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Pint of cider (CC licensed by Mark Hooper via Flickr)Five Gloucestershire cyclists stopped for riding drunk in five years
Figures requested by the Gloucester Citizen under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed that just five cyclists have been stopped by Gloucestershire Constabulary for riding while drunk in the last five years. The figures were requested after a Dursley man was arrested last August having attempted to cycle after drinking 16 pints of lager and a bottle and a half of liqueur.
Gloucestershire police said there was limited recorded information in their case management system for ‘drunk in charge of a pedal cycle/carriage/animal’ as it is not a notifiable offence under the Home Office charging rules.
The constabulary recorded three such offences in 2009, which resulted in two cautions and one charge; one in 2010, which resulted in a charge; and one in 2013, which resulted in a caution.
In August, Stephen Cosworth was ordered to pay £250 in compensation after damaging a car he cycled into in Gloucester, causing £1,000 worth of damage. Cosworth was said to have been so intoxicated at the time of his arrest that he was unable to answer questions.
He later told police that he had drunk 16 pints of lager and a bottle-and-half of Disaronno, the almond-based Italian liqueur. Edward Counsell, prosecuting, told the court: “He said he started drinking at 3.30pm and left the Northend Vaults pub at 9.30pm but could not remember riding up the wrong side of the road, except something clipping him.”
The father of 15 had been banned from driving and had appeared before a court 48 times over 152 charges. He admitted riding a pedal cycle under the influence of drink and riding a cycle on a road without due care and attention.
“He told police he was willing to pay for the damage and had taken medication which he should not have taken alcohol with,” said Counsell.
Last year, Sussex Police confirmed that they had arrested just one cyclist for riding a bike while drunk during the previous three years. The contrast with several other countries is stark. A 2009 BBC report highlighted how 2,000 Polish cyclists are arrested for cycling drunk each year. Also in 2009, a German student who was breathalysed at over three times the German limit for alcohol was banned from using a bicycle, skateboard or any other licence-free vehicle on public roads for 15 years.
Gloucestershire police also stated that since June 2013 nine tickets have been issued to cyclists for no specific obligatory lamps, five tickets for using a pedal cycle where front/rear position lamp/retro reflector are not fitted and 38 for using a pedal cycle on a road at night when front/rear lamps not lit.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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18 comments
As most cycling-shoes have reflective material detail on the heels anyway (Admittedly white not amber) and the shoe once clipped in effectively becomes the pedal then - problem (almost) solved.
All we need is for cycling-shoe manufacturers to make the reflective heel-details in amber and then the problem would be fully solved.
Or am I missing something?
.
Does this mean that all clippy pedals are illegal to ride after dark? Seems a very peculiar technicality if so...
I read the reflector bit as including no fitted lights at all as the word lamp is mentioned in there. The last one says that there were lights on the bike but they weren't on (no battery, broken, drunk, whatever etc.)
Also, there needs to be made the distinction of 'cyclist' and 'person on a bike' which is probably snobbish, but it's the latter who are often the cause of the anecdote of annoying cyclist by those who don't ride.
There are reflectors for a few pedals, time ATAC used to have some, shimano still do if you hunt around. Whether the reflectors are legal is another question, just because they exist doesn't mean that they comply!
But as basically everyone is going round with illegal lights, no reflectors and such like, because almost no one makes legal lights, the law is a farse and needs to be re-written and not just updated again!
That's right. My old lights I've still got in the loft or cellar somewhere are indeed road legal as they were made to the required BS Standard. But I haven't seen anyone using those old tech lights for years as almost everyone uses LEDs instead, myself included. The LEDs are not I believe to the UK standard and are therefore not road legal.
In the case of a cyclist vs motorist crash occurring at night, it'd take a wily lawyer working for the motorist to use the fact that the lights would not have been road legal. But lawyers are by nature wily, so be warned!
He must have a really highly paid job to be able to afford that much alcohol and be socially responsible for 15 kids.
Presumably he left the pub at 9.30pm to go and spend some quality time with his 15 children.....
It wasn't JTL was it?
16 pints is an epic bender (for all the wrong reasons I'm sure).
I wouldn't be able to walk after 6...
Though I can bike as long as I can walk! And in a straighter line too...
He must have a been a big guy to have drunk that amount and still been able to ride. If you keep below a certain level it is possible to ride a bike. Once you drink more than a certain amount it becomes impossible to stay upright on a bike. A person will fall off instantly.
Perhaps Cosworth was so intoxicated that he forgot to fall down.
16 pints! I'd not have been able to clip in!
All that stuff about reflectors is very interesting I'm sure, but you've all missed the Elephant in the room here...
There are no Almonds in Disaronno (or nuts at all)
True, although the ground apricot stones they do use give a delicious almond flavour.
Very much doubt the bicycle shaped object in question had SPD pedals...
At least this serial drink-drive offender wasn't in control of anything more lethal like a ton of metal.
Yet another story about someone with a bike in trouble with plod being reported on road.cc as cycling news.
Meanwhile on RunnersWorld, a story about some bloke wearing a tracky bottom and running shoes throwing a brick through a car window and running off with a purse?
Any bike must legally have orange reflectors on the pedals, white front reflector and red rear reflector (and lights, from a half hour before sunset to a half hour after dawn).
In practice, however, I suspect the police are more concerned with people crashing into cars after drinking quite epic amounts of alcohol and then thinking they can safely ride...
The Highway Code actually says:
"Between sunset and sunrise your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 24 January 1996). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Flashing lights are permitted but it is recommended that cyclists who are riding in areas without street lighting use a steady front lamp.
Law RVLR regs 13, 15, 21 & 27 (as amended by RVL(A)R)"
So no need for pedal reflectors on older bikes (pre 24 January 1996) and no half hour before sunset and after dawn either.
Lighting regulations only apply during 'Hours of Darkness' as defined in The Road Vehicles (Lighting) Regulations 1989.
Hours of Darkness are from half an hour AFTER sunset to half an hour BEFORE sunrise.
What used to be known as between last and first light.
I hope this helps.
I think it may be a requirement that bikes have front, rear and pedal reflectors. I have never known anyone be prosecuted for failing to have these and I am very old.
Surely it's not illegal to ride a bike without reflectors, they are the first things I remove on my bikes (I only ride during the daylight).