‘Is this real? I can’t believe it’: Driver slams ‘ridiculous’ $337 fine for breaking a little-known rule – but cops say he should have known better
- Man was fined and lost demerit points because his passenger was using a laptop
- He lost three demerit points and was fined $337 over the April 22 incident
- He was driving on the Pacific Highway at Heatherbrae in the Hunter Region
- Other drivers shared his confusion, but police confirm it’s a legitimate offence
A man is angry and confused after being fined and losing demerit points because his passenger was using a laptop.
The NSW man was driving on the Pacific Highway at Heatherbrae, in the Hunter Region, on April 22 when he was pulled over by police, Yahoo reported.
‘Is this real?,’ the man posted online along with a photo of his $337 fine and loss of three demerit points.
The offence description read ‘Drive vehicle with TV/VDU image visible’.
A NSW man was fined $337 and lost three demerit points because his passenger was using a laptop
Other drivers were equally as perplexed by the unusual fine, with some even questioning if it was real or a joke.
‘Unless the passenger was flicking the screen around to you saying ”look at this” or it was visible to you then I’d be taking it to court,’ one comment read.
But some drivers argued that the fine and offence was above board, and NSW Police backed this up.
Roads and Maritime Services’ website confirms the man committed a legitimate offence, under their general driving offences section.
‘Drive vehicle with TV/VDU image visible to driver’ is listed as an offence, as well as ‘Drive vehicle with TV/VDU image likely to distract another driver’.
Both offences carry the same fine amount, although only the first includes a loss of three demerit points.
NSW Police confirmed that a driver shouldn’t be able to see ‘any part of the image on the screen’ from a TV or visual display unit while the car is moving.
NSW Police confirmed that a driver shouldn’t be able to see ‘any part of the image on the screen’ from a TV or visual display unit while the car is moving