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The Herald, July 6, 1979

SYDNEY. – A coal miner in the West Australian country town of Collie who drove a lawn mower while drunk has been fined and banned from driving for six months.

Graeme Macauliffe admitted the offence in the Collie court, which was told that the police had seen him driving a motor mower without headlights in the street at about 11pm.

Police chased the mower and arrested the driver near a hotel. He was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0,224. The legal limit is 0,08.

LESSONS FOR TODAY 

• Alcohol can be hazardous to one’s health if taken in excess. In most cases, people tend to act out of character when they are drunk and more often than not, some of them end up regretting their actions once they are sober.
• There are actions some people take, which on face value may seem too trivial but in actual fact have far reaching consequences. In the story, the man who drove a lawn mower without putting on the lights was slapped with a six-month ban from driving.
• All road users should adhere to standard road rules, irrespective of the mode of transport they are using.
• When planning to go out for a beer drink, it is always a good idea to have someone who is not drinking or to have a taxi on standby, rather than driving under the influence.