How bad is the problem of drunk cycling in Japan?
Over the last year 4500 riders have been arrested for drunk cycling and 896 of them have been stripped of their automobile drivers’s license, according to Asia News Network reporting
With strict new laws in Japan aimed at a stopping a scourge of drunk cycling, police are arresting anyone observed to be operating a bicycle under the influence of alcohol.
Since November 2024 and the passage of a new Road Traffic Act, any person operating a bike with a breath alcohol level of 0.15mg per liter may be arrested and sentenced up to three years in jail, fined 500,000 yen (~$3200 USD) and have their automobile driver’s license revoked since they are “likely to pose a significant danger when driving a car.”
This major nationwide crackdown on drunk cycling does not stop with just the riders.
The new law also say persons serving alcohol to a cyclist or providing a bicycle to a cyclist who has been drinking are subject to prosecution as well. If convicted of aiding and abeding a drunk cyclist they face up to two years in jail and/or a maximum fine of 300,000 yen.
With holiday parties on-tap and year-end celebrations just around the corner, police are ramping up enforcement of the new “Don’t Drink and Ride” law.
“Drunk cycling can lead to serious accidents,” a Nation Police Agency official said. “Having your driver’s license suspended can majorly affect your life and career. I hope everyone will abide by the rule.”
Photo Credit: Walnut
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