Australian law says you must keep both hands on the wheel at all times unless changing gears or indicating.

And regarding phones; it is illegal for a driver to be distracted by an electronic device -- even if a passenger is the person using it.

It is quite strict, but the number of preventable deaths with this sort of distraction as a contributing factor is staggeringly high.

cough How many Aussie blokes follow that law? Because a maximum of one hand on the wheel seems to be a requirement to be considered a man.

I googled "holden ute interior" and it appears modern Australian automobiles have a plethora of knobs, buttons, and cupholders, as well as infotainment displays, ventilation controls, etc.

Surely there are numerous situations where someone might take their hand(s) off the wheel other than turn signals or gear shifts. What if a drop bear gets in through the sunroof?

I think the intent is that, when not performing any actions such as changing gears or adjusting other driving-relevant controls, you should have your hands on the wheel.

How is a camera going to have visibility into determining whether the second hand is doing or not doing sanctioned actions?

The cameras are mounted above roadways on gantry's or overpasses, and they claim to be able to work in all lighting and weather conditions regardless of the vehicle's speed.

My guess is that they aim to identify non-sanctioned actions. They claim to use some sort of machine learning in addition to human verification.

I have no direct experience with them. These are simply the claims made by the authorities when they were trialed.

How about rolling down the windows? Or what about when you have to turn the wheel a lot and reposition your hands? Or turn on the air conditioning?

I am not a lawyer, but I guess those things are allowed, assuming you put your hands back on the wheel again.

I cannot recall ever hearing of anyone charged with such an offense, but I am sure you would not pass a driving test if you didn't use both hands.

https://www.canstar.com.au/car-insurance/6-road-rules-youre-...

Also what about people who’re wearing a sling or a cast with an automatic, are they not allowed to drive?

The law does not distinguish between automatic or manual transmissions.

I am not sure about the cast/sling situation. But I imagine if it was considered a contributory factor in an accident, you would be culpable.

https://www.canstar.com.au/car-insurance/6-road-rules-youre-...

How about if you only have one arm? You can’t drive? That’s fucked up.

> Yeah. No phone; I’m glad about that.

I was not talking about phones. There's plethora of buttons, knobs, switches and levers in car that are non-phone related.

When I'm a passenger in a cab, I would settle for one hand on the wheel. Preferably firmly and not just resting.