👇

I think you may be in violent agreement

 

[Profpointy]

So you're potentially not fully in control of your bike. A driver suddenly has to take avoiding action due to an erratic move on your part. The driver hits and kills a pedestrian.

Well, OK but has that ever happened in the entire history of the world

Or to look at it another way, does drunk cycling cause more risk to others than sober driving

Driving, be it sober or otherwise, reckless or competent, kills 3 a day in the UK alone

 

[All uphill]

Is there any difference between a "normal" bike and an electrically assisted bike in respect of the above (and I mean the assisted pedal bikes rather than the ones that are effectively electric mopeds)

I'd not want the 10kg of my pedal bike to land on top of me, but that would be a lot less painful than the 23kg of my ebike. Big difference.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

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.

You would if you were a pedestrian on the said path and you got hit by 100kg of bike and rider travelling at 20mph.

 

[tyred]

We have a repeat offender not far away from me. He's more of a danger to himself.

https://www.donegallive.ie/news/cri...negal-road-pushing-bike-appears-in-court.html

 

[classic33]

We have a repeat offender not far away from me. He's more of a danger to himself.

https://www.donegallive.ie/news/cri...negal-road-pushing-bike-appears-in-court.html

How do you "drive a pedal cycle"?

 

[Ian H]

An uncle of mine back in the early 50s had come down from up north to tour the West Country. One hot and thirsty afternoon, he paused at a tiny wayside public house whose only beverage was scrumpy. He ordered a pint, and downed the delicious apple juice in short order, watched from the shadows by ancient locals with glittering eyes. Thanking the bar tender, he went back outside duly refreshed, remounted his bike and pedalled off. The following morning he awoke around dawn, lying in a roadside ditch, about twenty yards from the pub.

Had he known, the pub was probably one of those with a vat in an outhouse out the back into which a dead rat or a rotten leg of beef was suspended on a piece of string to encourage fermentation. . .

Cider houses were a thing until the licensing laws changed sometime in the 60s. A lot of the cider was on the verge of lethal.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I think you may be in violent agreement

Not really but there's no point derailing the hread further.

 

[CentralCommuter]

I’m putting this thread on ignore. Quite depressing that there are people who think it’s ok to cycle about the place pissed because they think what they want to do is more important than other people’s safety. peanuts actually.

 

[CentralCommuter]

That changed a***holes to peanuts. For clarity!

 

[Jon George]

I make it a general rule of thumb that on the very rare occasions I ride away from the pub and immediately hit the kerb opposite, or fall into a hedge, I'll push the bike home. Out of the sprinkling of falling-off accidents I've had over the years, most have involved alcohol in one way or the other, but the most serious occurred when I was sober and trying to be considerate to the drivers behind me. I appreciate that I have been extremely lucky and that, as age withers me, I'm not going to get away with it so easily. Still, I'll continue riding to and from the pub, but I will be more considerate with regards to how much I consume.

 

[davidphilips]

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.

 

[PaulSB]

Well, OK but has that ever happened in the entire history of the world

Or to look at it another way, does drunk cycling cause more risk to others than sober driving

Driving, be it sober or otherwise, reckless or competent, kills 3 a day in the UK alone

I agree my deliberately silly example has probably never happened, of course that doesn't mean it won't.

My point is actions have consequences and here we have a cyclist behaving in an irresponsible manner, behaviour for which we would lambast any driver. Yet the discussion is whether or not he's breaking the law. The numbers killed daily by drivers isn't relevant to the discussion.

The OP's behaviour is a danger to himself and others and should be called out as such. Whether it's illegal or not is irrelevant.

 

[Mr Celine]

I've only been breathalysed once. In Finland. They had just blocked the road and were breathalysing everyone, it was quite early so I guess they were after hungover drivers with residual alcohol. They're very strict and have a very low limit there.

Finland has the same limit as Scotland.

 

[Drago]

Spain is about to go to 1mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, in essence oitlawing drink driving entirely. Anything more than a few sips or a strong cheese and pickle sandwich and they're in for a stay at the Midnight Express.

And a good thing too. The sense of entitlement some road users have trips well over the threshold into arrogance.