Year in which a person was first arrested for drunk driving?

Tabby Tom

1897. From the New Shell Book of Firsts: The first person to be convicted of drunken driving was London taxi-driver George Smith (aged 25), who was charged at Marlborough Street Police Court on 10 September 1897 with being drunk in charge of an electric cab in Bond Street at 12.45 the same morning. According to the evidence, the defendant had driven his cab on to the pavement and into the front corridor of 165 Bond Street. He admitted having had two or three glasses of beer. He was found guilty and fined twenty shillings. He was charged under the Licensing Act of 1872, which made it an offence to be drunk on any highway or in other public place in charge of any carriage, horse, cattle or steam engine. Jan 24 03, 10:07 PM