For the average person, breaking the law may seem hard, but did you know that there are many things that you might do in your everyday life that are considered illegal?
Read on below for a list of 5 things that you are likely guilty of committing.
- Jaywalking
Jaywalking is the act of crossing a street at a place other than a suitable crossing point. Jaywalking is considered illegal in many countries such as Australia, England, and the United States. The penalty for jaywalking in New South Wales is $72.00.
- Playing Loud Music while driving
In Australia, there are many laws involved with driving your vehicle. Some of these laws are obvious, like driving without a license or driving over the speed limit, but there are also niche laws that can lead to a fine or loss of license such as playing loud music while driving. If a police officer catches you playing music too loud, they can fine you up to $200.00 for disturbing the peace. Is this law justified? Yes, loud music can prevent you from being aware of your surroundings which can lead to accidents occurring when driving.
- Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk
Bicycle riders must obey all road rules, as a bicycle is considered a vehicle in NSW. Not only do bicycle riders have to follow all the road rules, but they must also wear a helmet while riding. Until recently, only children under the age of 11 could ride their bike on the sidewalk. This was changed on 23 July 2018 where NSW laws changed to allow any children under the age of 16 could ride their bike on the footpath plus any adult accompanying them. For the rest of the population, riding on the sidewalk is illegal and can result in fines from $50 to $200.
- Using copyrighted images
If you have ever used images that are copyrighted or that are not apart of the public domain then you are likely breaking the law. However, there are ways that you can use copyrighted images legally such as:
- Obtaining permission from the image owner to use them,
- Using the images for non-commercial use,
- Using the image for research,
- Purchasing the rights for the image
- Littering
The protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 is the main law in NSW that prevents littering. It states that ‘a person shall not leave, throw, deposit or abandon litter. Litter is defined as ‘rubbish that is left lying in an open or public place.’ Aggravated littering, such as throwing rubbish out of a moving car or leaving your lit cigarette on the ground can result in a $600 fine. Litter laws are set in place to conserve the environment. Littering is very harmful to Earths environment, most litter ends up in the ocean, rivers or soil, which can pollute it and make the environments toxic.
If you would like to discuss anything further with our experts at Freedman & Gopalan Solicitors, call us on 02 8917 8700.