Golf carts seem pretty harmless, and most people don’t think of them as anything akin to a car – but Florida law doesn’t make any distinction between one kind of vehicle and another when it comes to drunk driving charges.
Florida law is intentionally vague about what actually constitutes a “vehicle,” which can take people by surprise – especially when they find themselves being interrogated by a police officer about how much they’ve had to drink before driving one to the store.
Can you get a DUI on anything else?
It’s important to note that golf carts aren’t the only alternative modes of transportation that you can get into trouble using while you’re intoxicated.
For example, the state’s laws treat bicycles like any other kind of vehicle (even if they aren’t electric) out there on the road, and you can be charged with a DUI for operating one while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. With that in mind, you don’t want to drink and drive any of the following:
- A tractor
- A riding lawnmower
- An electric scooter
- A motorized wheelchair
- An ATV
Essentially, if you can figure out how to ride it and use it for transportation, don’t take the chance of operating it while intoxicated. You may find it comic or slightly bizarre to think about the police chasing you down if you’re driving a riding mower, for example, but the consequences will be anything but funny.
If high spirits do lead to a drunk driving charge, protect yourself by asserting your right to remain silent until you can seek experienced legal guidance.
