Is It Illegal To Ride A Bicycle Drunk In Boise?

If you're familiar with "pregaming" before heading out with friends, you might be familiar with this scenario, and while it's not necessarily a complex situation, it's one that needs a solution:

You drank too much.

What do you do? Sure, you can Uber but you want to save a few bucks for the bar with your friends, and you certainly don't want to call one of your friends and call for a ride.

So - what's the solution?

"I'll just ride my bike!" - Famous Last Words

So, you don't want to drive or call an Uber to your destination which is maybe 10 minutes away. Why not take your bike and get a little exercise to work off that alcohol? Heck, you might even sober up a little bit, right?

Good news and bad news, at least, according to Idaho law and DUI lawyers here in Idaho.

The good news is that if for whatever reason an officer stops you on a bike and notices that you're legally intoxicated, you cannot get dinged for a DUI or any drunk driving infractions - your bicycle isn't defined as a "motor vehicle."

The bad news? You can still be in trouble with the law. Depending on how your arrest goes down, you can wind up with a charge of public intoxication which could result in you having to spend time behind bars to sober up according to Idaho legislation.

So, while you cannot be charged with a DUI on a bike, perhaps hitching a ride is still the safer way to get where you need to go.