An Australian driver was fined $173 (AU) by Queensland Police for drinking water from a 600ml plastic bottle at the wheel.

Brock Harris had finished a 12-hour day at work when he got into his car to drive home and found his air conditioner was not working.

“I stopped and bought a bottle of water and as I was pulling into my street I was pulled over by the police and told it was illegal to drink anything while driving,” he told ABC Radio.

He told ABC that police who pulled him over while he was in his home street slapped him with $173 and one demerit point, after informing him it was illegal to drink anything while driving,

Superintendent Johnson said in this instance the fine amount did not correlate with the offence, yet there was a range of offences for drivers that do not take enough attention on the roads.

Driver distraction is considered one of the ‘Fatal Five’ alongside speeding, drink driving, failure to wear seatbelts and driving while tired.

source abc.net.au