Is it Illegal to Drive With Your Pet in NSW?

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Getting a fine for violating a road rule is hardly a humorous affair.

However, for one driver in Germany, this wasn’t entirely the case after he discovered that his pet pooch may have been the perpetrator – or, at least it seemed that way after he received his penalty notice which arrived with an amusing photo showing his dog behind the wheel.

The man, who has not been named, was in fact issued a fine of 50 Euros because he had been driving faster than the speed limit.

He was sent a letter notifying that he’d been captured by a traffic camera.

But instead of seeing himself behind the wheel, the accompanying image depicted a small white dog nestled behind the steering wheel, staring delightfully at the road ahead with not a worry in the world.

As one would expect, the extraordinary timing that resulted in the superb photo left the driver in a state of disbelief – and justifiably humoured.

As it turns out, the pup had actually been sitting beside his owner, only moments later to jump onto his lap at the exact moment they drove past the traffic camera.

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“How is the Dog Supposed to Fork Out 50 Euros?!”: Internet Reacts to Impeccably Timed Dog Photo
Is it Illegal to Drive With Your Pet in NSW?

“How is the Dog Supposed to Fork Out 50 Euros?!”: Internet Reacts to Impeccably Timed Dog Photo

Undoubtedly the stuff of new profile pictures, the driver’s nephew, Don Kylian, shared the hysterical photo on Twitter and later spoke of his sheer disbelief.

“My first reaction was: ‘That can’t be real’,” he said.

“I think my uncle was just as surprised.”

Indeed, the photo of the dog behind the wheel offered the startling impression that the pooch may have been on an illegal joyride, unbeknownst to his owner.

Alas, this was never the case.

“Normally, the dog wears a special car belt for the safety,” Mr Kylian added.

“That day, my uncle forgot to put it on him, and the dog came to cuddle him [as he was driving].

“The funny part is, he was in his lap for just three seconds.”

It seems the internet has since similarly responded, finding the humour in the matter.

“How is the dog supposed to fork out 50 Euros?!” one person joked.

“That belongs in a museum,” another jested.

Echoing the sentiment, one person remarked, “Bro screen print that on t-shirts and sell them”.

Others contemplated the logistics of the fine.

“How is the dog supposed to fork out 50 Euros?!” one person said.

“It would be interesting to know where the photo was taken. In Austria, the owner of the vehicle pays, in Germany the driver,” another added.

As the photo was taken in Germany, it so turned out that the driver had to pay the fine – the human driver, that is. Not the fluffy one.

One can only hope the owner will now have the beautifully timed photo framed.

What’s the law on driving a car with your dog in NSW? While it may seem harmless, driving with a pet or an animal on your lap can present serious risks to both yourself and other road users.

Significantly, this is because a pet or animal is a distraction that can lead to the driver losing control of the vehicle.

In turn, this has the potential to result in a collision with another motorist or even a pedestrian using the road.

In NSW, driving with an animal or pet on your lap is against the law and falls under its own rule.

This is reflected in clause 297(1A) of the Road Rules 2014 (NSW), which makes clear that a driver must not drive a vehicle if an animal or person is in the driver’s lap, given this would mean the driver does not have proper control of the vehicle.

In NSW, if caught driving with an animal in your lap, you can face an on-the-spot fine of $469 and 3 demerit points.

It is worth noting also that according to regulation 297, a driver must not drive a vehicle unless the driver has proper control of the vehicle, and they must not drive a vehicle unless they have a clear view of the road, and traffic, ahead, behind and to each side of the driver.

By Sahar Adatia.

Published on 30/04/2022