Editorial: Better ways to hang out

Amy Wiggins.

What is it with people putting their lives on the line by hanging out the window of a moving car rather than making a quick stop to take a photo or relieve themselves?

Twice in the month photos have come out of people hanging most of their body out a car window while speeding down a state highway.

This week police have spoken out against the actions of a woman spotted propped up on a car door window ledge holding on to the roof-rack of their Ford Telstar with one hand and getting a picture-perfect snap of Lake Pukaki on her camera with the other as the car hurtled south along State Highway 8.

Just last month two French tourists were snapped urinating out of a moving rental car on State Highway 6 in Southland.

These actions make absolutely no sense to me.

There are plenty of other ways to get the desired result without risking your life or those of others.

Police have said the actions of those people put the lives of others at risk as well.

I agree. I would most certainly be distracted if I was driving and spotted someone hanging out a window in that way.

Sometimes all it takes is a momentary distraction for things to go wrong.

In the case of the woman taking the photo, I don't understand at all the need to put herself in that position.

Surely she could get a photo just as good by rolling down the window and pointing the camera out of it.

The easiest way to get the best photo would have been to simply pull over somewhere for a minute or two.

As for the French tourists, they obviously were not shy about people watching as they relieved themselves so pulling over on the side of the road to let them out would have done the trick in a much safer manner.

Police have also berated the driver over the latest incident and rightly so.

As the driver of a car it is your responsibility to keep your passengers in line and make sure they are safe.

Our road toll is already too high. There's no need for silly actions that increase the risk of injury or death.

Think before you act.