Can you get a DUI while in a wheelchair or when sitting outside of your car? Weirdly enough, the answer is yes. You can get a DUI (Driving under the influence) if the wheelchair is on a bike lane or is motorized and your blood alcohol (BAC) level is above the legal limit of 0.08%.
There are also DUI stories involving being caught while drunk and sleeping on your parked wheelchair or outside your car. All the arresting cop needs to establish is that your blood alcohol level (BAC) is above the legal limit and that you were driving, riding, operating, or had intentions to do so.
Driving a lawnmower while under the influence is another weirdest way to get a DUI. Various states have a broad legal definition of driving, riding, operating, or being in possession of a motor vehicle. The term “vehicle” is defined as “all devices capable of being moved or transporting people.” Scooters, mopeds, and bicycles all qualify as motor vehicles in some states hence are sources of the funniest DUI’s ever.
Here are the 5 weirdest ways to get a DUI charge that may lead to you needing a bail bond to get out of jail.
1. Riding A Lawnmower
Driving a lawnmower while drunk can get you a DUI. This is especially true if you are on a public road and not within your compound. This happened to a Pennsylvania man in July 2015. He was pulled over while driving a lawnmower on a highway and found to have three times the BAC levels legal limit and three previous DUI charges to his credit.
2. Operating an ATV, ORV, or Recreational vehicle
Driving recreational vehicles while intoxicated leads to hundreds of fatalities every year. It is illegal in all the 50 states to operate an ATV, snowmobile, or a motorboat while intoxicated. Operating a recreational vehicle like a golf cart while under the influence will draw similar penalties. Punishment may vary when operating the vehicle on private property or public road. In Illinois, the forms of recreational vehicles which can lead to a DUI charge include ATV, Golf-cart, Dirt-bike, snowmobile, boats, and watercraft.
After recovering from an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) accident in 2013, a man from Illinois was charged with a DUI. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office police had established that he was driving under the influence. Golf-cart related DUI offenses are also common. Golf Digest has reported on the problem with Florida cops ready to investigate any reported cases of driving under influence. Florida has a record number of golf cart-related DUI arrests that led to many offenders needing to get bailed out of jail.
A Zamboni operator in North Dakota zig zagging his equipment instead of moving on a straight path during a hockey match in 2015 had spectators call the police. The cops established he was drunk and charged him with a DUI. The Zamboni driver had a previous DUI charge.
3. Driving A Motorized Recliner, Barstool Or Cooler
Motorized recliners, barstools, and coolers are treated as vehicles in many states and the rider must be sober while on the road. In Newark, Ohio, a motorized barstool rider headed home after a drinking spree and got a DUI charge in 2009. He wrecked his motorized vehicle when negotiating a U-turn. When getting a DUI the cops reminded him that in Ohio, one has to be sober to operate any motor vehicle.
In 2008 in New York, cops caught up with a motorized cooler rider who residents said had been at it for some time. He got a DUI. He was swerving down the sidewalk and didn’t have a driving license due to previous DUI charges.
In 2009 a Minnesota motorized recliner rider got a DUI with 180 days jail time and 2 years' probation. He hit a stationary car on the parking lot as he left the bar intoxicated. His BAC levels were three times the legal limit.
4. Can You Get A DUI On A Horse?
Yes, you can. It has happened in some states and there is a historical aspect to it. Horse carriages were the mode of transportation before the invention of cars. Situations where people hurt themselves and others when operating horse carriages occurred. A Kentucky man riding home drunk in 2015 ran away from arresting cops. He was later arrested and charged with a DUI. Nebraska and Texas have also recently had DUI charges on horse riders.
5. Riding Bicycles Or Tricycles
Bicycles have been a comfortable resort for a good number of those who drink alcohol. It is not as safe an option as considered. In 32 states, bicycles are regarded as vehicles while on the road. Some states have specific laws and charges for Biking Under the Influence (BUI). Biking while drunk is likely to get you a DUI charge as happened in Utah in the year 2008, where two drunk riders spent a night in jail. An Oregon man riding his tricycle down the wrong side of the street after he left the bar got a DUI. When the cops performed sobriety tests, the man failed and was taken to jail.
Key Takeaway
These weird DUI laws keep people reminded of safety and sobriety responsibilities during the operation of any mode of transportation be it driving, riding, or pedaling. For more legal information such as the difference between unsecured and secured loans or how bail bonds work, read the rest of our blog. You can also contact us for more information about getting a bail bond.