Lancat
21-01-2008, 07:29 PM
New Zealand man arrested after riding lawn mower on public road while drunk
Last updated at 11:04am on 15th January 2008
Police have arrested a New Zealand man after catching him riding his lawn mower on a public road while drunk.
Richard Gunn, 52, had turned to the unusual method of transport - which has a top speed of 5mph - after being banned from driving.
He had apparently been using the mower for some time, starting it up at his home in the North Island town of Dargaville and heading for the local shops. He was so slow that he was even overtaken by cyclists.
But Mr Gunn drew attention to himself by weaving about on the road into town after dark – and having no lights on the mower.
Police in a patrol car waved him down and after a quick check found that not only was he twice over the legal alcohol limit, he had also lost his licence for previous motoring offences.
He has now been charged with careless driving, driving while disqualified and driving with "excess breath alcohol."
Mr Gunn, however, remains mystified by his arrest.
"I can accept it might have been a little dangerous because I didn't have lights," he said. "But you can't say I was driving carelessly because I wasn't in a car for a start.
"I thought that once they took my licence off me I would be within the law to ride around on a lawn mower. It's not actually a vehicle is it? It's a machine for cutting the grass."
The red, ride-on, petrol-driven mower has been impounded by police, who claimed it failed to meet Land Transport Safety Authority standards which required that it be fit to be used on the road, registered and operated by a qualified, sober, driver.
Mr Gunn is due to appear in court at the end of the week.
Last updated at 11:04am on 15th January 2008
Police have arrested a New Zealand man after catching him riding his lawn mower on a public road while drunk.
Richard Gunn, 52, had turned to the unusual method of transport - which has a top speed of 5mph - after being banned from driving.
He had apparently been using the mower for some time, starting it up at his home in the North Island town of Dargaville and heading for the local shops. He was so slow that he was even overtaken by cyclists.
But Mr Gunn drew attention to himself by weaving about on the road into town after dark – and having no lights on the mower.
Police in a patrol car waved him down and after a quick check found that not only was he twice over the legal alcohol limit, he had also lost his licence for previous motoring offences.
He has now been charged with careless driving, driving while disqualified and driving with "excess breath alcohol."
Mr Gunn, however, remains mystified by his arrest.
"I can accept it might have been a little dangerous because I didn't have lights," he said. "But you can't say I was driving carelessly because I wasn't in a car for a start.
"I thought that once they took my licence off me I would be within the law to ride around on a lawn mower. It's not actually a vehicle is it? It's a machine for cutting the grass."
The red, ride-on, petrol-driven mower has been impounded by police, who claimed it failed to meet Land Transport Safety Authority standards which required that it be fit to be used on the road, registered and operated by a qualified, sober, driver.
Mr Gunn is due to appear in court at the end of the week.