Forest, London’s homegrown e-bike operator, today launches an in-app sobriety test, a new feature to prevent riders from breaking the law by cycling after drinking, and protect other road users and pedestrians across London.
The in-app sobriety check will be rolled out gradually across Forest’s 20,000-strong fleet, starting from February. The reaction-time test begins with a short countdown, followed by a traffic-light interaction designed to measure the user’s reaction time. If the user passes, their ride reservation resumes as normal. If they fail, they will be prompted to retry up to three times.
Once all attempts are exhausted, the user is temporarily prevented from starting a ride for a set period of time, and the ‘Rent’ button is disabled across all bikes. Every test attempt is stored in an internal database for reporting and compliance.
The new feature will be shown to Forest users when they tap ‘Rent Now’. Powered by geolocation technology, it will be activated at relevant times and in appropriate locations, for example, late at night in Central London. The area and timings will be carefully determined by the Forest team, informed by insights and guidance from the Met Police and local borough officers. This ensures the feature is fully customisable and deployed thoughtfully, without unnecessarily blocking users trying to ride with Forest.
The new in-app feature comes alongside Forest’s other tech, hardware and engagement features to encourage safe and considerate cycling and parking behaviours amongst its users, such as the Common Sense Club, a campaign focused on educating riders about the Highway Code. The company is also working on a range of new innovations to ensure users park and ride responsibly, alongside a clear warning and fining policy for continued misuse.
Alex Berwin, Head of Policy at Forest said: “We’re pleased to introduce this new feature to further encourage responsible cycling habits among our users. As e-bikes continue to transform the way people move around London and become an everyday part of life in the Capital, it is important that they are used safely.
“Cycling while intoxicated is also against the law in the UK, and while the vast majority of our riders adhere to this and use Forest responsibly, we recognise that even a small number of journeys made under the influence of alcohol can put pedestrians, other cyclists and the rider themselves at risk. By introducing a simple reaction-time check at key times and locations, we’re taking proactive steps to educate our users and prevent unsafe riding in its tracks.”
Forest is the only London-based operator with zero emissions, powering all bikes and service vehicles with renewable energy, and is also the only provider that gifts users ten minutes of free rides per day. In 2024, Forest gave away approximately 40 million gifted ride minutes, costing the equivalent of over £11 million.
