Can Police Give You A Ticket For Riding Your Bicycle Drunk?

Question

CAN THE POLICE GIVE YOU A TICKET OR ARREST YOU FOR DRINKING AND DRIVING, OR BEING DRUNK DRIVING. NOT A CAR. A BICYCLE.

Answer 1

Yes, of course they can. You are not supposed to operate ANY vehicle under the influence.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

NO! A bicycle is not a motor vehicle and cannot be "driven". Public intoxication laws differ from state to state and that would have nothing to do with a bicycle, or be different from walking or standing on a corner. Police officers seem to think they can make their own laws and scare people, for example, a woman was riding a horse drunk and high out of her mind on the road and ran her horse into a squad car after the police tried to stop her and gave her all these charges... the dumb *** cop would be better citing the horse because there is no law that says you need a "horse riding license" and are responsibile for farm animals causing destruction after being provoked or scared by the police. It's up to you if you admit to an alcohol test, which has nothing to do with driving or biking, I would say as long as you don't have open liquor in public, refuse it and they can be sued for harrassment, good luck with that one btw...

Answer 4

Riding a bicycle on the road, makes you a road user, there fore you have to obey the road rules as any one else, who use the road regardless the type of vehicle we are in or on.

So yes the police can issue you with ticket for DUI.


I heard of an elderly man being charged for riding his electric scooter when under the influence of alcohol. Admittedly he was all over the footpath & road.

Answer 5

Yes they can. You're operating a vehicle under the influence.

Had a buddy several years ago who got a DUI. License pulled for 180 days, the whole bit. He got a bike to get around town. He was cycling home from the bar about 3 weeks after the conviction and was picked up DUI on the bike. 2nd conviction and this time they revoked his ticket for 3 years.

Answer 6

belive it or not, u can. i've seen it in the police logs in the paper from time to time. the cops do consider even a bicycle as a vehicle. ur able to ride on city streets and roads other than freeways on bicycles right? ok, they're also subject to the same laws as cars to: safety, right-of-way, and traffic lights. use ur head man....what do u thing is gonna happen if ur on a bike drunk as a monkey, and u 'swerve' into a car that was comin up behind u? u'd be splattered all over the hood.

Answer 7

Yes. In fact every year there are a few cases of OUI / DUI somewhere in the US involving a person operating something other than a motor vehicle.
Some that I've read about over the years, all of these led to convictions:
A man arrested for drunken riding on his bike.
A man arrested for drunken driving his electric wheelchair.
A man busted for riding his horse while passed out from being drunk.
A woman arrested for drunken roller skating.
A man arrested for drunken skate boarding.

Answer 8

yes most states have laws for driving or even riding in any type of vehicle no matter what it is while under the influence of anything that will impair you senses could be called public intoxication . you can even be arrested for walking under the influance. bicycles are in all 50 states concidered as a vehicle they must obey all triffic laws the same as a car truck ect.

Answer 9

Yes. A judge here in LA found that out after several prior problems including dui. I assume they gave him a drunk in public ticket but they can arrest you as well.

Answer 10

If they can give you a ticket or arrest you for just being drunk in public, They can give you one for being drunk on a bike.

Answer 11

In many states, bicycles must obey the traffic laws the same as cars. DUI would be a violation.