Northville man can be charged with DUI for drunken driving in own driveway

NORTHVILLE, Mich. – The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that sitting in a car in your own driveway while drunk constitutes drunken driving.

A Northville man questioned whether he could be ticketed for a DUI in his own driveway after he was found behind the wheel and going in and out of his garage, but not off his property.

The driveway DUI case had been ping ponging between courts and finally ended up in front of the Michigan Supreme Court for a final decision. At issue was a Northville man busted for being drunk and driving in and out of his garage on his own property.

Police were called to the man's home on noise complaints and watched him. They later found his blood-alcohol level to be three times the legal limit.

The court ruled that, yes, the man can be given a DUI in his own driveway.

What the justices had to answer was whether the driveway was generally accessible to other motor vehicles. They overruled a lower court's opinion and said yes.

You can watch Mara MacDonald's full story in the video posted above.