As the mercury soars and summer settles in, it can be all too tempting for Aussies hitting the road to open their window to let in some fresh air — especially for those without air conditioning. But Aussies are being reminded of a little-known road rule after a young woman was pulled over by the police for her “bad” driving habit.
South Australian Charlotte Nicholls was driving when a police car started flashing its lights indicating she should pull over. Charlotte claimed the officer told her it was “for protruding my lovely luscious limbs outside the window”.
“I had no idea it was illegal,” she told Yahoo News Australia.
A road safety specialist told Yahoo that it’s an offence to hang your arm outside of a car window. In South Australia it can attract a $221 fine as well as a $102 Victims of Crime Levy and three demerit points — with similar penalties across the country.
“He said it was very obvious I didn’t know it was illegal because I was doing it right next to a cop car,” she said in a video shared online. The young tennis player said she doesn’t have air conditioning in her car and admitted putting her hand outside her open window is a “really bad habit”.
Have you been fined for a little-known road offence? Reach out to courtney.greatrex@yahooinc.com.
Penalties for driving with body parts outside car window
Reacting to the footage, RAA Senior Manager Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain told Yahoo drivers should be aware that driving in this manner is against the rules.
“Drivers should be aware that it is illegal to drive with any part of your body outside the vehicle under the Australian Road Rules — and this includes resting your arm outside the window,” Mountain said.
“Being caught driving with your arm outside of the car in SA could attract a $221 fine, plus a $102 Victims of Crime Levy and three demerit points. If South Australians have any questions about road rules they can contact RAA’s Road Safety team.”
Hanging your arm out of a car window could cost you hundreds of dollars if caught by police. Source: Getty
Thinking about her actions, Charlotte admitted her “hand was just resting outside the window tapping my nails on the car. I might have moved my hand around the car but not that much.
After getting off with just a caution, she realised her “bad habit”.
“Every time I realised I’d do it, I’d bring it back in and a minute later it would be back out,” she said.
“The police officer was so professional and kind and I was grateful for the warning because it is a safety risk,” she told Yahoo, adding that many who watched her video also had no clue it was an offence.
“Lots of people have said that they didn’t know this law either, while others have said that they’ve also been pulled up for this.
“It was interesting to see that a lot of people say they also do this all the time,” she said
Fines for violating road rule across Australia
Across the country, penalties for the offence vary from state to state.
In New South Wales, for example, drivers can face fines of around $349 and three demerit points while in Victoria, a driver might receive an on-the-spot fine of $185. If you take the matter to court, however, you could be hit with three penalty points for a fine totalling $555.
Offenders in Queensland could be fined $268 and incur three demerit points.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, lawyer Avinash Singh told Yahoo last month the offence is “more common than most people think”.
“Part of the reason is a lack of knowledge in the community — even experienced Australian drivers,” Singh said. “Unsurprisingly, tourists are particularly vulnerable to rules such as this, given they have often only been in the country for a short amount of time”.
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