Astonished driver is pulled over and fined $173 for drinking WATER after working 12 hours in 39C heat
- Brock Harris, from Beaudesert near Brisbane, was pulled over near his home
- He was fined $173 and given one demerit point for drinking water at wheel
- He said he protested but the officer told him he was just doing his job
- Police confirmed it can be illegal to drink if driver loses control of the car
A driver has been fined for drinking from a plastic water bottle at the wheel.
Brock Harris, from Beaudesert near Brisbane, was pulled over as he was approaching his house after working 12 hours in 39C heat.
The officer said he was not driving with due care and attention, fined him $173 and gave him one demerit point.
A driver has been fined for drinking from a plastic water bottle at the wheel (stock image)
An astonished Mr Harris told the ABC: ‘If it is against the law then I’ll pay the fine, but it’s not compassionate to fine someone on a 39-degree day for trying to stay hydrated.’
He said he protested but the officer told him he was just doing his job.
Queensland Police Superintendent David Johnson of Road Policing Command said that drinking water can be illegal if the driver loses control of the car.
‘There are many people who consume drinks while driving and do it safely in a safe manner,’ Supt Johnson told the ABC.
‘For us to issue a fine we have to look at the circumstances to see if the driver’s actions are causing risks to themselves or others.’
He said drinking safely while maintaining control of the car and paying attention to the road is OK.
It comes after a messy motorist was heavily fined for driving a car brimming with garbage.
Queensland Police caught the man, 57, driving on Mount Gravatt Capalaba Road in Brisbane at midday on August 17.
The footage released by police showed the old Ford Falcon sedan was loaded with shopping bags, empty cans, water bottles and cardboard boxes.
Papers and catalogues were strewn all over the dashboard and the rear of the car.
The trash in the car was obstructing front, back and side visibility.
‘The car is full of rubbish,’ a woman officer was heard on video as she inspected the car with a male colleague.
‘As you can see the gentleman inside the car can’t see anything.
‘We have got serious concerns about his visibility. He’s got no visibility on sides, no visibility off the rear at all.’
Officers then handed the man a traffic infringement notice for two offences.
He was fined $311 for driving a vehicle without clear view in all directions.
The footage released by police showed the old Ford car loaded with shopping bags, empty cans, water bottles and cardboard boxes