It may be common to see dogs sticking their heads out of car windows, but a baby? 

A driver was horrified upon witnessing a man in a car behind stick a baby out of the window at a traffic light junction.

Taking to SG Road Vigilante Facebook page on Wednesday (Jan 17), the complainant, who didn't reveal their name, posted that the incident took place along Gombak Drive on Tuesday night.

Sharing a dash cam footage of the incident, this person said: "He held his baby out of the window like this twice in succession as I watched from the rear-view mirror in horror."

From the video, the man can be seen taking the baby from a female passenger seated in the front seat.

The clip also captured the man sticking the baby out of the car window twice, before passing the child back to the woman.

According to the fellow driver, the woman was carrying the baby on her lap, and not properly strapped to a car seat. 

"Newborns are supposed to be strapped to a car seat cradle, but the mother was carrying the baby in the front seat," the complainant added. 

Netizens were quick to comment on the post, agreeing with the complainant that the man's behaviour was reckless. 

One commented: "Kids need to be in proper seats all the time, same way you also need to tighten seat belts in a plane. You never know when another car comes crashing into your car."

Another jokingly said: "Want to do the lion king Simba."

However, some felt that the complaint was unnecessary, with one netizen saying: "The car is stationary. What you gonna do about it?"

Gerard Pereira, a training manager at the Singapore Safety Driving Centre, said that babies up to nine months old weighing up to 10kg should be placed in a rear-facing infant capsule in the back seat, reported The Straits Times in 2016. 

Toddlers from nine months to four years old weighing 9kg to 18kg should be buckled in a rear-facing car seat in the back, said Pereira.

And children from five to eight years old weighing 19kg to 36kg should be strapped in a forward-facing car seat in the back. Adjustable seat belts should be used if they outgrow their booster seats. 

Under the Road Traffic Act, it is illegal for anyone under 1.35m, regardless of age, to be unsecured in a vehicle. 

First-time offenders can be jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$1,000, or both.

ALSO READ: 'Irresponsible and reckless': Man slammed after toddler seen 'driving' car in Pasir Ris

ashwini.balan@asiaone.com