Drink Riding

[Peaky Rider]

Can you get done for drink riding on your e-bike in the UK and lose your license?
I ask because on a cop show this week I'm sure I saw two drunk e-scooter riders get arrested and have their licenses taken away.

 

[steve_sordy]

You can be "drunk in charge" of pretty much anything!

Cars, motorbikes, boats, horses, milk floats, children, scooters, so why not an emtb?

 

[Binhill1]

Can you get done for drink riding on your e-bike in the UK and lose your license?
I ask because on a cop show this week I'm sure I saw two drunk e-scooter riders get arrested and have their licenses taken away.

Remember my brother in law getting done for drunk in charge of a bike many moons ago . He never had a licence but never got banned. Hard one to answer.

 

[Doomanic]

Is It Illegal To Ride A Bicycle When Drunk? | Slater + Gordon

Find out if it is illegal or not to ride your bike when under the influence of alcohol, and what the consequences are if you are found guilty of the offence.

www.slatergordon.co.uk

The maximum penalty for cycling whilst under the influence of drink or drugs is a £1,000 fine. This is also the case for careless or inconsiderate cycling. The maximum penalty for dangerous cycling is a £2,500 fine.



You wouldn’t, however, get any points on your driving license should you have one, as it isn’t a driving offence.

 

[Planemo]

I ask because on a cop show this week I'm sure I saw two drunk e-scooter riders get arrested and have their licenses taken away.

It's because an e-scooter is not legal in public. They are a 'motorised vehicle' and there is no licence category for them therefore the two dudes were drunk whilst driving without a licence eg the same as if it were a car or motorbike. So if they had licences they would get a ban, if they didn't have licences the ban would start from whenever they do obtain one.

Further to Doomanics post, aside from a fine you can also get 2 years imprisonment from 'wanton or furious driving'. Admittedly you would have to cause some serious harm to someone to get banged up by the offence, but you wouldn't even need to be pissed either. If you were, it would certainly be an aggravating factor and massively work against you. In short, don't run into anyone, especially if pissed.

 

[Ark]

I wouldn't but I don't remember the last time I saw a cop car

 

[Planemo]

I wouldn't but I don't remember the last time I saw a cop car

Wouldn't matter if you killed someone. They will find you.

 

[Ark]

Wouldn't matter if you killed someone. They will find you.

Probably more likely to get your self killed.

Every Social bike ride advertised in my city seems to involve riding to a pub and then riding back.
2 pints could in theory put you over the limit, and I'd imagine some of them drink that amount

 

[Peaky Rider]

It's because an e-scooter is not legal in public. They are a 'motorised vehicle' and there is no licence category for them therefore the two dudes were drunk whilst driving without a licence eg the same as if it were a car or motorbike. So if they had licences they would get a ban, if they didn't have licences the ban would start from whenever they do obtain one.

Further to Doomanics post, aside from a fine you can also get 2 years imprisonment from 'wanton or furious driving'. Admittedly you would have to cause some serious harm to someone to get banged up by the offence, but you wouldn't even need to be pissed either. If you were, it would certainly be an aggravating factor and massively work against you. In short, don't run into anyone, especially if pissed.

I've just watched the programme again on My5.
The e-scooters were from a council approved hire scheme so were road legal. One of the riders was three times over the limit. He received a fine and a driving ban. ???

 

[RustyMTB]

It's like derestricting. You'd have to be a highly conspicuous knob to come to notice in the first place but the law is there nevertheless. Don't be a conspicuous knob is my advice.

 

[clivem25]

The issue in our jurisdiction is the traffic laws are the only ones that actually specify a blood alcohol limit. If you're on the road then they probably also apply to a bike but for boats for example, it's illegal to operate while intoxicated but proving that is not as simple as being breathalysed.

 

[Hobo Mikey]

Drink riding is not a good idea……….you spill to much especially on the downhills.

 

[Binhill1]

The issue in our jurisdiction is the traffic laws are the only ones that actually specify a blood alcohol limit. If you're on the road then they probably also apply to a bike but for boats for example, it's illegal to operate while intoxicated but proving that is not as simple as being breathalysed.

Big problems in Norway with drunken sailers. So many of them have wee boats.

 

[RustyMTB]

Really? I would have thought they'd have urinals like everywhere else.

 

[Planemo]

I've just watched the programme again on My5.
The e-scooters were from a council approved hire scheme so were road legal. One of the riders was three times over the limit. He received a fine and a driving ban. ???

Yes, road legal to ride the hire ones but only with a provisional (or full) driving licence. The licence is the condition and you are subject to all the same driving laws. Same as any other motor vehicle. So yes, they were drink-driving.

 

[Shjay]

I've just watched the programme again on My5.
The e-scooters were from a council approved hire scheme so were road legal. One of the riders was three times over the limit. He received a fine and a driving ban. ???

As above when you hire them, (have done in Bristol)you have to be over 18 & have provisional or full licence. Mate was saying who lives there yes if caught all traffic offences goes on your licence. Being over limit, dangerous driving etc. They are fun but also automatically slow in pedestrian areas, I had one that decided to go slow heading home at night through set of lights, so am trying to Scoot manually through orange set of lights as mates ahead lots of fun

 

[Ark]

As above when you hire them, (have done in Bristol)you have to be over 18 & have provisional or full licence. Mate was saying who lives there yes if caught all traffic offences goes on your licence. Being over limit, dangerous driving etc. They are fun but also automatically slow in pedestrian areas, I had one that decided to go slow heading home at night through set of lights, so am trying to Scoot manually through orange set of lights as mates ahead lots of fun

Do you have to prove you have a license ? I've seen people driving them who look about 15, okay in theory they could have a provisional license.
The only thing you need to get one is the cost to buy it? you don't need to learn the highway code or anything, seems like a stupid requirement

 

[Shjay]

It’s an app & am sure I had to enter my license number. Then do a sober test when you unlock scooter clicking on symbols etc was a pain to initially setup I remember that

 

[maynard]

I only wear a helmet , when I'm drink riding

 

[sam.spoons]

The issue in our jurisdiction is the traffic laws are the only ones that actually specify a blood alcohol limit. If you're on the road then they probably also apply to a bike but for boats for example, it's illegal to operate while intoxicated but proving that is not as simple as being breathalysed.

It is not actually illegal to operate a boat under the influence but you could be prosecuted under the merchant shipping act* if you are "seen to be endangering other vessels, structures or individuals and are under the influence of alcohol", not like driving where simply driving under the influence is an offence. Cycling drunk is similar in so much as it is an offence to cycle under the influence but only if you are unfit to the point of being incapable of having proper control, there is no measurable limit and cycling offences can't, in themselves, lead to points or disqualification on your driving licence as they are not driving offences but courts can, I believe, impose driving bans for offences other than driving offences if they see fit.

* It would also matter where you were operating the boat, most harbours have bylaws prohibiting driving a boat under the influence and, I would guess, most inland waterways will have similar.

 

[Goughy75]

You can drink and ride a bike/ebike. There is no alcohol limit and you can't be breathalysed or blood taken. You won't get points on your driving licence or be banned from driving. As is mentioned above you can be prosecuted for riding furiously though.

 

[Peaky Rider]

You can drink and ride a bike/ebike. There is no alcohol limit and you can't be breathalysed or blood taken. You won't get points on your driving licence or be banned from driving. As is mentioned above you can be prosecuted for riding furiously though.

Fair enough, but these two guys on e-scooters were both breathalysed, one was under the limit and was not charged, the other was over and received a driving ban.
I'm just confused as to the difference between e-bike regulations and those for e-scooters.
Then again, the programme producer could have got things wrong.

 

[Tetley]

A pedalec e-bike is classified the same as a clockwork bike, you must have to pedal to make it work (no throttle allowed), and it must be restricted to 15.5mph
An electric bike with a throttle, and all e-scooters are classified as motor vehicles, and you need a licence to ride them. hence drink driving laws apply.

 

[Shjay]

Fair enough, but these two guys on e-scooters were both breathalysed, one was under the limit and was not charged, the other was over and received a driving ban.
I'm just confused as to the difference between e-bike regulations and those for e-scooters.
Then again, the programme producer could have got things wrong.

It’s not the regulations as such. The e-scooters are illegal unless hired through a scheme that a lot of cities run. Under this scheme in order to hire an e-scooter you need a car licence & can be charged the same as when driving a car so drunk driving, dangerous driving etc. e-bikes are privately owned so not under any scheme so can do what you like more or less. Hope makes more sense

 

[Planemo]

A pedalec e-bike is classified the same as a clockwork bike, you must have to pedal to make it work (no throttle allowed), and it must be restricted to 15.5mph
An electric bike with a throttle, and all e-scooters are classified as motor vehicles, and you need a licence to ride them. hence drink driving laws apply.

Nice one, and to the point

@Peaky Rider , if you just consider hired escooters as motor vehicles then all becomes clear. They are nothing like pedelecs in terms of the law.

As an aside, any non-hire escooter is banned outright. Therefore you can get points even if riding it perfectly. And yes, you could still get banned for being pissed on one as it's still a motor vehicle.

 

[Peaky Rider]

Thanks Tetley, I think you've nailed it.

 

[Binhill1]

Nithin rang wi a wee dram just dinna git catched

 

[Planemo]

Oh for sure, no holier than thou stuff from me, was totally hammered coming back from a friends at midnight last year. Thankfully he lives in an area where theres very little to hit other than a ditch which tbf was exactly where I thought I was going to end up for the night with a bike on top of me.

 

[Binhill1]

Oh for sure, no holier than thou stuff from me, was totally hammered coming back from a friends at midnight last year. Thankfully he lives in an area where theres very little to hit other than a ditch which tbf was exactly where I thought I was going to end up for the night with a bike on top of me.

Whisky festival starts this week not far from me . I won't be taking the ebike though.

 

[Paulquattro]

Road Traffic Act 1960

www.legislation.gov.uk

Road Traffic Act 1988

An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to road traffic with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission.

www.legislation.gov.uk