Australians still use their mobile phones while driving, in spite of the risks. During 2016-17, NSW police caught 39,007 in the act. The worst suburb was Sydney, where 2,042 drivers were caught using a mobile illegally, followed by 1,292 in Parramatta and 669 in Waterloo. Read More
Blog
Family drives aren’t what they used to be
If you’re going on a road trip with your children, chances are they’ll be on their phones or tablets. Some parents say car trips are a good opportunity to talk to their kids because it’s a small space and there’s no eye contact. But it appears family holidays today are more about watching screens than talking. Read More
Why and where people break down
There’s never a convenient time for your vehicle to break down but most people break down some time. The most common reason in NSW, according to NRMA, is flat batteries. In Britain, the top reason for AA callouts is tyre-related, ahead of battery faults. Read More
Travels with your mutt
Did you know we have as many pets in Australia today – 24 million – as there are people? In fact, 62% of households have a pet, compared to 65% in the US and only 40% in the UK. Some 38% of pet owners have dogs and 29% have cats. This means, any day on the road, someone has a beloved pet in the back of their car or sitting on the tray of their ute. Read More
Change the law for driverless cars
If driverless cars are going to work on Australian roads, then we have to change many of our existing laws. For example, how do we define the driver? National Transport Commission (NTC) invited stakeholders to have a say on this crucial change coming to Australian roads. Read More
Too many still dying on the roads
Around 1,200 people die on Australian roads each year and 800 are seriously injured each week. Towards Zero recognises there’s no acceptable level of death or injury on the roads. Yet the annual road toll has fallen only 13% since 2010, well short of the National Road Safety Strategy 2020 target of at least 30% drop. Read More
New rules for young drivers
Novice drivers need to know about three changes to graduated licensing in NSW starting from 20 November 2017. These changes apply to learner, P1 and P2 drivers.
Results of road tolling inquiry
The NSW senate road tolling inquiry has just released an eye-opening report. It recommends more transparency in tolling agreements and the companies involved with them. Motorists have no idea how much of their tax, or their tolls, is going to private financiers to bear which risks. Nor how much profit these companies expect from public infrastructure. Read More
Special bays for manic texters
Texting while driving is dangerous and breaks the road rules in most modern societies today. Even so, many people still admit to texting. It suggests the urge to do it is quite irresistible. WA recently trialled texting bays where motorists were encouraged to pull over and text. Read More
People use their phones while driving
Crazy as it may seem, people are still using their mobile phones illegally while driving. As the documentary made for Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission says, It’s People Like Us. In this case it was five young people but, in fact, NSW police say older drivers are using their phones even more. Read More