Obscure road rules catching out our motorists

THE state’s peak motoring body has urged motorists to brush up on their road rule knowledge, after it released a list of obscure laws that have caught out drivers.

New data revealed more than 400 Queensland motorists had been fined for having an arm or leg outside of a vehicle, 170 drivers had been fined for having an animal on their lap and 113 pedestrians had obstructed a vehicle during a 12month period.

RACQ spokeswoman Lauren Ritchie said it was a timely reminder to motorists who

mistakenly believed police didn’t monitor minor breaches of the law.

“Obviously, there are many motorists copping fines for breaking rules they may not be aware of,” she said.

“These road rules may seem insignificant to some but they’re in place to keep all road users safe.”

Ms Ritchie said warning devices had also caused confusion, with 66 cyclists issued an infringement notice for riding a bike without a bell and 52 drivers received a fine for improperly honking their horn.

“While it might seem friendly to beep your horn to say hello or goodbye, you legally can only use your horn to warn others,” she said.

Ms Ritchie said while it should be obvious a cyclist should not carry others, six people were caught out.

“Ignorance of road rules isn’t a valid excuse so we urge everyone to refresh their knowledge, whether they’re a cyclist, a pedestrian, a driver or a passenger.”