[sustran] [World Streets] Honk! Polish cyclists can't drink and drive

[Eric Britton (Paris, France)]

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/europe/7994857.stm]
Under a law passed in 2000 in Poland, anyone riding a bike under the
influence of alcohol faces a fine or up to two years in prison,
depending on the level of their intoxication.

This law was engineered (for not to say doctored) before access of
Poland to the EU: one of the requirements, imposed by the EU on its
candidate members was to increase the detectability of the crimes. The
cyclists became a scapegoats...

This law, which equals the cyclist after two beers with a drunk driver
of 20 ton truck or bus full of people, received a wholehearted welcome
by police force officers, especially on the countryside. It is a way
easier (and safer) to arrest a local farmer John, returning home by
bike after closing of bar, than to stop the car, which might be full of
the thugs in track suits or -- even worse -- its driver could be a
Member of Parliament (which is quite often phenomenon and means
troubles for every policeman)...

This law was proceeded to the Constitutional Court, as absurd and
draconian and which can drag whole families into poverty -- currently
two thousand Poles (mainly fathers of the families) are in prison for
riding a bicycle whilst under the influence of alcohol. In spite of
this, Poland's Constitutional Court upheld a ruling that drunken
cyclists should be tried as criminals, treated like drunken motorists
and face prison if caught.

The average sentence for riding a bike after booze is 11.5 months
imprisonment.

There was claim that intoxicated cyclists should be treated like
drunken pedestrians, who face a fine rather than jail, as both use
their own muscles to achieve motion. The Constitutional Court (lead by
the chairwoman, a typical car-bound person), ruled that cyclists use
public roads and are considerably more dangerous because of the speed
they can travel.

Drunken pedestrians use the public roads too and I would not exaggerate
the speed of the drunken cyclists. Taking into account that the energy
(hence the possible damage) equals mass time velocity [M x V], the mass
of the cyclist rarely exceeds 100 kilograms and the speed decreases
with the level of alcohol in blood...

The whole affair unveils the approach of Polish authorities to the
cycling in general. Both the cyclist, as the motorist in Poland could
have 0,2 promille of alcohol in blood. In Germany the cyclist could
have 1,6 promille of alcohol (and the car driver -- 0,5 promille).

In Poland in road accidents with alcohol in background, ca. 86% of them
caused drunken car drivers and only in 14% of them have been involved
drunken cyclists. In majority of the accidents with drunken drivers
casualties or heavy injuries occurred. In accidents with the drunken
cyclists the number of injuries and casualties was much more lower, and
the victims have been often the cyclists alone.

In Polish prisons is jailed ca. 1931 people caught for cycling after
booze (some more wait in the custody). Cost of keeping them in prisons
equals about EUR 10 to 12 million per year. For those money Poland
could build about 250 kilometers of cycle paths along the most busy
national roads.

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/europe/7994857.stm
This contribution by our vigilant Eyes on the Street reporter in
Warsaw, Marek Utkin. As to the photo we have been unable to ascertain
if the cyclist pictured is drunk. Or for that matter Polish. Our
investigations continue. Your editor.

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Posted By Eric Britton (Paris, France) to World Streets at 4/12/2009
08:47:00 AM
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