Central Goldfields Highway Patrol officers were in Bridgewater on the evening of New Year's Day when they spotted a couple of faces peering out from the front of a boat towed by a vehicle they passed on the Bridgewater-Maldon Road.

The vehicle was pulled over and police found two children, aged five and 10, as well as two adults in the boat.

Both adult passengers received penalty notices and the driver of the vehicle received two penalty notices, as well as six demerit points.

Police say there was sufficient room in the vehicle to carry all people safely.

They have stressed complacency is not acceptable when it comes to road safety, and want to see everyone arrive at their destination alive and well.

Already six people have died in 2020, including a woman near Castlemaine on Wednesday morning.

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