Queensland driver in big trouble with police after being caught eating and driving
A 29-year-old learner driver from Glenvale, Queensland, has been fined more than $1,100 after police allegedly caught him steering with his knees while buttering a bagel in busy traffic. The incident, which occurred on a busy street in Newtown, Toowoomba, prompted Queensland Police to remind motorists that no meal or distraction is worth the safety risk it poses to themselves and other road users.
The man was pulled over after officers spotted him driving without proper control of the vehicle, which was also found to be unregistered. He was issued infringement notices for driving without due care and attention and for the unregistered vehicle, resulting in a combined $1,104 fine and the loss of three demerit points; when asked why he thought it acceptable, he told police he had been working since morning and was hungry. Queensland's maximum penalty for careless driving alone is $690 and three demerit points, while other Australian states impose their own distracted-driving penalties, ranging from a $236 fine in South Australia to a single demerit point in Tasmania.
- Queensland P-plater fined $1,104 for buttering a bagel while driving
- He steered with his knees through busy Toowoomba traffic
- Police warn no meal is worth risking road safety
New here? Start with this
Learner drivers in Australia hold a provisional licence that requires them to be supervised and to drive with extra caution while they build up experience, which is why lapses in attention are treated seriously by police. Queensland, like other states, sets fines and demerit points for careless or distracted driving, with penalties varying depending on the offence and the state involved.
Vehicle registration is also compulsory in Queensland, and driving an unregistered car is a separate offence that can attract its own fine on top of any driving penalty. Queensland Police regularly carry out road safety patrols and issue infringement notices for these kinds of breaches, particularly where a driver's control of the vehicle is affected.
Distracted driving, including eating or handling food behind the wheel, is an ongoing road safety concern that authorities across Australia have highlighted, since it can reduce a driver's ability to react to hazards. Different states and territories set their own penalties for such behaviour, which is why comparisons are sometimes drawn between jurisdictions when incidents like this are reported.