Can you get a DUI on a bicycle in California? A horse? CHP explains the rules
As the Fourth of July nears, you already may be preparing your party exit. Maybe you have an Uber scheduled, or maybe you spent all of your extra money at the fireworks booth and are looking for an alternative.
Bicycle riding is free, but is it legal to do if you’ve been drinking? Horses aren’t uncommon in the Central Valley, but can you ride yours around after a few beers?
Not without getting a DUI, according to the California Highway Patrol.
In Winton on Thursday, July 2, the CHP made an arrest after an officer observed a bicyclist riding with an open tall can of Budweiser in his hand. While the rider got his bicycle returned to his residence, he also got charged with DUI.
“While many people know you can get a DUI behind the wheel of a car, fewer realize the same can apply on a bicycle,” the CHP said in a Facebook post. “Alcohol affects your balance, judgment and reaction time, making an impaired rider a danger to themselves and others.”
As for riding a horse, the rules aren’t any different. The same rights and responsibilities as the driver of a motor vehicle apply to those “riding or driving” an animal on a public roadway, according to the CHP, meaning you can be arrested and prosecuted for riding a horse while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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