Japanese police have suspended the driving licences of almost 900 people after they were caught cycling under the influence of alcohol. This is in a big move to tighten rules on bike safety, as reported by the BBC.
Essentially, the government is treating cyclists who drink and ride the same way it does to motorists.
Big fines, big penalties
Under the updated regulations, cyclists found drunk can face up to three years in prison or fines reaching 500,000 yen ($4,650 Canadian).
Authorities have also lowered the threshold for alcohol in your system. Anyone with a breath alcohol level of 0.15 mg/per L or higher can now be penalized. Previously only those unable to operate their bikes safely were targeted.
‘Don’t drink and ride’
The rules also extend to people who supply alcohol to potential drunk cyclists or hand over a bike to someone likely to ride under the influence. “Drunk cycling can lead to serious accidents,” a police official said. “I hope everyone will abide by the rule, ‘Don’t drink and ride.’”
It sounds like riding when smashed has been a bit of a growing problem there.
Between November 2024 and June 2025, cops caught more than 4,500 riders who were drunk. In 2023, Japan recorded over 72,000 bike-related collisions. That accounts for more than a whopping 20 per cent of all traffic accidents.
There’s other new rules coming into effect too. Starting in April 2026 the government will further broaden penalties for cyclists. That includes fines for using phones or umbrellas (!) while riding, ignoring traffic signals, and riding without lights at night.
Cycling while drunk in Canada doesn’t normally lead to a criminal DUI because the Criminal Code’s impaired-driving laws only apply to motorized vehicles, not bikes. However, cops still enforce other offences (e.g., careless riding, public intoxication), can trigger DUI charges because they are treated as vehicles.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…