LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In recent years, Arkansas lawmakers have made changes to the laws involving people who drive while intoxicated. Drunk drivers who are caught can face stricter penalties, larger fines, longer license suspensions, and mandatory alcohol education programs.
Getting behind the wheel after drinking too much is a risk that law enforcement agencies in Arkansas said drivers take all too often. But while the laws are clear about what types of vehicles are covered, an online claim about Arkansas’s DWI and DUI laws has left some puzzled.
We checked out a website offering services such as reservations, auto insurance, and parking spot deals. It’s called “Way.com”, and a blog on the site claims that Arkansas is among other states where you can be arrested for illegal Blood Alcohol Content while riding a horse!
Since horses can be a means of transportation, let's verify!
A quick search turns up more videos than you might expect of people truly being arrested for riding a horse while intoxicated. In one particular pullover, a California trooper even escorted the unaware equine, attached to the back of the patrol car back home since the rider was taken into custody.
Arkansas law defines DWI or DUI offenses as those committed on a motorized vehicle— think cars, trucks, boats, ATVs, or even a tractor.
However, according to state police, Arkansas is not a state where being drunk or impaired on a horse is going to cost you a DWI.
"The DUI statutes in Arkansas apply to motor vehicles and boats. Therefore a person could not be charged with those statutes for riding a horse while intoxicated. However, a person could be charged with public intoxication if they were in a public place while on a horse and were intoxicated," said Arkansas State Police Captain Brad Lann.
So we can verify that no, the claim that Arkansas has a drunk riding law is not true.
"It looks like this site has incorrect information for Arkansas," Captain Lann added. "You simply cannot get a DWI or a DUI on a horse."