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Wondering can you get a DUI on a bike? The answer will get you a surprising answer. Yes, you can get pulled over when you a riding a bike under the influence of alcohol and you can actually be detained.
In recent years, we have seen a trend where more and more people are choosing to cycle, both in everyday life and as a form of exercise. And that is not at all surprising – because it is both healthy and environmentally friendly. And these are not the only reasons for people to opt for cycling. While many people take their cars for granted, there are many others who rely on their bicycles as their only mode of transport. Can you get DUI on a bike? You need to know the answer, especially if you use a bike to work each day.
A bicycle, as we have seen in the Tour de France, can pick up a tremendous amount of speed. When you do research you see that riders in this men’s multiple-stage bicycle race can reach average speeds of 25 mph or 40km an hour, and a bicycle at that speed can do quite a bit of damage if it crashes into something. So the question is, ‘can you get a DUI on a bike?’
We have all seen in the past how bicycles have been used for delivery services and there was a time when these bicycle delivery services formed part of the industry. Then motorbikes took over.
Can You Get A DUI On A Bike?
Can you get a DUI on a bike? Yes, you can. Bicycles are still as important as ever and about 100 million of them are manufactured worldwide. There are billions of bikes being used around the world today and many of them will have picked up a DUI for riding their bikes under the influence.
Most of the world’s population knows how to use a bike. There are some countries such as the Netherlands, that rely heavily on bicycle transportation. In Finland, 60% of the population rides. But the Netherlands holds the record as the nation with the most bicycle riders. It is a bicycle-friendly city, known as the City of Cyclists.
Bikes are used by citizens of affluent nations as well as developing countries. There are even countries that have created bicycle lanes that are separated from the ones used by cars. In Germany, they have painted yellow lines on some roads to be used by bike riders only.
Certainly, with the arrival of covid-19, we have seen an increase in the use of bicycles. This is why it is so important to know can you get a DUI on a bike. Yes, people who ride are thought to be healthier and less stressed than those who use cars to work.
You see them weaving through the traffic, enviously being watched by frustrated motor car drivers caught in traffic jams. Can you get a DUI on a bike? Yes, you can, more so when you are drunk and cycling at a top speed. Cycling is often the fastest and most reliable way of getting around cities quickly.
Difference Between DUI And DWI – Bicycles Can Pick Up Good Speeds
And in fact, many countries, as a means of tourism, offer bicycles as a means to explore a city and its surroundings. But because these bicycles can pick up speeds we need to ask can you get a DUI on a bike? Yes, you can. But what is DWI and is there a difference between DUI and DWI?
When talking about the difference between DUI and DWI, people use either one but essentially DUI is driving under the influence, while DWI is referring to driving while intoxicated, so you can see that they are really the same thing. It doesn’t really matter what term you use, because the differences between DUI and DWI are too small.
Regardless of what it is called, a charge of either DUI or DWI comes about when a traffic officer pulls you over because they believed you were impaired and should not be on the road. Being on the road in such a state is endangering the lives of innocent people.
Cyclists are part of the users on the roads and they have to ensure that they are aware of their surroundings. They have to make use of proper hand signals. You do not ride a bike when you are drunk and you ride knowing that you are sharing road space with pedestrians and many different kinds of vehicles.
There needs to be a ‘bike culture’ around the world for many reasons. One of these is that the world is slowly making a transformation to a low-carbon economy. Encouraging the use of bicycles will also help to reduce congestion on the roads and improve the health of people. Most ordinary people using ordinary bicycles to commute can pick up a speed of between 10 and 15 miles per hour.
So, What Does DUI Mean?
When you hear the term DUI you can know that it is about impaired driving or driving under the influence of alcohol or some or other drug. Can you get a DUI on a bike and what does DUI mean for a cyclist?
The Letters DUI stand for Driving Under the Influence. You will see the words DUI and DWI being used to describe the same thing. Can you get a DUI on a bike? Yes, because drunk driving is when you are operating something like a car, motorbike, motorboat, or bicycle when your abilities are impaired because the alcohol you have consumed is in excess of what is permitted.
Going over the blood alcohol concentration amount of 0.08% means that you are operating a vehicle while under the influence. What does driving under the influence mean? It also means that the risk of you having an accident while driving any of these vehicles is increased.
So can you get a DUI on a bike? What does DUI mean for a bicycle driver who is drunk? Yes, you can get a DUI and when you are stopped because you are driving all over the road, the traffic officers will see that your faculties are impaired by whatever it is that you consumed. It is why breathalyzers have been developed – to do tests on the guilty person and to detect the level of whatever it is they have coursing through their veins.
Is A DUI A Felony?
Driving under the influence could be a misdemeanor or a felony. But is a DUI a felony? Is a DUI a misdemeanor? Is it a criminal offense? Most times, a first-time conviction for driving under the influence, it is considered a misdemeanor. So, if you ask is a dui a misdemeanor, then the answer would be yes, for a first-time conviction.
Certainly driving drunk is a traffic offense, but the charges can change from a misdemeanor to a felony. But as with most things, there are factors that need to be worked out. Also, all the different states have laws that operate in different ways. If for instance your driving license was restricted because you have already been caught driving under the influence, if you are caught driving drunk again with this license restriction, this will be a felony in most states.
It goes without saying that if someone was killed or badly injured by a drunken driver, felony charges are the result. So to answer the question ‘is a DUI a felony?’ then you can say that for any serious accidents you will be looking at a felony.
Is A DUI A Misdemeanor
Yes, driving while under the influence is a misdemeanor in all states if it is the first offense. Can you get a DUI on a bike? Yes, you will find that most of the states consider a 2nd and 3rd DUI to be a misdemeanor.
A misdemeanor is a criminal offense but the states categorize these misdemeanors according to their severity. So you can’t rule out jail time. Is DUI a misdemeanor that always includes jail time? Not always as it depends on many factors.
The thing that is important to know is that a misdemeanor is a serious offense. Many people think that they can shrug a misdemeanor off and just get on with their lives. If only they knew that a misdemeanor conviction can have long-lasting repercussions.
Having convictions like this can lead to a suspension of your driver’s license. As already suggested, a misdemeanor conviction can also impact your professional license. Without this, you would not be able to drive to work and you would not be able to drive a company’s vehicles if that was your job to do so.
What is horrible to know is that these misdemeanor offenses are public information and that means that literally, anyone can learn about your misdemeanor conviction. It can even impact your relationships at home, especially when you lose your job and have to rely on other people.
How Long Does A DUI Stay On Your Record?
People ask how long does a DUI stay on your record? Once again, nothing is set in stone, and each state has its own times. It is imperative to know how long does a DUI stay on your record and what you can do about it. Generally, though, a DUI will stay on your driving record for about 3 to 5 years in most of the states, but there are states such as California where it can stay on your driving record for 10 years.
Can you get a DUI on a bike and also sit with a DUI on your record? Yes, and it can be terrible because it means that if you were to apply for a job, particularly one where you are required to drive for your company, your chances of getting the job are very slight. In a state such as California, during this 10 year period, there is no way to get the DUI record removed. It has long-term implications for you and will affect your life forever. An example of this is with car insurance companies.
When they see that you have this record against your name you will always be spending more on car insurance rates, and they are high enough as it is. Also, because these DUIs are a criminal offense, they will be on your criminal record permanently. The only way to get it removed is by what is known as expungement.
This process is open to people who have not served time in jail. The awful thing about a DUI on a criminal record is that if you do happen to apply for a job, this can be seen by anyone conducting a background check.
It can mean not getting a job for 10 years. As suggested, the only way to get rid of such a nightmare is to expunge. Expunging a DUI will require you roping in the services of a skilled lawyer.
So can you get a DUI on a bike gets you a certain yes as an answer. Being issued a DUI while on a bike is very much possible. People think that riding a bike under the influence of alcohol is not as serious as when you are in a car, but in reality, the charges are the same. You would be surprised how many high school kids use bicycles to a party and then end up being caught drunk on their way home.
Can you get a DUI on a bike as a college kid? Yes, you can. These college kids and many other bicycle riders are not clued up on the rules surrounding riding a bike under the influence.
They do not believe that a bicycle DUI has the same consequence as a drunk driving charge in a car. Yes, a bicycle is not as heavy and dangerous as a car and it is not likely to plow into a crowd and kill several people but nonetheless, they are a danger to themselves and others while on the road.
A drunk cyclist on a busy road can well veer into the traffic and cause a major pile-up. Being cited for a DUI on a bicycle is going to affect your driving privileges just like it would be you in a car.
Can you get a DUI on a bike? Yes, you can and if you find yourself in this most unfortunate situation, your only real hope really is to get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible to try and salvage your life.
