Perth man accused of letting toddler steer car appears in court

Jake Douglas Smith accused of posting video of toddler steering car in PerthPosted Fri 2 Oct 2026 at 5:26pmFri 2 Oct 2026 at 5:26pmA 30-year-old man who allegedly let a toddler steer a car while sitting unrestrained on his lap through suburban streets in Perth's north has appeared in court on reckless driving charges. Police said Jake Douglas Smith uploaded a video to social media which appeared to show a young child on his lap while driving a Toyota Hilux in Alkimos on September 11. The child appeared to "have control" of steering the vehicle, police allege.The 30-year-old was arrested the next day at an address in Morley.Jake Douglas Smith allegedly let a child steer his car while sitting on his lap. (ABC News: Mya Kordic)The video shows the chid's hands on the steering wheel and the back of their head, as the car is driven through a residential area.It then mounts a curb and stops on a front lawn. When the car stops, a man can be heard excitedly saying, "say hello, yeah I did it, a three-year-old driving the car!"The video was captioned "3 year old driving a Hilux what a legend". Bail extendedMr Smith represented himself when he appeared in the Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday and asked the magistrate for an adjournment.When Magistrate Raelene Johnston asked the prosecution whether Mr Smith had a record, the court was told he was on a conditional suspended imprisonment order.No further details were provided.Jake Douglas Smith represented himself in court. (ABC News: Mya Kordic)Mr Smith's bail was extended until his next hearing later this month.When asked by a reporter outside the court whether he uploaded the alleged video to social media, Mr Smith said he was "not too sure".