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Bill Would OK Drunks on Bikes

February 6th, 2006 by Carl

Via The Associated Press

PIERRE, South Dakota (Feb. 2) - South Dakota lawmakers decided Wednesday that it’s better to have drunks on horses and bicycles instead of behind the wheel of an auto or truck.
The state Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill 6-1 that will exempt horses and bikes from drunken driving laws, meaning intoxicated people who either pedal or saddle up to get home after a night at the bar cannot be arrested for drunken driving.
Sen. Lee Schoenbeck said it will make the roads safer for other motorists.
“If I have to choose … a problem drunk with 1,500 pound or 2,000 pounds of metal coming at 50 miles an hour or a two-wheel Schwinn, I’m going to win and my family is going to win,” he said. “I’d much rather have a drunk on the bike.”
Wow. I haven’t posted in months but… I just had to after reading this. On a sidenote, here’s a funny story. I work at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and one day, one of my friends was renting one of our vehicles to a guy who’d been in an accident. My friend casually asked the renter if everyone was alright after the crash. “Oh, yea” the guy said “but the person I hit sure isn’t.” My friend asked him what had happened and the guy goes “Well, he’s dead. I hit a drunk guy on a bicycle.” Hmmmm…. I guess this would be a good law. At least he wasn’t driving a car….

2 Responses to “Bill Would OK Drunks on Bikes”

  1. 1 Guitar Ted 

    This is one of those instances where it would appear that the law makes sense, but in reality it’s just a cop out. They are admitting defeat and accepting “the lesser of two evils”.

    Lawyers in South Dakota will be licking their chops to have the chance to prosecute a wrongful death case against someone who hits a drunk cyclist and kills them. This is also unfair to law abiding drivers who must comply to a standard that another road user is exempt from. Does that make any sense? Here are cyclists trying to get along with vehicular traffic, to have safe access to the highways and byways, yet they are free to operate on those roads in an impaired condition that may bring others and themselves into harms way. Sorry, but this law is seriously wrong!

  2. 2 Fritz 

    After this hit the news last Wednesday, cyclists flooded their state legislatures with calls and emails letting them know this was a bad idea. This occurred last Wednesday — before the AP posted the story quoted above.

    Too bad about that drunk cyclist and the car driver both. :-(

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