thinking that a debate between grown ups could occur.
In all fairness, if you want an adult debate then an adult OP would have helped. One with a bit of thought behind it and an awareness of the current rules/laws.
I'm pretty sure the drunk cyclist wouldn't have been put off by any laws. Enforcement, perhaps, but laws? No.
There's an interesting cultural dimension to all of this that often gets overlooked and I'm intrigued by the refusal to look elsewhere to see what works and what doesn't.
Living in NL I could count on a Police checkpoint at a busy bike route junction after the clocks changed to winter time. No lights? A fine. One each for front and back. That's separate from regular checkpoints on weekend nights in the city. NL now has laws about using phones while riding a bike.
Here in Spain I share bike paths with electric scooters (banned in NL), other bikes, skateboards, tourists and dogs. There is no friction. Not, I think, because of any laws or rules but more of a general attitude of live and let live.
Before anyone uses the argument that they have "infrastructure" I found the drivers in México to be generally extremely conscious of bikes, despite the often crazy driving and lack of infrastructure, that Honduras had probably the friendliest, most supportive people in vehicles despite zero infrastructure for bikes (and sometimes for vehicles!) and that Colombia is paradise for cycling despite almost no infrastructure outside of large cities. Interestingly, Panama, one of the wealthier countries, with wide shoulders was a hell to cycle in because of the high proportion of a**holes in vehicles.
In my opinion it's not about rules or laws but about attitudes. When someone is demonised they're not going to listen to a reasoned point or reflect on their behaviour.
When someone's point is dismissed, often abruptly, brutally or aggressively there will be no further dialogue, only a hardening of opinion.
I am frankly stunned at the lack of some kind of campaign to promote responsible cycling* and to reduce the friction between two and four wheels, especially since the Pandemic. There's a constant barrage of hate and conflict in the media, mainstream and social, that as an outsider baffles me.
I recall Ireland in the 80's where drinking and driving was seen as cool. By the mid 90's that attitude had changed severely mainly due to a string of Public Service ads backed up by stronger enforcement. My anecdotal experience was that the attitude was of more relevance than the punishment.
*Given that the OP was advocating for laws that already exist I think it would be no harm to explain to all what the rules are.
