Virginia

TexasTowelie

(112,346 posts) Mon Mar 5, 2018, 05:54 PM Mar 2018

Bill making it legal to drive drunk at home makes it halfway through Virginia General Assembly, but

Bill making it legal to drive drunk at home makes it halfway through Virginia General Assembly, but fails late

Virginians who want to crack open a beer or two while doing yard work on a riding lawnmower came close to getting a green light from the General Assembly.

But drinking and getting behind the wheel in your own yard or driveway could still mean big legal trouble after a House of Delegates subcommittee voted down legislation to put private homes beyond the reach of the state's drunk-driving laws.

The Senate passed the bill 37-3 last month, but lawmakers in the House blocked it Friday after deciding it was too difficult to draw a distinction between the guy calmly drinking beer while listening to the radio in a parked car and the guy doing doughnuts on his front lawn.

A House Courts of Justice subcommittee voted 7-0 Friday to kill Senate Bill 308.

Read more: http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/general-assembly/bill-making-it-legal-to-drive-drunk-at-home-makes/article_26f295d3-7da9-52f5-950a-692f25a1c0d3.html

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Bill making it legal to drive drunk at home makes it halfway through Virginia General Assembly, but (Original Post) TexasTowelie Mar 2018 OP

I've been under the impression that drunk driving only applied to public roads. no_hypocrisy Mar 2018 #1

Not really zipplewrath Mar 2018 #3

So its illegal to do drunk donuts on one's own front lawn. What about doing those donuts sober? marble falls Mar 2018 #2

You've clearly never been to Chesterfield county underpants Mar 2018 #5

But I enjoy misusing other people's gardening equipment making donuts in their front yards. marble falls Mar 2018 #6

The current law seems overly intrusive to me YessirAtsaFact Mar 2018 #4

no_hypocrisy

(46,151 posts)

1. I've been under the impression that drunk driving only applied to public roads.

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Mon Mar 5, 2018, 06:01 PM

Mar 2018

I thought private property, including driveways, were off limits.

zipplewrath

(16,646 posts)

3. Not really

Reply to no_hypocrisy (Reply #1)

Mon Mar 5, 2018, 06:09 PM

Mar 2018

It depends upon the state, and of course enforcement is probably rare, but generally laws are written so that they express "operate a motor vehicle". In some states, even a bicycle is covered. Of course part of the problem would be how do they get on to your property to even detect it. Yeah, I get it if you're in an urban area on your 1/4 lot. But how about the guy with 5 acres in the woods? They can't come on your property without some justification.

marble falls

(57,145 posts)

2. So its illegal to do drunk donuts on one's own front lawn. What about doing those donuts sober?

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Mon Mar 5, 2018, 06:02 PM

Mar 2018

underpants

(182,861 posts)

5. You've clearly never been to Chesterfield county

Reply to marble falls (Reply #2)

Mon Mar 5, 2018, 06:20 PM

Mar 2018

Okay. I skipped over Pulaski.

marble falls

(57,145 posts)

6. But I enjoy misusing other people's gardening equipment making donuts in their front yards.

Reply to underpants (Reply #5)

Mon Mar 5, 2018, 06:36 PM

Mar 2018

YessirAtsaFact

(2,064 posts)

4. The current law seems overly intrusive to me

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Mon Mar 5, 2018, 06:15 PM

Mar 2018

If I want to drive a lawnmower drunk on my yard, it would be stupid but I don’t think the state should interfere, unless I’m so intoxicated they charge me with drunk in public.

If I hurt someone doing this, I should be charged with a crime. I hurt myself, that’s what I get for being stupid.

The law can’t prevent stupid. It shouldn’t try to.

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