You may be surprised to find out that DUI laws can also apply to people on bicycles. While you may be wondering what kind of danger you can cause on a bicycle if you are driving under the influence, the truth is there is a lot of damage that you can do. If a police officer has charged you with a DUI while you were driving under the influence on a bicycle, you should reach out to a trusted DUI attorney, like a DUI attorney in MD. Just because this occurred while you were on a bicycle does not mean that the charges are any less serious. In fact, many people believe that because it happened while they were riding a bike that they would not face serious penalties. This isn’t always true, though. 

Are there laws in place about biking and DUI?

Yes, though these laws, like many, vary state by state. However, if you are in a public area or if you are on the highway, you can typically be charged with a DUI if:

  1. You are impaired by a controlled substance (like a pharmaceutical drug) or alcohol.
  2. You have a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or more. 

It is important to speak with your attorney regarding the specifics of your state laws, but it is all in the nuance of the words. For example, some states have laws about driving under the influence that specifically apply to motor vehicles. On the other hand, there are state laws that apply to all types of vehicles, which would include bicycles. Thus, if you are in a state where DUI laws apply to all types of vehicles, it is possible for a police officer to pull you over and charge you with a DUI if you are riding your bicycle and are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

What kind of punishments are there?

Like getting a DUI while driving a motor vehicle, the punishments for a DUI conviction are serious. If this is your first DUI conviction and no one was harmed, it is more likely that you will get charged with a misdemeanor than with a felony. A good criminal defense attorney will use your clean record to show that you are an upstanding citizen and go over the details of your case to ensure you get the best representation possible so that he or she can try to have your charges reduced. 

It is also possible that since you were on a bike and not in a car that the state will have less severe penalties than they would if you were driving and under the influence. Because laws can vary so much, it is important that you get the legal help from an attorney in the area quickly so that he or she can begin working on your case. 

Thanks to The Lawfirm of Frederick J. Brynn, P.C. for their insight into getting a DUI while riding a bike.