Only in Australia

"POLICE were shocked when they pulled over a driver near Alice Springs and found that while he had buckled up his slab of beer, the five-year-old boy next to it was unrestrained.

Constable Wayne Burnett said he was "shocked and appalled" when he pulled over the car on the Ross Highway south of the desert town at the weekend.

"I haven't ever seen something like this before," he said.
"Sure we get beer out of vehicles that is being taken into restricted areas but this is the first time that the beer has taken priority over a child."

He said the driver of the car "just looked at me blankly" when he was handed a $750 fine for driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, and failing to ensure a child was wearing a seatbelt.

"He didn't get it," Constable Burnett said.
"I asked him about the fact the child was unrestrained and the beer was, and he said he didn't know anything about it."

Constable Burnett said there were five people in the car, including the child, along with the 30-pack of beer.

"There were four adults in the car, two in the front seat and two in the back seats and in between those adults there was the carton of beer strapped in with the belt," he said.
"The child was sitting in the lump in the centre, unrestrained."

Superintendent Sean Parnell of Alice Springs police said he was appalled.

"This serves as a timely reminder to all drivers to ensure they wear seatbelts and ensure as is their responsibility that all passengers in their vehicle are secured in the appropriate manner," he said."

By Tara Ravens, AAP