Can you get a dui on a scooter?
There was a time when motorized scooters were the stuff of science fiction. However, they have now made it into the mainstream and are popping up all over the place. These scooters can easily reach speeds fast enough to seriously injure someone in the event of a collision. This is why they are now being governed under the same laws as their internal combustion engine counterparts.
Driving under the influence (DUI) is a crime in every state and pretty much all over the world and it now applies to powerful electric scooters as well. Authorities in Los Angeles (LA) have already obtained a DUI conviction for a recklessly driven electric scooter and it seems that other states and municipal and local authorities are set to follow suit.
Increased Legislation
The states of Illinois, Indiana, and Colorado have pushed for greater regulation of this form of transport and people living there would definitely be at risk of a DUI arrest and subsequent conviction in case they are caught while driving an electric scooter under influence.
There are certain aspects of DUI laws that you should understand especially with regard to the acts that can actually lead to a conviction. This will depend on a few key factors that the state will try to prove against an arrested individual. For a DUI charge to stand, the authorities have to determine the following:
oThe individual was driving an electric scooter at the time
oHis blood-alcohol level was at least .08 or more (depending on state to state)
oHe was driving the scooter on a public road or public place
Apart from that, the minimum .08 requirement can be lessened to .06 or .07 to constitute a driving while impaired (DWI) charge.
If we were to consider Oklahoma DUI laws we can see that this state has a statutory definition of the term motorized scooter that is as follows:
oIt has handlebars
oIt is equipped with foot support and/or a seat
oIt has a power source that is capable of moving the vehicle at a speed that does not exceed 25 miles per hour (mph)
oIn case of an electric power source, the power output is not higher than a maximum of 1000 watts
Conclusion
It can thus easily be seen that these motorized (electric) scooters have been very clearly defined by Oklahoma law. Thus we can conclude that if an individual is operating (driving or riding) an electrical scooter while under influence upon any public road or highways, he or she can potentially be arrested on DUI charges.