Man convicted for cycling while drunk

Snapper1 · 18-02-2008 5:27pm #1

Be aware of the risks....

http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie/content/index.php?aid=10543

Drunken pedal cyclist collided with taxi at busy roundabout

Riding a bicycle without reasonable consideration for other road users while drunk might be a rare sighting these days, but following a collision with a taxi at a busy city roundabout it was enough to land a Polish man before Galway District Court this week.

Andrew Malatnyski, 162 Ros Chaoin, Roscam, Galway, pleaded guilty to riding his pedal cycle without reasonable consideration for other road users and with riding the bicycle while drunk at Bohermore on October 28 last year.

Inspector Mick Coppinger said on October 28 last at 3 m Gardai came on a traffic accident at the Cemetery Cross roundabout, where a pedal cyclist had collided with a taxi, coming from the Tuam Road side.

A witness to the collision told Gardai he had noticed the accused cycling from side to side on the road as he made his way up to the roundabout from Bohermore and he then saw him go the wrong way off the roundabout onto the Tuam Road. The man collided with a taxi as it approached the roundabout and the taxi man, who is from Ballydavid, Athenry, got an awful shock, the inspector said.

Judge Mary Fahy said the charges before the court were unusual and she agreed that the taxi driver must have got a fright. “We all see cyclists weaving in and out of traffic. I’m not saying they are all intoxicated but this man was,” she added.

The judge convicted and fined Malatnyski €200 for riding the bicycle without reasonable consideration for other road users and she fined him an additional €150 for cycling while drunk.

avalanche · 18-02-2008 5:49pm

to be honest i think its fair enough. ive cycled home many times so drunk that i cant remember a thing. good at the time but thinking back twas about as dumb as you can get. i think its one thing to put yourself in danger but pretty selfish if thats going to affect other people such as a driver who ends up running you over. ive also heard that people can lose their drivers licence if they are caught drunk cycling but i dont know if thats true.