Man Arrested for DUI on Lawnmower Is Serious Accident Risk Not a Laughing Matter
Few would deny that drunken driving is one of the greatest hazards that may result in a serious Atlanta DUI car accident. It is surprising that despite increased enforcement, more severe penalties and harsher laws designed to curtail DUI, many throughout Georgia continue to engage in this unsafe driving practice.
Even as measures to prevent drunken driving increase, drivers find more creative ways to drink and drive. A Walton County man was recently arrested for DUI for driving a riding lawnmower down the roadway while pulling a trailer. The authorities indicated that he was under the influence of alcohol according to media reports.
Although being arrested for DUI while driving a riding lawn mower may seem like the stuff of bad comedies, it is no laughing matter. It is a reminder that many Atlanta and Georgia drivers underestimate the danger of drunken driving in anything other than a traditional motor vehicle like a car, pickup, motorcycle, SUV or tractor-trailer. However, a driver who is riding a bike, driving a golf cart, operating a boat or even driving a riding lawnmower can be arrested for DUI. Anytime a vehicle driven by a drunken driver in Atlanta shares the road with other vehicles the occupants of those vehicles and surrounding pedestrians are placed in danger.
The danger posed by operating any type of vehicle in Atlanta when under the influence of alcohol is substantial because of the impact it has on driving skills including:
- Impaired Vision: Intoxication may result in blurred vision, poor night vision, diminished color perception and slowed eye muscle response.
- Diminished Concentration: Alcohol can make it difficult to focus on mental operations and to engage in multiple mental tasks simultaneously. Someone who drives while drunk is also more likely to doze off behind the wheel.
- Reduced Coordination: A driver’s reflexes and motor skills are impaired when a driver is intoxicated impairing a driver's ability to effectively coordinate vision and motor skills necessary for driving.
- Adversely Affected Cognitive Skills: When a driver is intoxicated, it affects important cognitive functions essential to safe driving including judgement, decision-making, spatial determinations, risk assessment and other cognitive functions that are essential to safe driving.
- Delayed Reaction Time: Studies have repeatedly revealed that intoxication slows the ability of a drivers’ reactions when faced with an impending Atlanta collision risk.
Even if someone is only driving a bicycle or riding on a lawnmower, it is never safe to navigate Atlanta streets and highways when under the influence of alcohol. Driving a lawnmower on Atlanta streets while intoxicated is not a laughing matter but instead a hazardous behavior that can result in an Atlanta DUI accident resulting in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. Many studies reveal that DUI accidents in Atlanta and throughout the U.S. typically result in more serious injuries and a higher fatality rate.
The Atlanta DUI accident lawyers at Montlick and Associates have been representing Georgia DUI accident injury victims since 1984. Our Atlanta DUI accident lawyers are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.