Sydney driver pulled issues a bizarre excuse for his distracted driving drama after being pulled over by NSW Police
A Sydney man stopped on Australia Day for watching the cricket behind the wheel told officers he was “just in the moment”.
A Traffic and Highways Police officer spotted the man in his Honda Accord Euro stopped at traffic lights at Victoria Road and MacArthur Street, North Parramatta, at around 3.30pm on January 26.
The officer saw the man watching the Australia Day cricket in full screen on his phone, which he held in a holder on the dashboard to the right of the steering wheel.
The driver was so engrossed in the match – in which the West Indies defeated Australia on away for the first time in 27 years – that he failed to notice the fully marked police motorcycle next to him.
When the lights turned green, the driver continued eastbound before the officer pulled him over.
The male motorist was spotted driving in North Parramatta watching the cricket in full screen on his phone in a holder on the dashboard to the right of the steering wheel (stock image)
When he was stopped and spoke to the driver, he told the officer, “I got caught right then and there.”
He was fined $387 and given 10 demerit points for the violation, as he was caught doing double demerits during the long weekend.
NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol shared the driver’s bizarre reaction on their Facebook page and urged others to ‘stop it or deal with it’.
Social media users praised the officer for ‘catching him’, with many claiming many other drivers had broken the law in the same way.
‘What! Best of all you caught him,” one person wrote, while another noted: “Getted away by the police.”
A third said: ‘As someone who travels a lot, I see this all the time.’
There are strict rules about using a mobile phone, digital screen or GPS while driving in NSW.
Police stopped the driver and when asked why he had not noticed the fully marked police motorcycle next to his car, he replied: ‘I was caught at that moment’
If you are a learner, P1 or P2 driver, you are not allowed to use a mobile phone while driving, even if you are stationary.
It is illegal to use a phone for texting, calling, for music, email, social media, navigation or photography. This applies to mobile phones that are held in the hand, in a phone holder or hands-free.
Drivers with a full license are allowed to use a mobile phone, provided it is hands-free or in a phone holder.
The phone can be used to make or receive calls, play music or podcasts, or as a driving aid with maps, navigation apps or notification systems.
A driver may not use a cell phone for any other function while driving and may not be in the driver’s hand, resting between the legs or between the shoulder and ear.
It is illegal for a motorist to drive with a digital screen on if you can see it, or if it could distract another driver – unless the phone is being used as a driver aid.