NSW Police rule in Australia that could land you fine
Don’t eat and drive: how snacking at the wheel can land you a $575 fine and under a little-known Australian traffic rule
- Drivers are not allowed to eat or drink while driving
- Fine can result in a $600 fine in QLD and WA
- Up to 60 percent of motorists eat while driving
Australians can be fined up to $600 if caught eating or drinking behind the wheel under a little-known traffic rule almost all drivers are guilty of breaking.
Drivers in Queensland can be hit with a $575 fine and three demerit points for ‘careless driving’.
“You can be fined $575 and three demerit points if you fail to control your vehicle properly,” the Queensland Police Department explained on Facebook.
“So make sure you don’t operate the wheel with one hand or take your eyes off the road to eat,” the department wrote.
“Obviously you are allowed to take your hand off the steering wheel for a short period of time to operate your vehicle, but eating while driving could be interpreted as poor control of your vehicle and distracted driving,” they clarified.
The penalty falls under the driver distraction laws of the state.
In Western Australia, the fine for the same offense is even higher at $600, while drivers in NSW can pay a fine of $469 and three demerit points.
In the Northern Territory, there is a $150 fine for careless driving – where eating or drinking while driving may be considered.
Australians can be fined up to $600 if caught eating or drinking behind the wheel under a little-known traffic rule almost all drivers are guilty of breaking
Eating or drinking while driving can cost you up to $600 and three penalty points. The photo shows a police officer talking to a driver in South Australia
South Australian drivers can be fined up to $201 for failing to properly control their vehicle, with the same offense costing $301 in the ACT.
Eating or drinking while driving in Tasmania can result in a $173 fine and three demerit points for failing to properly control their vehicle or driving without due care and attention.
Up to 60 percent of Australians have admitted to eating food behind the wheel, according to data from a new Compare the Market survey.
Up to 31 percent said they used their phone while driving, while 17 percent had smoked or vaped and eight percent had applied make-up.
Although the law does not explicitly state that these actions are illegal, they can be considered a distraction to motorists.
In 2018, a hungry teenage P-plater was fined $300 after she was pictured eating a bowl of cereal while driving down a road in Perth.
A hungry teenage driver (pictured) was fined $300 after she was pictured eating cereal behind the wheel in Perth
A photo of her taken by a 6PR radio listener and appeared to show the young woman driving the car with her knees.
The ‘grain offender’ also received three demerit points and was criticized by then WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson.
“You can’t drive and eat your breakfast at the same time. That’s just ridiculously dangerous… It’s incomprehensible,” he told 6PR.