Will I Be Prosecuted?
Will I Be Prosecuted?
It is rather unlikely. We spoke to Stephen Algate, who works for the City of London police and was a police officer for 35 years. “In all my time as a police officer, I arrested one man for being drunk while riding a bicycle. He was certainly more than tipsy.”
However, it does happen. You can receive a fine, or be put in a cell for the night to sleep it off.
Cool Bike Gadgets: Booze and the Bike
There is even a case to be argued that, in legal terms, it’s riskier to cycle tipsy than drive tipsy because the police cannot use a breathalyser to judge your level of inebriation in the case of cyclists. The decision as to whether you have ‘proper control’ is down to the police officer’s discretion.
One final rumour busted: you cannot receive points on your driver’s license for a non-driving offence like cycling while drunk.