You can get arrested for driving drunk on golf cart in SC. What about a bicycle or horse?
With the popularity of golf carts being used as vehicles to move around the Myrtle Beach area, the laws for their use are not always followed.
A New York man was recently arrested in Surfside Beach for allegedly driving under the influence while operating a golf cart.
While it’s possible to be arrested for a DUI while driving a golf cart, what other transportation is illegal to use while intoxicated according to South Carolina law?
Under state law, it’s illegal to drive a motor vehicle while impaired by the use of alcohol or drugs. The legal BAC is .08% or less. It’s also illegal to drive with an open container of alcohol in the cab of a vehicle. Open containers can be transported legally in the trunk or luggage compartment.
A motor vehicle is any vehicle with a motor. It can be powered by gas or electric, such as cars, golf carts and even electric scooter. This law doesn’t include regular bicycles or horses as they don’t use a motor.
That means that riding a bicycle drunk is legally OK but not a driving lawn mower. However, someone could still be arrested for riding a bicycle drunk as it’s unlawful to be drunk in public.
Here are some more golf cart laws to remember when driving around the Myrtle Beach area:
- All drivers must be at least 16-years-old and have a valid driver’s license. When driving, a license, registration and proof of insurance is required.
- Stay on secondary highways or streets where the speed limit is 35 mph or lower. It is against the law to drive on a roadway with a speed limit greater than 35 mph.
- Golf carts cannot be driven at night.
- Make sure to stay within four miles of the cart’s address holder or of a gated community entrance. Golf carts are not allowed farther than that.
The golf cart must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Why was a man arrested in Surfside Beach?
Jason Goracy, of New York, was arrested on Oct. 13 for driving under the influence on a golf cart in Surfside Beach. The 39-year-old spent the night at J. Reuben Long Detention Center before being released Monday morning on a a $1,200 bond.
A Surfside Beach Police Officer noticed him driving the golf cart at night with the headlights off, both of which are illegal, according to the police report. After pulling Goracy over, the officer noticed a red Solo cup with alcohol, which Goracy said belonged to his passenger, a police report said.
Goracy performed two sobriety tests, which he failed and was subsequently arrested, the report said.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
