The simple act which could cost you hundreds in fines

“He said it was very obvious I didn’t know it was illegal," the woman said, taken completely off guard by the warning.

There are plenty of things you can do whilst driving to earn you a hefty fine.

Some of them are obvious, like speeding, but others you may be doing without even knowing it - though you’d almost certainly stop if you knew how much it could cost you.

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Image: TikTok / @charlottenichollss.

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“I didn’t know it was illegal!”

Aussie woman Charlotte took to TikTok this week to share her interaction with the police.

She said in the video that she knew she was doing something wrong straight away - but she just wasn’t sure what.

“When I was driving, [the police officer] was being real sus and kinda lingering next to me, and then he immediately goes behind me and puts his lights on,” she said.

Charlotte then said that the police officer told her her hand being outside her car window was the problem, which she had no idea was illegal.

“He said it was very obvious I didn’t know it was illegal, because I was doing it next to a cop car,” she said.

“He was super nice, and he just said ‘don’t protrude your limbs outside the window again’.

“My address is also my hometown, in a beach town, and he said that ‘you’re probably used to it, because the cops don’t really pick up on that sort of thing because everyone does it’.”

In New South Wales, it is completely illegal for a driver or passenger to travel in a motor vehicle with any part of their body outside the window or door, unless it's the driver giving hand signals. The act would set you back up to $352, and three demerit points for the driver.

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“Seriously?”

Some commenters on the post were shocked to hear that having your hand outside the vehicle was illegal, confessing that they do it all the time.

“Seriously? I do this all the time as a form or stimming when driving,” one commenter said.

“That’s normal to have your hand out the window tho,” said another.

“I have a/c and still do this… just like the feel of the air rushin past!! 🤷‍♂️” a third added.

“It makes sense!”

Others, however, had no idea how people could be unaware of a law that they thought was common sense.

“Yeah, unfortunately. It is breaking the law. 😅 It's a stupid rule, but it makes sense. Don't want your fingers cut off!” one commenter said.

“How did you not know this. It’s common knowledge and something a parent drums into kids,” said another.

“You learn this in your learners it’s basic common sense as well you don’t put your limbs outside the window it’s very distracting to other drivers,” a third added.

“If a car accident happens and you have part of your body out the window you will lose it pretty quickly if car hits at that spot where your limb is,” another person said.

In the video, Charlotte also mentioned that she’d have trouble breaking the habit, and if you’re in the some boat, some commenters came to the party with a helpful tip.

“Put your window up like 50 mm,” one commenter said.

“It’s a really hard habit to break, what helps is if you put the glass up a few mm so it’s uncomfortable to lean on or touch,” a second agreed.

Originally published as The simple act which could cost you hundreds in fines