Man charged with drink-driving toy campervan

Sadly, more than 80,000 people each year fail breath tests when they are pulled over by police on suspicion of operating their vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The majority of these are car or motorhome drivers, however one Staffordshire gentleman was arrested recently whilst in charge of a different type of vehicle…

Self-employed locksmith Rio Beardmore from Stoke-on-Trent decided to drive his son’s toy campervan home from the pub one night when he was approached by a local police constable. A breath test found him to be three times over the limit and he was subsequently arrested for drink driving.

“I admit I’d had a few drinks before driving it home but it wasn’t as if I was rolling drunk or anything,” Rio, who built the toy himself as a gift for his campervan enthusiast son, told website Parent Dish. “I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong or breaking any rules by driving it. When the police pulled me in I thought they were joking. I couldn’t believe what was happening.

“I really didn’t think it would be a problem as the camper van doesn’t need road tax or anything like that.”

Rio was found guilty of driving a mechanically propelled vehicle while being unfit to drive through alcohol by Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates’ Court. He was fined £500 and banned from driving for 12 months.

The moral of this story? Never, ever operate a vehicle or machine of any kind whilst under the influence of alcohol.

Coast is a campervan insurance expert. Call us free of charge for a competitive quotation on 0800 614 849.