If you drink and drive a car, it’s a no-brainer that you are putting yourself at risk for getting a DUI charge. It happens every day. People imbibing a few too many beers and then making the bad decision to drive instead of using a rideshare program. The law caught up to them, and now they have DUI convictions.
Did you ever consider that you do not need to be driving a car to get a DUI? Maybe you thought that you were going to enjoy a casual Sunday, drinking beers and golfing with your buddies? Totally ok right? News flash, if you are drinking and driving a golf cart, you can still get a DUI.
Driving a car under the influence of alcohol is NOT the only way you can get a DUI!
What are other ways I can get a DUI charge?
- On the Back of a Horse
According to the law, you can be arrested riding a horse while drunk. Section 21050 of California Vehicle Code explicitly explains that “Every person riding or driving an animal on a highway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle….” This includes all the responsibilities of a driver to pedestrians, his passengers, and other drivers. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to the condition of the horse, the right of way, and how you operate the animal. If law enforcement has a reason to believe that there is something wrong with your riding, you could be stopped and or arrested for reckless horse riding. This clause does not only apply to horseback riders but riders on ANY animal. Next time you take your horse or tiger for a stroll around the neighborhood, leave the beer in the fridge.
- Bicycle
Section 21200.5 allows law enforcement to arrest cyclists who are riding their 2-wheelers drunk. Arresting officers can request a chemical test to gauge your BAC (blood alcohol content) level. Violating this law is subject to a $250 fine, and your bicycle riding privileges will be revoked for a year. DUI criminal charges do not technically apply to drunken cyclists, but these charges can stay on your record for a while. Click here to learn more about DUI expungements.
- Golf Cart
Golf carts are a fun way to cruise the links with your golf buddies, and let’s face it, golfing an entire course sober isn’t always fun. What’s stopping you from buzzed cruising with your friends in your golf cart after a win? A DUI! If caught, you WILL be arrested by law enforcement. Golf carts fall under the definition of a vehicle in Section 670 of the Vehicle Code, and the penalties would just be as severe as DUI charges for a standard vehicle.
- Boat
We all know about DUIs, but have you heard about BUIs? BUI stands for Boating Under the Influence. Under Section 655 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, it is illegal to operate a “vessel” while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In this context, a vessel can be interpreted as anything as big as a Commercial Cruise Ship to anything as small as a Jet Ski. The legal BAC limit for operating a commercial vessel is 0.08% and 0.04% for recreational crafts. The U.S. Coast Guard is the body in charge of enforcing Maritime law, and they can arrest you for illegally manning a water vessel while drunk. Because BUI convictions are similar to those of a DUI, they carry similar penalties: jail-time, license revocation, and criminal fines. These two convictions are so similar that one BUI incident can be cited as a prior in any future DUI cases.
We know this sounds like a lot of bad news and fun-killing, but we have one piece of great news for our readers. No matter how you get your DUI charge, The DUI Attorney, Don Hammond, can handle it. At Criminal Defense Hero, we’ve come across every DUI imaginable and we can certainly help you with your DUI case.
