Man banned from drivine for being drunk at the wheel of a toy car

[0iD]

Toy Car Driving Ban

Paul Hutton, 40, leapt into the seat of the tiny electric Barbie car, which has a top speed of just 4mph, when he was over the limit.

But a police patrol car spotted 6ft Mr Hutton crammed behind the steering wheel, crawling along the road near his home in Jaywick, near Clacton, and pulled him over.

Shoul've YouTube'd it!

[TooNice]

The only danger I can think it could pose, is causing another car to swerve if it is in the middle of the road and perhaps too hard to spot. I don't know if the sentence is scaled down on basis that it's a toy car, but I think it ought to.

[Flash477]

Given the fact that you don't need a license to drive a toy car, how can this have got him banned from driving! crazy!

[peterb]

Given the fact that you don't need a license to drive a toy car, how can this have got him banned from driving! crazy!

It was a mechanically propelled vehicle and I guess he was driving it on the road. The three year ban was mandatory as it was his second drink driving offence within ten years. Other than that, the sentencing bench recognised that it was at the minor end of the scale by not imposing a fine and giving a conditional discharge.

[99Flake]

It was a mechanically propelled vehicle and I guess he was driving it on the road. The three year ban was mandatory as it was his second drink driving offence within ten years. Other than that, the sentencing bench recognised that it was at the minor end of the scale by not imposing a fine and giving a conditional discharge.

But what if he didn't have a licence? Or if his kids were driving it? Are they underage drivers? The whole thing is so stupid and a complete waste of time.

I must say, jumping into an electric kids car is exactly the sort of thing I would be tempted to do when drunk. It would be funny!

[geniusanyi]

put the picture up for u

[peterb]

But what if he didn't have a licence?

But he did - and you don't have to have a licence to be disqualified from driving. Someone prosecuted for driving while disqualified can have the disqualification period extended, and an underage driver can also be disqualified.

Or if his kids were driving it?

Well i suppose technically they are commiting an offence if they drive it on the highway. This was an issue with electric scooters some years ago.

Are they underage drivers?

Yes, I suppose they would be

The whole thing is so stupid and a complete waste of time.

True - the law is an ass - but while the magistrate's were obliged to hand down the ban, they seemed to recognise that as much as they could. Whether it was in the public interest to bringing the case is another matter.

I must say, jumping into an electric kids car is exactly the sort of thing I would be tempted to do when drunk. It would be funny!

True again and I'd agree with you (and take the photos) - until of course it went wrong, and a car swerved to miss you, crashing into a wall killing the driver, and crushing a couple of pedestrians on the way.

But we all do silly/stupid/dangerous things when we are drunk, and hopefully get away with it without causing injury to ourselves or anyone else.. This guy did too - but while he didn't cause injury etc etc - didn't get away with it.

[TooNice]

Is there some law against doing stupid thing while drunk (for instance making a fuss/playing games in the middle of the street). Seeing that this 'toy car' is as much as, if not more of a toy than a car, could it be argued that this was more of a drunken disorderly conduct than 'drunk driving'?

[dangel]

This story fills me with sadness.

Good job he wasn't on roller-skates - they might of publicly hanged him.

[peterb]

This story fills me with sadness.

snip---->.

Me too. It was all about the law, and nothing about justice. if I was a cynic, I'd say that it was the result of target led policing, and on a logical basis, (danger to other road users etc) the prosecution could be justified - but it just seems mean spirited to me.

(And although I snipped the roller skates bit in your quote - if he HAD been on roller skates, I suspect the most he could have been charged with was being drunk and disorderly - although falling asleep on roller skates is probably more dangerous.)

[Perfectionist]

This story fills me with sadness.

Good job he wasn't on roller-skates - they might of publicly hanged him.

pulled over for barbie heelies without a licence. LOL


And yeah, no humanity or logic in this - 4mph is about fast walking speed, slower than a bike and even children can ride those wobbly on roads which is about as bad as drunk...

[dangel]

but it just seems mean spirited to me.

..and that's the issue - it's one of those things where a copper could of given him a bit of a quiet word and saved everybody time and money. It's just so... daft.