Police issue reminder that riding a bicycle drunk is illegal

Taipei, April 19 (CNA) Amid a rise in cases, Taiwan's National Police Agency (NPA) on Sunday reminded the public that riding a bicycle or other "slow-moving vehicle" while intoxicated is illegal, and is subject to a fine and the vehicle's confiscation.

In a statement, the NPA noted that Taiwan's Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act regulates bicycles, as well as electric power-auxiliary bicycles and mini electric two-wheel vehicles, in the category of "slow-moving vehicles" allowed on public roads.

The act stipulates that operators of slow-moving vehicles can also face legal penalties for drunk driving, albeit lighter ones than those for cars or motorcycles, the agency said.

Cyclists who have a breath alcohol concentration of 0.15 milligrams per liter can be fined NT$1,200 (US$38.12) to NT$2,400, while those who refuse a breathalyzer test can be fined NT$4,800, the NPA said.

In 2025, police in Taiwan recorded a total of 56,303 drunk driving offenses, of which cars accounted for 28 percent, motorcycles 51 percent, and slow-moving vehicles 21 percent, the agency said.

Of the total, 8,361 people also refused to take breathalyzer tests, of which 46 percent, or 4,046 people, were riding a slow-moving vehicle.

Meanwhile, in 30,846 of the violations, the driver had a breath alcohol concentration of over 0.25 mg/l and was referred to prosecutors, the police agency said.

Trends

In 2025, police recorded 12,095 drunk driving violations involving slow-moving vehicles, up 64.85 percent from 7,337 a year earlier, the NPA said.

Of those, 4,046 slow-moving vehicle operators were cited for refusing to take a breathalyzer test, up 39.9 percent from 2,745 the previous year, it said.

The agency said the rise in DUIs involving slow-moving vehicles bucked the overall trend in Taiwan, which has seen a reduction in drunk driving violations as well as drunk driving related injuries and deaths over the past five years.

The NPA did not provide statistics on the number of traffic accidents or injuries caused by intoxicated cyclists.

Given the trends, however, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications is planning to meet with the Ministry of the Interior to decide whether to increase penalties for drunk driving violations involving slow-moving vehicles, the United Daily News reported.