DUIs and Golf Carts

I literally posted a blog about DUIs and golf carts here in Washington State less than a week ago on my website blog.  Then somehow this gem of an article pops up in my twitter feed.  It is about a small town in Georgia where 15% of all DUI arrests involved golf carts.  Yes you heard that right.  Golf carts.  I was being pretty factious when I blogged about this on my website.  But I guess it really happens.  

As both a Seattle DUI lawyer and a golfer this really surprises me.  Arresting someone who is driving a golf cart on a cart path is just odd to me.  I mean how much damage can a person do in a golf cart on a cart path.  Growing up playing golf, and working at golf courses I can't tell you how many people I have seen driving a golf cart impaired.  It is just kind of what happens when you mix beautiful summer weather, some beers, and people that don't play that often.  But not once did I ever think someone would get arrested for that.

Now this article discusses this town a little bit.  And I guess there are over 100 miles of cart paths.  So its not like the police are out arresting golfers on the course.  And it sounds like the cart paths are shared by pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.  So I can see how a golf cart can cause injuries and/or damage.  But for it to be 15% of all DUI arrests is just alarming to me.  In my opinion perhaps these law enforcement officials should be spending some more time trying to solve other crimes, or enforcing the traffic code where violations are actually occurring on the street with actual vehicles.

Anyway if you want to read the article here it is.  It is titled, "Peachtree City cracking down on drunken golf cart drivers." 

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About the author: Matthew Leyba is a DUI lawyer in Seattle, WA.  He is currently rated as  Top DUI Attorney in Seattle, WA by Avvo website and is also named a Rising Star in the field of DUI defense by Superlawyers Magazine.  This is an honor less than 2.5% of all Attorneys in Washington State receive.