In Florida, many people assume they are only at risk for getting a driving under the influence of alcohol charge (DUI) when they are caught driving an automobile by the police while impaired. However, there are other ways to get a DUI in Florida. One kind of DUI case that is not uncommon is when a person is just sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked car with the keys in the vehicle while impaired. There have even been DUI charges for people riding lawnmowers or bicycles.
In a recent case south of Jacksonville, Florida, the defendant was stopped by police for riding a bicycle while apparently impaired from alcohol. The police officer went through his normal DUI investigation and ultimately made the DUI arrest. Under Florida law, a person can be convicted of DUI if he/she operates a “vehicle” while impaired from alcohol or drugs. Florida law includes a bicycle within the definition of “vehicle” under the DUI laws. These cases are rare, but when someone is convicted of DUI on a bicycle, the penalties are the same as they are for automobile DUI’s. That includes a mandatory driver’s license suspension although you obviously do not need a driver’s license to operate a bicycle.