Drunk driver of unregistered quad bike sentenced to arrest

A Lithuanian court has handed down a 20-day jail sentence to a driver caught operating an unregistered light quad bike while heavily intoxicated. The incident occurred in the Mažeikiai district, where police stopped the vehicle for erratic driving.

Upon approaching the driver, officers detected the smell of alcohol, observed red eyes, and noted slurred speech. Initial breathalyzer tests registered 1.97 permille, followed by a second test confirming a blood alcohol content of 1.91 permille. The driver admitted to being intoxicated but claimed ignorance regarding the need for a license and registration for the vehicle.

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The man admitted in court that he was driving while intoxicated, but claimed he did not know that a driver's license was required to operate such a vehicle and that it had to be registered.

He stated he had not possessed a driver's license since the early 2000s and believed the seller's assertion that the quad bike required no registration, insurance, or license. The vehicle's owner corroborated this, stating she purchased it a year prior under the same understanding.

However, the court determined that the FL-08 model, despite its 1 kW power and 25 km/h speed limit, did not qualify as an electric micro-mobility device due to its four seats. It was classified as a light quad bike, considered a motor vehicle. Consequently, the court found the individual guilty of driving an unregistered motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The sentence was reduced by one-third due to the expedited process and the driver's confession, with the execution of the sentence deferred for four months. During this period, the driver must remain employed or registered with the employment service, participate in a behavioral correction program, and refrain from alcohol consumption.

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The man stated that he has not had a driver's license since approximately 2000–2002. According to him, the seller presented the vehicle as one that required neither registration, insurance, nor a driver's license.