Imagine this: You want to get home safely after you go to the bar. So, you choose to ride a bike to get there. You don’t want to be behind the wheel of your car, even though you take it easy and don’t get particularly intoxicated.
In fact, you spent the last hour of your time at the bar drinking water and soda, so you could sober up. When you left, you felt fine and decided to ride home. If you hadn’t felt fine, you would have called a taxi.
It was a shock when you were riding back home and started to feel a little unwell. You were riding your bike on the shoulder, since there was no bike lane, but you did wobble somewhat. Not long after that, an officer asked you to stop, so they could see if you were intoxicated.
Can you face an arrest and DUI for riding a bike while drunk?
The simple answer to this is, “Yes.” You can face a DUI if you’re drunk behind the wheel of any vehicle, even if that vehicle is a bicycle. A bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle, and though a DUI on a bike is rare, they do happen.
If you are arrested and charged, you should defend yourself in the same way that you would if you were accused of drinking and driving your motor vehicle. Florida’s state laws do allow you to face a DUI on a bicycle, and you could be fined heavily for doing so. If you end up being convicted, you could face imprisonment as well.
Perhaps most shockingly is the fact that you could lose your driver’s license for riding a bike while intoxicated, even though it’s not a vehicle that requires a license.
If you’re accused of riding your bike while intoxicated, take it seriously. You should seek out a strong defense and take time to defend your rights. If the Breathalyzer test wasn’t taken accurately, you have a medical condition or there are other influencing factors that could affect your case, let your attorney know. They will work hard to defend your rights.
