Irish Motorcycle Riders Can Drink Less Than Cage Drivers

I'm going to take the unpopular side on this one. It just takes more skill, better coordination, faster reflexes, and better balance to safely operate a motorcycle. Someone who has just had a beer might be able to operate a car within safe limits but still be too impaired to ride a motorcycle safely.

I never have enough alcohol to make me an unsafe car driver (and certainly never enough to exceed the BAL limit), but when I am riding my bike, I have no alcohol. None at all. If I'm at a restaurant, I have a soda. So they are just codifying the behavior that I already exhibit.

You're right Fred, except.... according to the MAIDS reports, (I can't remember the exact figure) something like 30% of deadly accidents between car and motorcycle was caused because the car driver was DUI...

I agree that you shouldn't drink and ride, but I totally disagree with a law that singles out bikers.

Irish Motorcycle Riders Can Drink Less Than Cage Drivers

"The same law should apply to everyone, no exceptions towards bikers."

While we're at it, 0.05 for pedestrians, pilots, truck drivers...

I've read that it's a biker perpetuated myth that most accidents are the fault of a car. A few studies that I have seen show that most accidents are single vehicle (the bike) accidents. Of course what really matters on an individual scale is how you ride. If you commute regularly you'll most likely get tangled with stupid drivers, whereas if you do twisty runs on weekends you are probably your own enemy.

I suppose I'm not completely disagreeing with you Mike, but I do think there's some merit in a lower limit for bikes. I'm undecided, probably because it's not particularly relevant to me. I'm off my 1 year of new rider restrictions end of Feb, so then I can drink up to 0.05 (different units, prob 0.5) and comment better on this issue.

Irish Motorcycle Riders Can Drink Less Than Cage Drivers

Mike,

If the driver of the car was DUI, then he was already breaking the law. Now if you had told me that most crashes were caused by drivers who had BAL between 0.2g/l and 0.5g/l (more than the proposed limit for motorcycle but less than the DUI limit for car drivers), I'd be all over th idea of lowering it for everyone.

But not all vehicles are the same. The amount of impairment that you can tolerate when operating a car, sportbike, fighter jet, helicopter, dragster, or hydrofoil is not the same. Some vehicles simply require better reflexes, judgment, balance, and coordination than others.

We have lots of laws that treat motorcyclists and automobile drivers differently. Motorcyclists don't have to wear seatbelts, have 5mph bumpers, or have airbags. Car drivers don't need to have helmets or eye protection. In many countries, pollution standards are more lax for motorcycles. In the U.S., I can ride my motorcycle in HOV lanes that would require I have one or more passengers were I in a car.

I tend to not be a big fan of one-size-fits-all laws lest some law aimed at cars and SUVs be shoved down our throats (child safety seats for motorcycles, windshield wipers for touring bikes, seat belts for motorcycles -- a law that has actually been proposed, airbags for motorcycles, crash test standards, etc.).

Anon,

If you do a search for MAIDS on this site, it'll bring you a link to an extensive accident report done in Europe. You'll see the real stats, not myths, about what and who causes accidents for motorcycles.

Yes, often accidents are single vehicle, but more involve a car. So... no urban legends...

Hi Fred,

Yes, you are correct in stating that there are special laws that apply only to bikers, but they are very relative to bikes and would have no sense on other vehicles. I also agree totally, that riding a motorcycle requires much more control than driving a car.

But... it's the principal thing.. setting precedents again and again means producing an attitude for the general public about motorcycles. Anything that shows them that we are different and should be treated differently is very dangerous for us. we are a minority and should be exposed as a minority since we'll loose more and more rights.

There are already many big cities in the world that are trying to outlaw motorcycles, simply because it's easy to pick on us... everyone does it, so why not them.

Getting special drinking laws for bikers, just because we're bikers is wrong. I prefer that they say 0gr/l for everyone, end of story. Equality for all...

Drink.

I once had a single drink (rum and orange juice) before going out on the bike...and very nearly didn't notice a red light. I was astonished at the damage that one little drink did to my concentration and reactions.

Now I never, EVER have a single drop if I'm going out on the bike later that day.