Drunk in Charge

macnas

For discussion purposes only but say you've had a glass or 5 of your favourite vino while parked up for the night in your camper, just enough to put you over the lower limit, could you be done for being drunk in charge of your vehicle?

nightster1

macnas wrote: »

For discussion purposes only but say you've had a glass or 5 of your favourite vino while parked up for the night in your camper, just enough to put you over the lower limit, could you be done for being drunk in charge of your vehicle?

Possibly at the discretion of the Officer

Moomat

I doubt it very much. Make sure your keys were out of the ignition and you weren't sitting in the drivers seat pointing at the steering wheel. Even if a Garda did charge you it highly unlikely they would secure a conviction.

drunkmonkey

Surley not if your not if your in the home part.

niloc1951

Lots of informed police discussion on the matter HERE
Post #3 is particularly interesting where the poster says in such circumstances he would "be inclined to treat the van as a dwelling rather than a vehicle"

CJhaughey

Turn the drivers seat around if you can, put the keys in an inaccessible location.
It would want to be a particularly vindictive person to do an inebriated camper for DIC, however if you show that you had no intention of driving the vehicle then it would all add weight to any case you had to answer.

Macspower

A friend of mine got a knock on the door one night when parked on a main street in a village after being to the pub. It was the gardai asking him to move as he was parked outside someones house and they had rang in.

On explaining the prediciment of having had several beverages the garda moved the camper down the road for them

Happy ending.. Would want to be a bad one I think!

piuswal

Any legal experts about?

As I understand it, once on private property, e.g. pub car park (and no key in ignition) your ok

niloc1951

piuswal wrote: »

Any legal experts about?

As I understand it, once on private property, e.g. pub car park (and no key in ignition) your ok

Common mis-understanding.

A pub car park is private property only when the pub (public house) is closed.

During opening hours it is considered a public place and the use of vehicles in it is subject to traffic laws, for example valid insurance must be in place.

piuswal

niloc1951 wrote: »

Common mis-understanding.

A pub car park is private property only when the pub (public house) is closed.

During opening hours it is considered a public place and the use of vehicles in it is subject to traffic laws, for example valid insurance must be in place.

Thanks for clearing that up.