The legal road may lead by pointing towards the course of equity. However, the way is unquestionably covered with some laws and resolutions that can often confuse and confound.
Each nation is different, and each nation’s laws are unique. There are times when these laws border on the alarmingly crazy, and other times they highlight important social qualities that may not be the same as your own.
Although Australia has just been making laws for a long time, there are still some odd ones crawling around. We searched the dim corners of the dusty law books to present the strangest ones that are still lawfully authoritative. Let the weirdness start with our list of one of a kind Aussie laws.
No Waving Out the Window
It is an offense for a driver to wave at somebody if their hand/arm/face happens to go outside the vehicle window in New South Wales. Your passengers can be similarly punished if any of their body parts go outside their window.
It may sound somewhat outrageous, but remember, different vehicles, cyclists, and buses can pass beside your car, without you knowing. This law was created so that no accidents can happen to the passenger or driver in a car. Avoid being ticketed or having serious injuries by finding other ways of greeting people you might know.
This particular law keeps people safe from any possible accidents that may arise. However, there are instances that we forget to keep our safety. Good thing that lawyers from firms such as Soul Legal offer assistance with injury-related cases.
Having Animals or People on Your Lap
Whether you’re driving to the store for groceries or if you’re driving to work, we all need to adhere to traffic rules. The first thing we should do is to strap on your safety belts, stop at red lights, abstain from speeding, and avoid being distracted when driving. In Australia however, there’s a law that people should additionally take note of.
Children, other passengers, and pets must be seated in the appropriate area of the vehicle. Therefore it’s illegal to have a pet or people on your lap when you’re inside a vehicle. It is stated in The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that if an animal got injured because of being unrestrained, its owner could pay a fine of up to $5,500 and could get into jail for up to six months.
Giving Way to Horses
It can be a drag for drivers to wait for an animal to cross the street. Some honk their horns so hard that the animals run off into the other side of the street. In Queensland, drivers should avoid any activity that could put restive horses into a panic.
Honking a horn or making unnecessary noises could put the animal into a panic which could, in turn, cause physical harm on themselves, people nearby, or other property. This law also applies to horses that are agitated horses.
Pedestrian Splashing
We’ve all seen in the movies of rushing cars splashing water unto unwary pedestrians on the street. Although some of those scenes are funny, it’s certainly not a good day for the people who get wet because of a speeding car. In New South Wales, it’s illegal for a car to splash someone with water! The inability to do so can prompt a fine of up to $2,200, as indicated by the Regulation 291-3, Road Rules 2014 (NSW).
Using Vacuum Cleaners at a Specific Time
A good neighbor knows just how noisy a vacuum cleaner gets. Since a good neighbor knows it can disturb others, he/she uses the vacuum cleaner in appropriate time of the day. However, not all are good neighbors and proceed with using loud vacuum cleaners in the wee hours of the night and early morning.
In Victoria, making unreasonable clamor with a vacuum cleaner after 10 pm or before 7 am on weekdays, and 9 am on ends of the week, is viewed as an offense. This is as per Section 48A of the Environment Protection Act 1970 (Vic), just as Regulation 6, Environment Protection (Residential Noise) Regulations 2008 (Vic).
Police or the committee can arrange you to quit making clamors, and the inability to abide by state laws can bring about a fine of up to $18,655.20, with an extra-fine up to $4,663.80 every day for continued violations.
Possession of 50kgs of Potatoes
No, this isn’t a joke. In Australia, as per Section 22 of the Marketing of Potatoes Act 1946, it is an offense to control more potatoes than you can handle. Also, Police can stop and search any vehicle associated with conveying more than 50kg of potatoes. A first-time offender could get a punishment of up to $2,000 while succeeding offenses could cop a $5,000 fine!
Crashing a Funeral or Wedding
In South Australia, as indicated by Section 7A of the Summary Offenses Act 1953, purposefully crashing a wedding, religious, or burial service could bring about a $10,000 punishment or two years of detainment. So, if you’re the sort to get excessively alcoholic at a wedding and get overly boisterous, lay off a bit with the drinks.
Don’t Mess With Pigeons
In the past, homing pigeons have been used to deliver important messages from person to person. This practice is still alive in most parts of the world, including Australia. Besides being morally wrong, messing with homing pigeons can get you in deep trouble when you’re in the country.
The maximum fine of interfering with a homing pigeon is $250. These offenses have been worked out explicitly to ensure the homing pigeon is safe and gets its message across huge distances.
Takeaway
Laws are sets of rules that are put in place for our protection, although sometimes it can be taken a bit far. It may sound funny and bizarre for some, but these laws have been strictly followed by people all over the world. Although these laws might sound strange, it helps with maintaining order, however,you look at it.
