Driving Under the Influence – No Automobile Required

By Tiffany Sanders, ESQ.

A California man was charged with a DUI offense earlier this week after an accident…in a golf cart.

DUI Laws vary from state to state–in at least one state, a charge of driving under the influence on a bicycle was successfully challenged. However, other states have separate statutes specifically prohibiting riding a bicycle on a public highway under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

While some states require a certain speed capability or horse power or engine size to qualify as a “motorized vehicle” under DUI laws, others define “motorized vehicle” simply as any self-propelled vehicle.

This potentially encompasses–as charges around the country have reflected–motor scooters, tractors, riding lawn mowers and, in at least one Florida case (ultimately dismissed), a motorized wheelchair.