No. Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads said the $1,033 infringement notice circulating online was fake and described Jackson O’Doherty’s post as a stunt. That does not make cooking behind the wheel lawful: the department said the depicted behaviour was dangerous, and Queensland’s general careless-driving law can apply.
Was Jackson O’Doherty fined $1,033?
No genuine fine is established by the viral post. In a 24 January 2025 report, CarExpert reported that Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads confirmed the circulating infringement notice was fake and that the post was a stunt.
The earlier report by PerthNow, published on 23 January 2025, described the apparent notice as saying “Driver use frying pan handheld/resting on body.” It also reported that O’Doherty captioned his post, “Cooking steak whilst driving = $1,000 fine.” Those details document what the post and apparent notice reportedly showed; they do not authenticate the notice or prove that a fine was issued.
Could cooking while driving still lead to a penalty?
Yes. The department spokesperson quoted by CarExpert said that a real driver caught cooking while driving could face different consequences depending on the circumstances. These are conditional possibilities described in January 2025, not penalties imposed on O’Doherty:
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- Infringement: The spokesperson said the conduct could result in a careless-driving infringement carrying a $645 fine and three demerit points.
- Court proceedings: The spokesperson said a driver could instead face proceedings for dangerous operation of a vehicle, with a maximum penalty described as more than $30,000 or three years’ imprisonment.
The applicable outcome would depend on the facts and how the conduct is dealt with. The reported amounts should not be read as a guaranteed penalty for every case or as the outcome of the viral stunt.
What Queensland’s careless-driving law says
Queensland’s Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995, section 83, makes it an offence to drive a motor vehicle on a road or elsewhere “without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place.” For the ordinary case, the section sets a maximum of 40 penalty units or six months’ imprisonment.
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The provision is a general driving rule; it does not specifically name cooking or frying pans. Whether particular conduct amounts to careless driving, or is dealt with as dangerous operation, depends on the circumstances.
How traffic offences are enforced
Queensland Government guidance says traffic laws are enforced using cameras and on-road police. A person caught breaking a traffic law may be fined, and demerit points may be recorded. The existence of a viral image or social-media claim alone does not establish that an authentic infringement was issued in this incident.
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Why the department called the stunt dangerous
The department spokesperson quoted by CarExpert said: “While the post is a stunt, the issue of driver distraction and dangerous driving is very real and the behaviour depicted [is] incredibly dangerous. Road safety is no joke.” The spokesperson also said 302 people died on Queensland roads in 2024, describing that as the highest total in 15 years. That figure is attributed to the spokesperson in CarExpert’s report.
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