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$114 fine awaits drivers who leave their car like this

Tony Yoo
Updated
A woman sitting in car receives a road rule violation ticket from police officer.
(image: Getty)

Update: NSW Police informed Yahoo Finance after publication of this article that it had made an error earlier. The fine is $114 rather than the originally cited $213. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

There is a $114 penalty for NSW drivers undertaking a very common activity with their cars.

Yahoo Finance has confirmed with NSW Police that the penalty for leaving your vehicle unlocked and walking away further than 3 metres is now $114.

The fine for that offence was $112 earlier this year.

The exact legal requirement is that the doors must be locked and windows must be "secured" if the driver is to walk away further than 3 metres and there is no one left in the car.

A "secured" window is defined as one opened up to 2cm.

The obscure rule last made headlines in January when Sydneysider Ben Judd complained about a fine imposed while he was parked to buy a pie.

"He gave me $112 fine for leaving windows down/car unlocked!" he posted on social media.

"I was parked inside the petrol station, not on a road... Revenue raising at its finest. Thoughts? Is that even a law?"

Ben Judd's penalty notice for leaving car unlocked.
(Image: Facebook/Ben Judd)

While the $114 applies specifically for not locking doors or windows, other potential violations when a driver walks away further than 3 metres are:

  • Not switching the engine off

  • Not removing the ignition key if there is no one left in the car

  • Not removing the ignition key if there are only children under 16 left in the car

The parking brake must also be applied regardless of the distance the driver will be away from the vehicle.

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