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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

break down

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

SUVs dogs transfer rego

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

the driver

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

safe systems

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

road tolling inquiry

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

illegal phone use

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

not thinking

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

collapsible vehicle

Would you go to work in a self-driving car?

Rarely more than a few days go by without seeing an article, TV show, blog or Facebook post about self-driving cars. It seems clear that self-driving (autonomous) vehicles are coming. But how soon, and how smoothly this will happen, depends on who you ask. Would you go to work in a self-driving car? Read More