A driver from Saint Petersburg has been stripped of his license after a bizarre russia incident today involving a motorized unicycle. The case, reported July 15, highlights a growing list of unusual traffic violations making headlines in russia news today.
Man caught riding drunk on a unicycle
The incident took place in Veliky Novgorod, a historic town about 120 miles south of Saint Petersburg. Local police stopped a 49-year-old man riding a Gotway (Begode) Tesla 1020wh electric unicycle while intoxicated. Officers removed him from the vehicle. A medical exam showed a blood alcohol level of 0.255 mg/L. The man denied being drunk and claimed he was sober.
Court rules electric unicycle is a vehicle under Russian law
A local judge noted that the electric unicycle has a motor output of 1,900 watts. Under Russian traffic law, this qualifies it as a motor vehicle. Based on that classification, the man was charged under Article 12.8 of Russia’s Code of Administrative Offenses. That article penalizes driving while intoxicated.
License suspended and heavy fine imposed
The court suspended the man’s driver’s license for 18 months. He was also fined 45,000 rubles, or roughly $500. Despite his claims of sobriety, the court relied on test results and police testimony.
Unusual traffic cases becoming more common in Russia
This case is part of a growing number of strange traffic-related stories from Russia involving electric scooters, mopeds and now, unicycles. As such vehicles become more common, so do legal challenges in regulating them under traditional traffic laws.
