Rachel Chia - Asleep at the wheelchair: Australian man charged with drunk rolling

In Brisbane, Australia - A man found asleep in a motorized wheelchair on a highway has been charged with drunk driving.

Officers noticed the man slumped in the stationary chair about 10A.M Friday on an exit lane near the tourist city of Cairns. Regional traffic Inspector Bob Waters said that cars were swerving to get around him.

The officers tested the breath of the 64-year-old man, who registed a blood alcohol reading of 0.301 - more than six times the legal driving limit. Hence, he was charged with operating a vehicle while drunk and ordered to report to court on July 7.

Although typical vehicles associated with drink driving are cars, trucks and motorbikes, there are also other classes of vehicles subjected to drink-driving laws. These include horses, bicycles and motorized vehicles.


Personal Views:

Although a tad silly, the man ought to have realised the severity of his actions. Despite a motorcycle not being an actual 'vehicle', he was still on the road and controlling his vehicle while he was drunk. This might have cost him his life if others had knocked him out by accident. To prevent such things from happening, we should start actively spreading the message of how drink-driving applies to all sorts of vehicles on the road, not just the usual cars and motorcycles. The message of the consequences of drink-driving should still be spread around to ensure everyone knows the dangers and harm it might cause them.