The Australian car market has hit choppy waters after the release of last month’s numbers.
According to statistics released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), new car sales decreased 5.5 per cent in August 2014, compared to the same period last year. Just 88,157 new cars were sold – down from 93,336 in 2013.
NSW’s “Get Your Hand Off It” mobile phone distraction campaign, in operation since June 2013, has already been credited with preventing many accidents. However, some powerful sporting stars have thrown their weight towards the campaign to give it another boost.
Recent statistics indicate that the Australian car market is one of the most competitive in the world and is beginning to pick up after a number of slow months.
The Productivity Commission’s final report for its Inquiry into Australia’s Automotive Manufacturing Industry has been released. In the report, the commission said relaxing the restrictions on imported second-hand vehicles into the country would have a number of benefits to consumers including lower prices, improved features and greater choice.
It seems that the Australian car market is in a world of its own, compared to the rest of the world.
For a number of years, the national market has been strong and despite the departure of several high-profile manufacturers, the momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing.
New South Wales’s ageing road infrastructure is an issue the state government is aware of and is actively upgrading. However, when it comes to safety, it often needs the assistance of the public to assess what is dangerous and needs to be fixed.
In the latest round of infrastructure upgrades, the government is inviting community members to submit their thoughts on the latest stage of the $48 million Bells Line of Road corridor improvement program.
The latest car sales figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) have been released.
According to FBAI, 118,309 vehicles were sold last month, representing a 25 per cent increase from May, although this was slightly down on June 2013.
A new road safety guide for New South Wales aims to improve motoring habits around school zones by targeting a variety of potential problem areas. Minister for Roads and Freight Duncan Gay launched the guide in a letter to principals of 2,500 primary schools across NSW earlier this month.
Titled ‘Road Safety Issues Around Schools’, the guide sets out a number of key points for motorists to remember when driving in or around schools. While the principles of the guide are aimed specifically at parents, the safe driving habits they outline can be applied to any NSW driver who may come across a school zone.
We announced in a news article that the NSW Government is creating a 40km/h speed limit zone in the Sydney CBD, from the end of 2014. Safety of CBD pedestrians is the main factor for the new speed zone.
As a driver who drives in the Sydney CBD every week day, it seems to me that there are other issues which need to be resolved and which will greatly increase pedestrian safety.
Problems with the M5 again this morning.
Before 6.00am there was a car broken down in the left lane eastbound, just before King Georges road. A good run was halted. Traffic was backed-up…again.
Maybe this is just a wasted lament, but it seems that it does not take much to go wrong for the M5 to grind to a halt.
Accidents on the M5 are frequent. An accident guarantees a dreadfully slow run, even if the cars involved in the accident are well away from the traffic lanes. In fact, accidents even affect traffic traveling in the opposite direction. It seems that a lot of drivers can not drive past an accident scene without slowing down to look at what has happened, resulting in the slow procession past the accident scene.
There has to be a better way of dealing with accidents on expressways. If the vehicles involved in an accident can be driven, the vehicles should be driven off the expressway at the next exit so that the drivers can exchange details without causing chaos. If vehicles need to be towed, they should be towed as soon as possible.
The issues with accidents and breakdowns on the M5 are repeated everyday on roads around Sydney.
RMS (formerly the RTA) is introducing a new road numbering system and new names for some important routes. The changes will commence in early 2013 and should be fully implemented by the end of that year.
The changes are simple in that they apply a letter and number code to Motorways (M), roads of national significance (A) and roads of state significance (B). The numbers identify the different motorways or roads within each category.
The changes will make navigation on major routes much simpler. For example, if want to drive to Broken Hill from Sydney, you will simply follow the A32 the whole way. If you want to drive from Sydney to Walgett you join the B55 and follow it through to Walgett.
The changes are consistent with systems in most other states so that the same code will apply as roads cross into those states.
Name changes will apply to some major roads, however the changes are not significant and should not have a major impact.
More information is available on the RMS website.