The alcohol limit also applies to bikes: Can you still cycle after a glass of wine?

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It should be understood by everyone that you should no longer drive while under the influence of alcohol. However, the maximum blood alcohol levels set by law throughout Switzerland also apply to cyclists. From a limit of 0.5 per thousand, it is threatened with the same criminal consequences as in a car.

According to accident insurance company Suva, about 21,000 bike accidents happen in Switzerland each year. In the last five years, drunk cyclists caused an average of 85 serious injury accidents per year. In this analysis, alcohol was even more common as a cause of accidents, including speeding or not giving way.

Police also checking cyclists

A survey of police stations in various Swiss cities by Blick showed that cyclists should wait for checks. Between 2017 and 2021, an average of 89 people per year in the city of Zurich reported having very high blood alcohol levels. Recorded figures consist of traffic controls and accidents.

Best wine apps in the test

On request, the cantonal police in Basel-Stadt reported that there has been no intensified control over cyclists recently. When it comes to reporting drunk cyclists, an average of about 120 people a year have been reported in Basel-Stadt in recent years.

For the cantonal police in Bern, non-motorized traffic, such as bicycles, remains the traffic police’s priority. A breath alcohol test can also be performed on cyclists, emphasizing that cyclists are by no means exclusively checked for alcohol. A breath alcohol test is usually done if there are signs of impaired ability to drive.

You can also lose your car’s license.

In case of excess alcohol, the bike is usually left to the rider. The police will ask them to push the bike or park it and pick it up again another time. The amount of the fine is then determined by the responsible investigating authority.

The cantonal road traffic and transport authorities also have the option of having your eligibility checked and, in serious cases, withdrawn your license for other vehicle categories as a precautionary measure. This may mean that you have to give up your license for a car or boat due to drunken cycling.

Source : Blick