In any Chester County DUI, an initial concern for any Chester County DUI lawyer is what the individual was driving, how they were driving, band the issues behind the alleged traffic stop. Other concerns include the license type the individual has and what, if any, potential defenses can be developed. But, what is a "vehicle"?
Under the DUI code in Pennsylvania, an individual must be operating or be in actual physical control of a vehicle. The Vehicle Code of Pennsylvania defines a vehicle as "every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except devices used exclusively under rails or tracks. The term does not include a self propelled wheelchair or an electrical mobility device operated by designed for the exclusive use of a person with a mobility-related disability." This is covered under 75 Pa.C.S.A. section 102. While no case law exists addressing the scope of the term vehicle under section 3731, the cases addressing the meaning of the term for the purposes of other sections of the Vehicle Code indicate that its scope is broad. For example, there are cases of that indicate that a bicycle is a vehicle, an ATV is a vehicle, a snowmobile is a vehicle, and a dune buggy is a vehicle.
As these examples point out, it is more than likely that any piece of equipment that can propel itself (not necessarily just under electric or motorized power) will be defined as a vehicle.