Although driving under the influence is generally associated with operating vehicle while drugs or alcohol in your system, under Pennsylvania law, you can also be charged with a DUI for riding a bicycle while impaired.
State Bicycle DUI Laws
Under Pennsylvania statute 75 Pa.C.S. §3802, a person cannot operate or control a vehicle if they have in their system an amount of alcohol or drugs that would make them unable to do so safely, or if their blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% or higher. According to Pennsylvania code §102, a vehicle is a device “upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway.” The law does not distinguish between a motor vehicle and a bicycle, and operating any type of vehicle on public roads while under the influence is a chargeable offense.
In fact, in January of 2019, police arrested a man who was riding his bike on the street at 2:00 am. After a blood draw determined he had drugs and/or alcohol in his system, he was charged with a DUI.
Penalties for a Bicycle DUI
Although riding a bike may not seem as dangerous as driving a car while under the influence, accidents caused by drunk bicyclists could result in property damage and/or bodily injury to both the rider and anyone else involved. As such, a person convicted of a bicycle DUI could face the same penalties they would have had they been driving a car.
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