Japan has banned nearly 1000 drivers from driving after imposing strict rules on riding a bike while drunk. Seriously.
Having your driver’s license taken off you, typically, comes from a driving offence or a number of repeat offences. However, there are plenty of places across the globe where you need your driving license to rent bikes, e-scooters, and other forms of travel.
Places like Australia and the United Kingdom have strict rules on operating electronic bikes and scooters without a helmet. You can end up with points on your license for doing so, as well as a sizable fine.
However, in Japan, they’ve taken things up another level. As of December 2025, almost 1000 people have lost their driving license because of cycling offences.
Japan revokes licenses of drunk cyclists
That’s right, according to the BBC, over 900 drivers have had their licenses suspended because they were caught cycling while intoxicated.
Japanese authorities deemed that the offenders were “likely to pose a significant danger when driving a car,” and thus removed their licenses.
This followed a rule change from November 2024, which can see riders penalized if their breath alcohol test detects 0.15 milligrams per litre or higher. Any offenders risk losing their license, spending three years in prison, or being fined up to 500,000 yen.
Cycling is an incredibly popular way to get around Japan.
As per the BBC’s report, Japan will continue to crack down on cycling offences too. As of April 2026, cyclists will also be fined for offences including riding a bicycle while holding an umbrella, using their phones on the bike, ignoring traffic lights, and riding without lights at night.
Back in April of this year, a driver in Norway lost their license for pretending to swerve into a cyclist while their friend livestreamed on Twitch. The streamer, Detoo, was also banned from streaming for a short period.
