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Riding a bicycle after the consumption of alcohol is an offense that carries a penalty of imprisonment or a fine under current law. The latter may be up to 2,5 thousand. zloty. The toxicologist Eryk Matuszkiewicz in an interview with Medonet explained why the so-called The method of waiting, used by many before driving behind the wheel, is deceptive and risky.
- After drinking alcohol, we should not get behind the wheel, both car and bicycle – warns toxicologist Eryk Matuszkiewicz
- People who consume alcohol often mistakenly assume that if they wait for a while, they will certainly be a safe road user
- The so-called waiting, however, is not always effective. Our condition is influenced not only by the amount of beer or other drink drunk, but also by food, which the expert told more about in an interview with Medonet
- Before we go, it’s better to check your sobriety with a breathalyzer
- More important information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
People who have drunk alcohol are often called intoxicated, but according to the regulations they should distinguish the state of intoxication from that of alcohol consumption.
Penalties for drinking and driving. When are we talking about the “state of intoxication”?
The latter can be said when the alcohol content is from 0,2 to 0,5 ‰ or the presence of alcohol in the exhaled air ranges from 0,1 mg to 0,25 mg per 1 dm3. We speak of intoxication analogously when the concentration in the blood is above 0,5 ‰, or the presence in the exhaled air exceeds 0,25 mg of alcohol per 1 dm.3.
A person who gets on a bicycle and drives it on a public road, in a residential zone or in a traffic zone after using alcohol, is punishable by arrest or a fine of not less than PLN 1. zloty.
If the cyclist was drunk, he may also be arrested or he will have to pay a fine of not less than 2,5 thousand zlotys. zloty. Both penalties are provided for in Art. 87 § 1a and 87 § 2 of the Code of Petty Offenses.
Can you get on a bike after drinking one beer?
Many violations of the law occur when a cyclist wrongly believes that he has sufficiently rested after drinking alcohol and that he can safely drive behind the wheel. Toxicologist Eryk Matuszkiewicz explained the risks of such behavior.
After drinking one beer, can you get on a bike and drive it?
After consuming any type of alcohol, we should not get on the bike. You have to follow the general rule that you do not drink and drive.
What happens when we wait some time after drinking, for example, the already mentioned beer? Is it possible to get on the bike or the proverbial wheel then?
In this situation, we should be absolutely sure that alcohol no longer affects our ability to drive a bicycle or another vehicle. How to get it? We know that alcohol reaches its maximum concentration about an hour after drinking, so after that time, we use the breathalyzer to measure the concentration in the air we exhale, if we have one. This allows you to properly assess the situation.
What if we don’t have a breathalyzer? Can we somehow calculate when we will not pose a threat and act in accordance with applicable law?
Alcohol is metabolized on average 0,2 per mille per hour, so with some approximation we can calculate the time after which you can get on the bike and drive it. Here, however, we come to another important aspect. If we ate a meal, the absorption of alcohol will be different. The maximum concentration may then be delayed in time (even up to three hours), so the calculations are always subject to the risk of error. Better not to tempt fate.