Should a banned driver be allowed to cycle

[ianrauk]

No, they all are. It's illegal, it's selfish, it puts innocent bystanders in real danger. The effects of alcohol on the reactions/inhibitions is well-documented, and the drink-driving laws have been around long enough for them not to be sneaking up unawares on those of us who drive. It's only selfish, irresponsible twunts who drink & drive. There is no excuse.

Hear Hear!!!

 

[snakehips]

Cycling gives you a great vantage point from which to observe other people's bad road habits. By cycling these offenders would hopefully be able to learn about road users' responsibilities , which might aid their own rehabilitation.

Snake

 

[Niall Estick]

Well, at least if he rides his bike drunk he is more likely to damage or kill himself rather than anyone else.

 

[andy_wrx]

Section 30 of Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to ride a cycle on a road or public place whilst unfit through drink or drugs.

But it's punishable simply by fine of upto £1000, not by points or disqualification of your driving licence.

So as riding a bike drunk won't affect your driving licence, why should disqualification for drunken driving affect your ability to ride a bike ?


(I don't accept the attitudes above that it's OK to ride a bike after 4 pints 'because you only endanger yourself'.
Yeah, yourself and any other pedestrian, cyclist or motorist you come across.
Just like RLJ'ing isn't a problem 'because you only endanger yourself')

 

[ArDee]

Would you like to share your awareness, Noodley?

In North Carolina in the US (not sure it’s all states as there are differences depending on the state) allows drunk drivers not only to ride cycles; but, these little moped things up to 50cc.

 

[hubgearfreak]

offence to ride a cycle on a road or public place whilst unfit through drink or drugs .

I don't accept the attitudes above that it's OK to ride a bike after 4 pints 'because you only endanger yourself'.

it's obviously up to the rider, and then any policeman who needs to make the decision, as to whether 4 pints makes one unfit to ride. my judgement of my ability to cycle after 4 pints is that i'm good enough

obviously RT feels the same. but your judgement only matters to your riding

 

[col]

If by letting someone cycle after a ban is right,i dont think so.I was under the impression that most cyclists class themselves as traffic or a road going vehicle with what should be all the rights and rules that includes?Also with the passed arguments that a cycle could kill someone in a collision,or cause injury or death through causing other vehicles to swerve is enough to say in my opinion that it should be a blanket ban on any road going form of transport.So a drink driver ban does just that,gets a drunk off the road totally.

 

[marinyork]

it's obviously up to the rider, and then any policeman who needs to make the decision, as to whether 4 pints makes one unfit to ride. my judgement of my ability to cycle after 4 pints is that i'm good enough

obviously RT feels the same. but your judgement only matters to your riding

Whilst Andy is right, I thought the law about cycling and drinking went back a lot further than the 1988 act and you can just be drunk incharge of a bike which is a lot more vague and open to interpretation. Technically is it not correct that having drunk half a pint you could be deemed drunk incharge of a bike whereas another copper might say a few pints.

4 pints? Over how many hours? I certainly couldn't do that!

Col, how do you propose to enforce this ban?

 

[classic33]

He lost his job as a multi-drop driver due to it. Hgv licence. Caught in the car on more than one occassion, then caught on a motorbike after being banned.
Every time he was stopped it was for the same reason. Fellow lorry driver reported him going onto the M62 whilst under the influence.
He's now moved onto pedal power, or more precisely flying downhill, at night, no lights, on the wau home from the pub. Under the belief he can't be stopped.

 

[col]

Whilst Andy is right, I thought the law about cycling and drinking went back a lot further than the 1988 act and you can just be drunk incharge of a bike which is a lot more vague and open to interpretation. Technically is it not correct that having drunk half a pint you could be deemed drunk incharge of a bike whereas another copper might say a few pints.

4 pints? Over how many hours? I certainly couldn't do that!

Col, how do you propose to enforce this ban?

I dont,its an opinion,but probably the same way car drivers are enforced,so not very well really,there are some caught driving while banned so the full number wont be known im guessing.
How would you go about it,taking into consideration that some ignore the ban in cars now anyway?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

4 pints? Over how many hours? I certainly couldn't do that!

I once did a twenty mile ride after going out to a friend's combined stag and hen night which featured a curry (with two pints of Kingfisher), then a trip to the pub (and four or five pints of real ale), then a couple of cans back at another friend's house. I'd cycled there on my fixie, and when I got on the bike to go home I realised I was just in the mood for a spin. So I went from Wolverhampton almost to Bridgnorth and back. It was wonderful, but when I got off the bike I could barely stand up.

 

[snorri]

Should convicted drink-drivers be allowed to pilot passenger jet planes?

Just as long as they don't have free acess to the onboard drinks cabinet.

 

[marinyork]

I once did a twenty mile ride after going out to a friend's combined stag and hen night which featured a curry (with two pints of Kingfisher), then a trip to the pub (and four or five pints of real ale), then a couple of cans back at another friend's house. I'd cycled there on my fixie, and when I got on the bike to go home I realised I was just in the mood for a spin. So I went from Wolverhampton almost to Bridgnorth and back. It was wonderful, but when I got off the bike I could barely stand up.

I'm just interested. I had a friend who borrowed my bike but didn't tell me he was going to go on a massive binge and drank 6 pints before cycling back 15 miles. Fortunately I'd had the foresight to tell him where the cycle paths were. I see you'd eaten, that certainly makes sense. I'm a lightweight, I certainly couldn't drink that much and stay sane.

 

[marinyork]

I dont,its an opinion,but probably the same way car drivers are enforced,so not very well really,there are some caught driving while banned so the full number wont be known im guessing.
How would you go about it,taking into consideration that some ignore the ban in cars now anyway?

I think it is quite different though. With cars yes there are fake plates and issues about getting around it but the person is tied to the car. They may well get caught. I think in extremely serious cases cars should be confiscated or rendered inoperable.

On the bike side it is in some ways easier to ban a person. It is somewhat more practical confiscating a bike. Of course they could go and borrow another bike or buy another one but it would be a slight nuisance. It's also incredibly unpractical as to be efficient you'd have to stop pretty much all cyclists, spend ages on the police radio checking person-car-bike.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I don't see why someone shopuldn't be allowed to ride a bicycle just because they've lost their driving licence. If you think about that proposition, you realise it advocates cycling licences. Which is a thing no one wants, surely.

Just thought it might be worth repeating this point. No one seems to have picked up on it first time round.