Published 19:22 IST, February 4th 2020
Bizarre! Australian man charged for riding horse without hands-free bracket
In a bizarre incident, a man in rural New South Wales was reportedly charged by cops for riding a horse and allegedly using his mobile phone at the same time.
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In a bizarre incident, a man in rural New South Wales was reportedly charged by cops for riding a horse and allegedly using his mobile phone at the same time. According to international media reports, drivers in Australia have to have a hands-free bracket in their car in order to legally operate the phone and this incident suggests that the rule also applies to a horse rider as well. While speaking to an international media outlet, Magistrate David Day said that under the road rules a horse is a vehicle and the man didn't have a hands-free fitted to the horse.
According to reports, the lawyer of the 30-year-old claimed that the matter was 'trivial', however, the magistrate was firm in his belief that the rules had been broken. It was also noted that the horse was travelling around 10 kilometres per hour when the cops claimed that the man had a phone to his ear. The defendant also pleaded guilty to using a mobile phone while riding a horse because he conceded that the horse was in motion.
According to the NSW legislation, Road Rules 2014, Road Users and Vehicles states: "For the purposes of this rule, a mobile phone is secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle only if the mobile phone is secured in the mounting, and the mounting is affixed to the vehicle, in the manner intended by the manufacturer."
Drivers charged for touching phone while driving
While Australia charged a man for using his phone and riding a horse at the same time, drivers in the United Kingdom will be facing fines up to £200 for touching their phones even for the briefest moments while driving a car. The penalty comes after a major change in the law under which a motorist would be slapped with a six-point penalty and a fine, which applies to hand-held mobile phone usage. However, the Department of Transport has refused to impose a ban on hands-free devices, though they claim to introduce new measures to stop drivers from using phones other than updating the Highway Code.
19:22 IST, February 4th 2020