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Corrina Baird

Writer and Researcher, greenslips.com.au

Corrina used to lend her car to her kids and discovered what Ls, Ps and demerits mean for greenslips. After 20 years in financial services and over 8 years with greenslips.com.au, she’s an expert in the NSW CTP scheme. Read more about Corrina

recalls road safety

Total recalls – they keep going up

Did you know car recalls in Australia have tripled in 7 years to 2019? Manufacturers recalled some 230 vehicles in 2019, not including the Takata airbag crisis. Have we lost the ability to manufacture quality cars? If a brand new car still has loose wheel nuts, is it safe to buy a new car? Read More

road rage

Dashcams, road rage and fast music

Around a quarter of Australian drivers now record all their car trips on dashcams. Their main reason for using them is to help with any future insurance claims. Around half want to be able to report road rage and incidents while their cars are parked. Since road rage and bad driving seem to be increasing, it looks like dashcam use will too. Read More

on the phone

Mobile phone addiction and driving

Have you ever felt anxious when you heard a phone alert while driving? Do you have a fear of missing out (FOMO)? Do you agree it’s dangerous for others to use their phones while driving but you can do it safely? You’re in good company. Nearly 19% of drivers are on the phone while on the road. Read More

thinking transfer

Most driving is thoughtless

Next time you get in the car and start driving, ask yourself what you are thinking about. It probably won’t be about driving. Yet 80% of crashes happen because drivers are not paying attention for up to 3 seconds. How come we don’t pay attention? A big part of that is because we feel safe. Read More

buying a car

Buying a car still needs the personal touch

Sales of new vehicles in Australia have been tumbling for 18 consecutive months. This means car dealers really have to know what their customers want when buying a car. A recent survey suggests they could learn more about their needs and the channels they prefer to use. For example, are we actually ready to buy cars online? Read More

FCEVs car tech

Hydrogen v electric

While Australians are still getting to grips with electric vehicles (EVs), the next big fuel may be hydrogen. Hydrogen is used in fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs), which convert the gas to electricity. EVs charge directly with electricity. This is only one important difference between the two, but which fuel will win out? Read More

ownership theft

Young people and the gig economy

The word gig economy first described the rise of insecure contract work, rather than permanent full time jobs. Now even relationships, AirBnB, social media and subscription-style entertainment reflect lack of permanence or commitment. So it makes sense that young people do not seem interested in owning – or even driving – cars. Read More

young volunteers L and P platers

Young volunteers improve their driving skills in telematics trial

Earlier this year the NSW government ran a 6-month trial of telematics with young volunteer drivers in Western Sydney. Results show telematics installed in vehicles helped improve driving skills and could potentially boost road safety. These findings also reflect the global trend towards offering usage based insurance to all vehicle owners. Read More

SUV

Who can explain the domination of SUVs?

Even in this flat market, there is one kind of vehicle that is still selling – the SUV. While all SUVs already have about 45% of the Australian market, it won’t be long before it becomes 50%. The question is why. There are many boxes they obviously do not tick and yet we still buy them in droves. Read More

driving skills speed

Is speed the best predictor of crashes?

Speed and speed cameras are controversial topics in Australia. The prevailing belief is that speed kills. Even so, the presence of speed cameras does not seem to be lowering deaths on the road. Some say our driving skills are just not good enough. Is it possible our obsession with speed is stopping us from seeing the real problem? Read More