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
Driver Courtesy
If cyclists are not fully human, what about drivers?
A recent Australian study found more than half of car drivers think cyclists are not fully human. As a result, drivers report behaving more aggressively towards them. It’s a surprising result but is it possible car drivers think other car drivers are less than human too? Read More
Impatient driving has a price
Any article on road safety always states the big three killers – speeding, alcohol and fatigue. Distraction by mobiles is another, but there are no solid figures. So far, nobody has looked at the contribution of impatience. Impatience could be the cause or the result of all four killers. Read More
It is faster to cycle, but is it safer?
If you live in Newport and work in Chatswood, it’s quicker for you to cycle than to drive or take public transport. But being faster is not the same as being safer. Deaths and serious injuries from cycling went up last year more than other types of transport. So the decision about how to get around is not as simple as it looks. Read More
We don’t like waiting at traffic lights
As my mother once memorably said: “What’s the point of traffic lights? They only waste electricity!” While traffic lights are a fact of life for motorists and pedestrians, nobody likes waiting at them. In fact, any more than 30 seconds and we start fuming. Read More
Is it really worth changing lanes?
Should you change lanes if you’re in a hurry? Some drivers seem compelled to change lanes, all the time. Others seem to choose a lane and hog it. But research on changing lanes seems to suggest it has a psychological rather than a practical effect. Too often, changing lanes may just be inviting trouble. Read More
Stopping at the scene of a crash
Imagine you are driving home along a motorway when you see a horrific crash ahead. There are two choices: you can stop and try to help or you can drive on. Most drivers decide not to stop and, even if they did, may be unsure what they are allowed to do.
A happy Christmas blog
In the madness of the lead-up to Christmas, we found some quirky stories from around the world. While most of the news is bad, there are encouraging signs of Christmas goodwill.
Road rage: Don’t drive on Fridays in August
Our greenslips.com.au poll, Is common courtesy lacking on our roads?, received a resounding 88% Yes. But the poll didn’t ask about incidents of road rage. Anecdotal evidence suggests drivers everywhere are becoming increasingly less patient and a lot more aggressive.
New laws for cyclists
More people are riding bikes these days and, without dedicated bike tracks, have to share the roads with motor vehicles. This can be dangerous, as an average of 11 riders are killed and 1,500 seriously injured in NSW every year.
Minimum passing distance
Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay, has introduced Minimum Passing Distance legislation from 1 March 2016 to help make NSW roads safer.