Did you know, during 2017, the rate of road deaths in Australia was the lowest for at least five years? But NSW was different. It was the highest road toll since 2010. A total of 392 people died compared to the high of 405 in 2010, 12 more than in 2016. Worse, the holiday road toll more than doubled from last year.
Judging by the congestion on Sydney’s roads, you might think Australians are driving more than ever. There are 18.2 million vehicles on Australian roads, about half a million more than there were in 2014. But we are driving less – average kilometres travelled in passenger cars and in cities have actually fallen. Read More
Electric vehicles (EVs) are not big sellers in Australia yet. In 2016 we bought only 1,369 EVs, a drop from 1,771 in 2015. Even then, most were plug-in hybrids, rather than all-electric vehicles. Yet carmakers say the future is electric. Recent moves by countries like China and the UK to limit or ban petrol and diesel suggest it’s true. Read More
If you believe the experts, nobody will want to own a car in the near future. They seem to think people are rational and will always choose the cheapest and most efficient option. But they don’t recognise how much we relish the personal freedom that owning a car brings. Read More
Sales of new cars are at record levels in Australia even though wages growth is low. It seems we still want new cars, no matter what. In fact, Australians just love their cars: we’re even in the global top ten for car ownership. Read More
The VW diesel emissions debacle showed the world it was all too easy to fudge the figures on cutting emissions. Now the Australian government is in discussions with industry on setting emission standards for new vehicles. Unfortunately, different groups come up with their own statistics, making it harder for consumers to know the truth. Read More
Humans have always been fascinated by the idea of being able to fly because we are so earthbound. But watching birds take off and fly offers science a few ideas for how we might do the same. Just as birds, insects and other animals can walk and fly, there is potential for a flying machine that works efficiently on the ground and in the air. Read More
Looking for parking is just part of driving in busy cities. But do you know how much time you spend looking? In fact, you can spend 14 hours each year just looking for a parking space. It’s ironic that a machine built for travelling spends 95% of the time parked. Read More
If we asked you to name one good reason for driverless cars, you would probably say safety. If 90% of crashes are caused by human error, eliminating humans should reduce the chance of crashing. In fact, experts say we could save 1.2 million lives each year because driverless cars are so safe. Read More
There are two big trends in driving that could be working against each another. One is that new vehicles come increasingly equipped with driving aids, such as lane-assist, self-parking and blind spot technology. The second is drivers are becoming lazy and more distracted by gadgets in their vehicles. What is the result? More road deaths and serious injuries and – worse – we forget how to be good drivers. Read More