Barbie car joyride results in driving ban

A man has been banned from driving for three years after he was caught by police, drunk behind the wheel of...a 4ft by 2ft white and pink Barbie mini jeep, which runs on 12v batteries and goes slower than a mobility scooter.

As the Daily Mail explains:

Paul Hutton, 40, leapt into the seat of the tiny electric 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, in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, and pulled him over.

Mr Hutton admitted being a "complete twit" after he ended up in front of Colchester Magistrates' Court, in Essex, charged with drink-driving.

There can be no doubt, Mr Hutton was a twit. But a bright pink jeep that can't reach 5mph poses only minor danger to other road users, even when driven slightly worse for wear. 

If his young daughter had been found driving the toy car, would she be facing a driving under the age limit charge?

Or does anybody think that a hearty policeman laugh, a slap on the wrists, and a 'look the other way officer' would have been better than the court's time and money being wasted on this case?

By Dylan Sharpe

Comments

[Scott Wichall]

You couldn't even make it up could you...

[Silverback]

One can only assume it was near the end of the month. Gotta hit those targets somehow...

[Richard]

Hang on. If he got a 3 years ban there is more to this report than meets the eye.

That is a very long suspension.

Without any other facts to go on, I can only assume that he was either drunk beyond belief - and thus a real threat to other road users, or has plenty of previous, or both.

And what the hell has this to do with Big Brother Watch's mission statement?

PS No, I am not a target driven copper.

[Dylan]

Richard,

He had already served a 6 month driving ban which is why the suspension was so long - but that ignores the fact it was a glorified kid's car with a 12v electric motor.

As for your second point, this is a line from our mission statement:

"Big Brother Watch campaigns to re-establish the balance of power between the state and individuals and families"

Do you think this man deserved the punishment he received? Do you think the police arrested him because they thought he was committing a crime?

We are here to question the actions of the state, when it behaves without due cause and unnecessarily harshly.

This case fits both of those criteria.

[Cindy]

Ken has a few friends in high places.

[alastair]

Richard,

If I had been drunk wandering around in the middle of the road, would I get a driving ban? No.

If I had additionally been wearing heelies? Still no.

So why is a driving ban appropriate for this? Answer: it isn't. It's bonkers. The excuse that he "was a danger to other road users" is just rhubarb. He was more of a danger to himself, and frankly he was only as much danger to other road users as he would have been in the above two cases. You can *walk* as fast as he was going on this thing!

I don't always agree with Alex and Dylan, as you'll know if you read Big Brother Watch comments regularly; sometimes I think they go too far. But in this case, they're 100% right.

It doesn't matter if this guy has previous for drink-driving. It doesn't matter how drunk he was. This was wholly inappropriate.

[Purlieu]

He got a 3 year because he had a previous within 10 years, it's automatic.
He was done under "being in charge of a carriage" NOT "driving under the influence" the press as usual etc etc.
here's anothe one from a while ago
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1205967/Drunk-charge-carriage-Pensioner-convicted-Victorian-law-drink-driving-disability-scooter.html

[Pride Go Go Travel Scooters]

Hi,

These are mobility scooters, not race cars.They help those that have trouble walking. They are not meant to be a mode of long distance transportation. Five MPH would be pretty fast if you bumped into someone while shopping at the mall.

Regards,

[Motoring Guides]

Careless driving is charged way too often in Ontario. Many police officers in Ontario believe that if there is an accident a charge *must* be laid and often they will lay a Careless Driving charge. This is not proper policing IMO.

[rac]

I’m not sure many learners who pass the driving test will be too concerned about whether their drive was eco friendly or not, they will be too happy that they passed!

[art paintings]

Wow, what a cute car! I just love it! Maybe I should buy one for my niece for her birthday.

[tinnitus cure]

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