Thousands of people are caught drink driving every day in almost every country around the world. In 99% of cases, it is safe to assume that most were driving cars with the rest on motorbikes.
Some Queenslanders however have taken their drink driving to the next level. In this article, we look at the top 5 craziest things that Queenslanders have been caught drink driving.
1. Golf Buggies
Okay, so this one we can kind of understand. Everyone knows that beer and golf go well together and so it’s perhaps not surprising that there have been some golfers charged with drink driving golf buggies.
In Queensland, however, the situation got so bad at one resort that the police had to set up a special operation just to reduce the number of drunk golf buggy drivers.
So the next time you’re playing 18 holes with your buddies, be careful. If you drink and drive your buggy, it could end up being the most expensive game of golf you’ve ever played.
2. Eskies
Ah, the humble esky. A fixture at any respectable party, its uses are many and varied. They keep our beers cool on a hot summer’s day, they can double up as seating… and if you’re creative like the guy in the video above, you can also use them as a mode of transport.
Yes, you read that right. A Queensland man was charged and convicted of drink driving a motorised esky which also happened to be conveniently full of more drinks.
A couple for the road, perhaps?
3. Motorised Wheelchairs
The next time you visit your elderly grandparents and they’re wheeling themselves around in their wheelchairs, you might want to check that they haven’t been hitting the booze beforehand.
In 2013, a 71-year-old man was charged with driving his motorised wheelchair in Mooloolaba while drunk. Even more surprising was the fact that he had an alcohol reading of 0.209% – more than 4 times the legal limit!
This poor fellow clearly had quite a poor history since he received a suspended jail sentence in addition to a lengthy licence disqualification.
4. Lawnmowers
After a long day of mowing the lawn outside in the hot sun, there’s nothing better than to relax afterwards with a cold beer and admire your handiwork. It’s important to remember that you should until after you finish the lawnmowing before you crack open your next beer.
This lesson was learned the hard way by one young man who was convicted of drink driving his lawnmower down a road. It would seem that he didn’t know until it was too late that drink driving is not just for cars and motorbikes.
Instead of cutting the lawn, perhaps he would’ve been better off cutting the booze!
5. Horses
We’ve saved this one until last because, in all honesty, who would have thought that you could be charged with drink driving a horse? Or should that be drink riding a horse?
After being charged with drink riding his horse through the city, a Mt Isa man found out the hard way that Queensland’s drink driving laws extend to included non-motorised vehicles which, unfortunately for him, also includes horses (and, in fact, any other animal).
What makes his case even worse is that he thought that he was doing the right thing by not driving, as he was already disqualified from driving due to prior traffic offences. It just goes to show how easy we can find ourselves on the wrong side of the law.
Have You Been Charged with Drink Driving?
If you have been charged with drink driving… or drink riding… contact us now to discuss your rights and your options. We are expert drink driving lawyers and we’re ready to help.