Bizarre Victorian road rules you may not know about

It’s not just illegal to drink and ride an e-scooter in Victoria, as one Fitzroy North man learnt over the weekend. Drinking on your ride-on lawnmower can also land you in hot water.

Joy-seeking Victorians caught over the alcohol legal limit while operating a golf buggy, e-scooter or a ride-on lawnmower can be slapped with harsh penalties.

In Victoria it is illegal to operate a golf buggy or ride-on lawnmower while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

If a person uses these vehicles “for purposes other than the manufactured intent”, such as riding them down a main road, then they are subject to the same laws as any other motor vehicle.

A similar law applies in Queensland, where a man was charged with high range drink driving after he allegedly drove a ride-on lawnmower almost four times the legal limit down the wrong side of the road last month.

A man was caught driving a ride-on lawnmower down the wrong side of the road in a Queensland last month. Picture: Supplied

The 51-year-old Ingham man was issued a notice to appear on one count of drink driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .191.

Riding a bicycle drunk in Victoria could also be met with jail time and hefty fines.

The laws are classed under ‘Drunk in charge of a carriage’, meaning bike riders face the same penalties as horse-driven carts.

According to Armstrong Legal, drunk riders can be fined about $1,400 or get sentenced up to two months’ prison.

As a bike isn’t a motorised vehicle, police cannot conduct random breath tests on riders and their drivers licence won’t be impacted.

Whereas e-scooter riders and boat drivers caught over the 0.05 blood alcohol concentration limit are susceptible to severe driving licence penalties.

It comes after an e-scooter rider caught almost three times over the legal limit lost his licence in Melbourne’s CBD last week.

A Fitzroy e-scooter rider has lost his driver’s licence after blowing 0.133. Picture: David Crosling

The Fitzroy North man was also sprung riding without a helmet and will have to cough up more than $1000 in fines.

Police stopped the 32-year-old using a trial-operated e-scooter at the intersection of Lonsdale and Exhibition streets at about 5.45pm on Friday.

The man returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.133, resulting in a $817 fine and the disqualification of his licence for 13 months.

He was fined another $240 for riding without a helmet.

Victoria Police road policing operations and investigations division superintendent John Fitzpatrick said the incident should be a lesson for all e-scooter riders.

“You are not immune from the drink driving laws applicable to other motorists,” Sgt Fitzpatrick said.

“Many people may not be aware you can and will lose your driver’s licence if you are caught riding an e-scooter over the legal alcohol limit.”