Dui: Horse, Bike, and Other Modes of Transportation

A woman in Polk County, Florida was recently arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), but not while driving a car, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. She was riding a horse down a road when police encountered her. She smelled of alcohol, seemed confused, and her blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. In addition to the DUI charge, she was also charged with animal neglect. While the vast majority of DUIs are given to people driving normal motor vehicles such as cars or trucks, you can also be arrested for operating many other types of vehicles, contraptions, and even animals if you are proven to be under the influence of alcohol. If you have been charged with a DUI of any type, you need to call a West Palm Beach attorney as soon as you can for legal assistance.

Bicycle DUI

Riding a bike while intoxicated may be safer for others than if you were driving a car, but that does not mean that it is legal. This may be a surprise to many, but Florida law does not specifically state that only motor vehicle operators are subject to DUI charges; it is illegal to operate any vehicle on a public road with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more. As such, bikes fall under this category. Under the definition of this law, a person could even theoretically be charged with a DUI for the intoxicated riding of a skateboard, Razor scooter, roller blades, or even a unicycle. However, an experienced attorney would most likely be able to have a DUI charge for those latter examples dropped.

DUI During Other Modes of Transportation

Bikes and horses are not the only other modes of transportation that one would not necessarily think of as falling under the classification of a “vehicle” under Florida’s DUI laws. Other modes of illegal DUI transportation include, though are not limited to, the following:

  • Golf carts;
  • Segways;
  • Dune buggies;
  • Go karts;
  • Lawn mowers;
  • Tractors;
  • Other farm or landscaping equipment;
  • Mopeds or scooters; and
  • Watercraft.

However, it is not illegal to mow your own lawn while intoxicated. DUIs only apply to lawn mowers, golf carts, and similar vehicles when they are being operated on a public road. A parking lot, for example, would include a public road, whereas a private backyard go kart course would not.

Reach Out to a Knowledgeable West Palm Beach Criminal Defense DUI Lawyer Today

Whether you were arrested for a DUI on your bike, horse, car, or lawn mower, you need experienced legal help to fight these serious DUI charges. Contact the professional DUI defense attorneys with the West Palm Beach law offices of the Skier Law Firm to speak with an attorney today.

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