You wouldn’t think people need reminding that DUI laws apply to more than cars and trucks, yet here we are.
Another week, another unusual DUI story.
A 55-year-old man was arrested after allegedly operating a tractor on a California roadway while intoxicated, according to the City of Yuba City. Officials shared the arrest on the city’s Facebook page with the headline, “You Can Get a DUI on a Tractor Too.”
Yuba City Police officers spotted the tractor being operated on the roadway Saturday night and conducted a traffic stop for an unspecified vehicle code violation. The driver was found to be intoxicated, arrested for driving under the influence, and booked into the Sutter County Jail, officials said.
Yes, You Can Get a DUI on a Tractor
California’s DUI law isn’t limited to cars and pickup trucks. California Vehicle Code Section 23152 makes it unlawful for a person under the influence of alcohol to drive a vehicle.
The state’s definition of a vehicle is broader than a traditional automobile. California Vehicle Code Section 670 generally defines a vehicle as a device by which a person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway.
“Highway” might bring to mind a four-lane road packed with cars traveling at 65 mph. California law uses the term much more broadly.
Under California Vehicle Code Section 360, a highway is any publicly maintained way or place open to the public for vehicular travel. That definition includes ordinary public streets, not just freeways or state-numbered routes.
As we covered in a previous story about CHP’s authority on local roads, that broader definition means traffic laws can apply in places many drivers would never casually describe as a highway. A tractor doesn’t have to be rolling down I-5 for California’s vehicle laws to apply.
Yuba City officials used the arrest to remind drivers that impaired-driving laws aren’t limited to traditional passenger vehicles.
“This is another example that driving under the influence isn’t limited to traditional passenger vehicles,” the city wrote.
The post urged anyone planning to drink to arrange for a sober driver or another safe ride home before wrapping up with a simple warning: “Whatever you’re driving, don’t drive impaired.”
Officials did not release the man’s name or other identifying information. That’s common for social media posts framed more as public-safety reminders than formal arrest announcements.
The Tractor Arrest Brought Out the George Jones References
The arrest prompted several commenters to bring up country music legend George Jones, whose lawn mower story has become part of country music lore. Jones famously drove a riding lawn mower to a liquor store after his wife took away the keys to his cars in an attempt to keep him from buying alcohol.
“Tell me he was listening to some George Jones too….” one commenter wrote under Yuba City’s post. Another joked, “At least he was wearing his safety vest.”
Someone else offered a possible explanation for the whole situation: “He was just really happy with his new tractor!”
The circumstances that led to the man allegedly driving a tractor down a Yuba City roadway while intoxicated weren’t included in the city’s post.
You can get a DUI on a tractor, too.