Every 10 minutes somebody in Australia steals a vehicle and one in three owners never sees their car again. One great way to prevent theft is to store keys away from windows and doors but two in five people don’t bother. Be more vigilant if you own a Holden Commodore, live in Northern Territory or go out on Friday nights. Read More
Men have much more chance than women of dying or being seriously injured in a road crash. A UK study suggests men have a higher chance than women of hurting other road users too. They also drive dangerous vehicles with more chance of hurting other road users. Is there too much pressure on men who drive for work? Read More
Not so long ago it would have been unthinkable to subscribe to a car. Yet Frost & Sullivan claims by 2025 nearly 10% of new car sales in Europe and the US will be part of a subscription. Many dub this “the Netflix” of cars. But this implies cars are just another form of entertainment. Is that really true? Read More
Nearly half of new car sales in February 2020 were SUVs, a sign of Australia’s preference for high riding. Passenger vehicles trailed behind, with just over a quarter of sales. Even so, there are a few signs sedans will make a comeback. Read More
Australia’s car industry has just suffered its 24th consecutive month of falling sales. Only during the GFC in March 2009 were new car sales lower than in March 2020. The end of Holden is just one symptom of the malaise. Until things turn around, right now may be a very good time to buy a car. Read More
More than 200 Australians die and many more are seriously injured each year because of drink driving. On average, drink driving causes around 18% of all road deaths in this country. Some experts think the best approach is to lower the alcohol limit to .02 or even zero. Read More
While most people never make a CTP claim, they need to be sure insurers will do their job properly. This is why State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) now provides quarterly performance data. It helps vehicle owners choose their CTP insurer and, if they need to make a claim, an idea of what to expect. Read More
The Toyota Prius first arrived in Australia 19 years ago but it has taken a while for regular hybrids to become popular. Some argue it is better to move to fully electric vehicles rather than holding on to petrol engines. But the auto industry seems to have a different view – focus on hybrids because that’s what customers want. Read More
Most of the world’s vehicle owners must get third party insurance or CTP, whatever it’s called in their country. Germans call it Haftpflicht and Danes call it ansvarsforsikring. However, our review of CTP in nine randomly selected countries reveals a few interesting quirks. Read More
Sales of electric vehicles have tripled in Australia to over 6,700 in the year to December 2019. It’s still a tiny percentage of all car sales. Observers say price, driving distances and charging continue to hinder sales. Another possibility is lack of social acceptance. Non-EV buyers could be too concerned about their status to buy something different from their neighbours. Early buyers of EVs may just be virtue signalling. Read More