A 30-year-old man has been charged with reckless driving after disturbing footage surfaced showing a three-year-old boy allegedly steering a 4WD ute along suburban streets in Alkimos, Perth, Australia. The video, posted online on Friday, depicts the toddler unrestrained on a man's lap, with his hands on the steering wheel as the vehicle swerves. The man can be heard encouraging the child, urging him to "go" and "steer," and to "not crash." The incident concluded with the ute coming to a stop on a footpath.
Police arrested the man on Saturday at an address in Morley and he is scheduled to appear in Joondalup Court on October 2. Officials have expressed grave concern over the incident.
"Every parent and caregiver has a responsibility to keep children safe," stated WA Police Superintendent Michael Dalla-Costa. "What we have seen in this vision is deeply concerning because it appears to show a very young child being allowed to control a moving vehicle. A vehicle is not a toy, and allowing a child to steer a moving vehicle, particularly if not properly restrained, can have serious consequences. One unexpected movement, a child running onto the road, a cyclist, a pedestrian, or a simple mistake could have ended in tragedy."
WA Minister Matthew Swinbourn reacted to the vision, saying, "It has made me angry and it needs to be condemned in the strongest terms possible - there's no defence. If there was an accident, this child would be facing death or permanent injury. We have had so many serious deaths on our roads and the government's messaging around this is everybody's responsibility to be safe and this is just ridiculous."