Booze and mowers/tractors don't mix

A 57-year-old New Hampshire man got into some serious legal trouble after being arrested and charged with driving a neighbor's lawn tractor while under the influence of alcohol.

"Believe it or not, if you are operating a riding lawn mower, it is considered a motor vehicle under state statute," said Wells Police Lt. Gerald Congdon in this story on Seacoastonline.com.

Michael Goode, who was arrested on two Class C felony charges, isn't the only one who drinks when he mows. In a 2008 poll of 1,005 adult homeowners conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 12 percent of respondents admitted to drinking beer while mowing. An even higher number acknowledged two other dangerous mowing practices—skipping hearing protection and listening to music. (Watch the video for the story of one family's long comeback from a tragic mower-related injury.)

Sometimes riding mowers can prove unsafe when there's apparently no alcohol involved. Our latest coverage of mowers and tractors (story and ratings available to subscribers) included a report that showed that zero-radius-turn tractors could lose control when descending hills.

Our examination of data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that voluntary standards for rollover protection (and accessories like seat belts and roll bars) aren't preventing a rise in lawn tractor rollovers. And while robotic mowers might leave you more time to tipple, our tests found them to be not particularly effective and, in one case, downright dangerous.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Weekend Project: Mower maintenance details seven often-overlooked but essential steps that will make for safer mowing and help your mower or tractor last longer. And read about AutoROPS, which is designed to prevent tractor and riding-mower rollovers.