One hit wonders: The uncommon laws that caught out unsuspecting offenders this year

From jumping from a moving car to crimes against animals and riding a horse wrong, these are the odd offences afflicting oblivious outlaws this year.

From not riding a horse properly to hogging two seats on a train and breaching a library ban – 165 South Australia laws are so rare and unusual, it’s criminal.

Expiation notice figures released by police reveal the 165 obscure laws that have only been broken once in the past financial year.

They range from jumping from a moving car to molesting animals, stealing electricity – and even playing a musical instrument on public transport without permission.

Odd behaviour on roads and on public transport dominates the list, including the driver caught electronically jamming a speed camera, a passenger who distracted their bus driver and another who jumped out of a car which was still rolling.

Road rules apply to horse too. Thinkstock image.

A cyclist was nabbed for not sitting on their bike seat, as required under a law that bans sitting on handlebars or the crossbar. Another was caught slipstreaming less than 2m behind a vehicle.

Horse riders were another target of rare fines, with one caught riding a horse-drawn cart at night without lights. Another failed to give way to a pedestrian and one was stopped for riding two abreast causing a traffic hazard.

RAA road safety spokesman Charles Mountain said many of the vehicle-based offences were rare but still extremely dangerous.

“All of these laws are there to protect the community, and can be from rare events that the driver or other road user hasn’t even imagined could be dangerous,’’ he said.

“For example, only one person was caught passing on the right-hand side of a tram but that is a situation in which the driver can easily become stranded on the wrong side of the road and not able to get back into their lane of traffic.

“People should also remember that laws exist because there was a history of such behaviour in the first place that has needed to be stopped.

“One person was caught obstructing a forest road, and that could have caused a major problem prior to that law being put in place.”

Tampered wiring on power meter allowing the theft of electricity.

Environmental infringements were also uncommon, with one person caught removing a fossil from a park and another fishing from a bridge.

One householder was caught tampering with their electricity meter so that consumption appeared lower and the bill was reduced.

On public transport, one person was caught playing a musical instrument, which is banned without special permission, one begging for a fare and another hogging two seats with their bags. Another offender was caught smoking within 10m of a playground.

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