Man Loses License for Drunk Driving in Barbie Car :: Tennessee Criminal Lawyer Blog

DUI Statutes

The primary evil that the DUI statutes are designed to prevent is that of a person trying to control some sort of automobile or other machinery on the public roads or highways while intoxicated and thereby posing a danger to themselves or other drivers. However, that doesn’t mean that someone can escape a DUI charge simply by using a less-dangerous means of transportation such as a lawn mower, moped, or even a Barbie car. A man from the UK learned this lesson the hard way when he received a three-year suspension of his driver’s license (partially because he had a prior DUI offense) after being caught operating a Barbie car while intoxicated. The man and his son had reportedly rigged the car, which is capable of reaching speeds up to a screaming four miles per hour, up with bigger tires and he wanted to take it for a test drive. Unfortunately, a grown man stuffed into a Barbie car tends to attract attention and the man was apprehended.

Any Motor-Driven Vehicle Counts

This case does provide a bit of humor, but it also illustrates a point that cannot be discussed too frequently on DUI blogs: the DUI statutes do not apply solely to cars, trucks, and other automobiles. The Tennessee DUI statute by its language encompasses any type of motor-driven vehicle, regardless of the top speed of the vehicle or whether it would be considered a potentially dangerous means of transportation by most standards. If a person is apprehended driving any type of vehicle while intoxicated in Tennessee and that vehicle is “motor-driven,” then that person will be susceptible to a DUI charge. This is significant because DUI is a serious charge, but also because an offender may suddenly find himself being sentenced as a multiple DUI offender when he or she may have not contemplated the fact that he or she was doing anything wrong. When such a situation occurs, the offender would be prudent to contact an experienced DUI defense attorney who can assist them in contesting the application of the statute to the conduct in question and fighting for a fair and lenient sentence.

Source

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7606600/Man-loses-licence-after-drink-driving-in-toy-Barbie-car.html