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Driver parks car in truck emergency lane to walk dog, fined $272

Safety ramps on steep hills are designed to save trucks when they run out of brakes. One car driver thought it would be a good place to walk their dog.


An ignorant driver has been busted for parking their car in the middle of a truck emergency lane – which was used to stop a runaway vehicle just a fortnight ago – so they could take their dog for a walk in nearby bushland.

Truck 'arrester beds' or 'sand traps' are designed to stop heavy vehicles at the bottom of steep hills if they run out of brakes.

But one owner of a Mitsubishi Mirage thought it would be a good place for a picnic or to walk their dog, and has copped a $272 fine for their trouble – and, presumably, for not noticing the massive signs.

Above: A photo of the parked car in the truck emergency lane. Photo credit: Facebook.

Highway patrol police near the coastal city of Wollongong, south of Sydney, were notified of the parked vehicle and commenced a search of the nearby area to try to locate the vehicle’s owner.

According to the NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Facebook page “a canvass of the area located the driver in nearby bushland walking their dog”.

Police said the driver “had deliberately parked their vehicle in the middle of the safety ramp to do so” and “did not see any signs indicating they could not park there”.

The driver was directed to move the vehicle and issued a $272 fine.

Above: The same safety ramp was used to stop a runaway truck just a fortnight ago. Photo credit: Facebook.

The safety ramp in question was used to stop a runaway truck just a fortnight ago (pictured above), demonstrating the importance of keeping sand traps clear.

Commenters on Facebook were furious at the driver’s actions, with some suggesting there should be a ticket for a lack of common sense. Others said it was such a faux-pas it should warrant an automatic loss of licence.

Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

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