Man charged after allegedly letting child, 9, drive car unrestrained on major NSW highway
A man has been charged after allegedly allowing a child without a seatbelt to steer his car along the Great Western Hwy in NSW.
Police allege seatbelt detection cameras captured the 9-year-old boy sitting on the lap of a motorist traveling on the highway in Mount Lambie.
In a statement, NSW Police said investigations led officers to believe the 45-year-old driver was suffering from severe fatigue as he operated the pedals while a nine-year-old child steered the car.
The man was interviewed by police at a property in Lightening Ridge after the incident was reported to the Walgett Highway Patrol on March 7.
The man was charged with careless and negligent driving, driving without proper control of the vehicle, and 1 passenger not wearing a proper seatbelt or seatbelt.
He will appear before Walgett Local Court on April 28.
Since February this year, improvements to NSW’s mobile phone and seatbelt protection cameras have been announced.
Drivers can now be spotted in both directions of traffic if they are not wearing a seat belt or holding a phone.
“We know lives are being saved by people changing their behavior through seat belt use and distraction through phone use in response to awareness and education,” said NSW Transport Minister Josh Murray.
Updates to the program began in March and will be available in NSW within six months.
