Don’t try this when you move house. A photo of a man riding in a trailer while holding a cooler went viral earlier in the week. It has since been revealed that there are at least 1000 reasons why this is a bad idea in the eyes of the law.
A Victorian motorist faces a loss of three demerit points and over $1000 in traffic fines after towing another person, and an unsecured fridge, on a trailer on a busy Melbourne highway.
An image uploaded on the social media platform. Facebookshows a man stabilizing a refrigerator on a trailer, which is being towed behind a Mazda3 hatchback.
The caption claims the photo was taken along Melbourne’s North Road, which runs from the south-eastern suburb of Clayton to the North Point seafront.
While the driver and passenger in the trailer may have been trying to save money by not paying for the refrigerator to be delivered, their adventure could result in fines in excess of $1,000.
Both the driver of the vehicle and the person in the trailer could receive massive fines and demerit point penalties.
A Victoria Police spokesman said Ride The penalty for carrying unsecured cargo is a $277 fine for individuals, provided there is no danger to a person, or risk of damage to property or the environment.
However, this penalty is increased to $645 if the unsecured cargo is found to pose a danger to persons, property, or the environment.
The driver can be fined for carrying a passenger in a part of the car that was not designed for that purpose: a $370 fine and 3 demerit points.
The passenger is also in line for a $370 fine and 3 demerit points for riding “in or part of a motor vehicle not designed for the carriage of passengers or goods.”
Between January and August 2022turnpike operator Transurban claims its incident response teams have been involved in more than 430 near misses on Melbourne’s turnpikes caused by unsecured loads.
Below is a list of fines and demerit point penalties for driving without a seatbelt or with an unsecured load in Australia.
Fines for not wearing a seatbelt in Australia
Note: These fines apply to the driver only.
| State/Territory | Penalty fee | demerit points |
| New south Wales | $352 | 3 |
| Victory | $370 | 3 |
| queensland | $1078 | 4 |
| western australia | $550 | 4 |
| south australian | $403 | 3 |
| tasmania | $300 | 3 |
| Australian Capital Territory | $353 | 3 |
| Northern Territory | $500 | 3 |
Fines for unsecured cargo in Australia
| State/Territory | Penalty fee | demerit points |
| New south Wales | $457 | 3 |
| Victory | $370 | 0 |
| queensland | $120 | 0 |
| western australia | $350 | 0 |
| south australian | $435 | 0 |
| tasmania | $303 | 0 |
| Australian Capital Territory | $598 | 0 |
| Northern Territory | $60 | 0 |
Read more about Jordan Mulach
