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traffic lights

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

changing lanes

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

driving less

Is it true Aussies are driving less?

Judging by the congestion on Sydney’s roads, you might think Australians are driving more than ever. There are 18.2 million vehicles on Australian roads, about half a million more than there were in 2014. But we are driving less – average kilometres travelled in passenger cars and in cities have actually fallen. Read More

crash

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.

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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.

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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.

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In-ground traffic lights for smombies

There’s a new word for people using smart phones without looking up to see where they’re going – smombies.

The Germans coined the word to combine “smart phone” and “zombie”. One enterprising German city in Bavaria has introduced in-ground traffic lights so texters don’t even have to look up.

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Should traffic fines be based on income?

New South Wales has the most expensive CTP insurance in Australia but, during 2014-15, South Australia had the highest average traffic fine of $410. A report by Australia Institute claims traffic fines hit low income earners too hard and proposes Australia adopt the Finnish method of basing fines on income.

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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.

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Is driving fatigued just as bad as driving drunk?

While delayed response times, drowsiness, and general grogginess could sound like the end of a night out on the town, it could just as easily describe the symptoms for fatigue. When we aren’t well rested, our bodies and minds must bear the burden, which is similar to driving with alcohol in the blood.

As driving is an activity which requires us being alert and responsive, substances that could impair our judgement such as alcohol are restricted or prohibited, depending on a driver’s age and licence. However, research has come to suggest that a lack of sleep could have just as dramatic an effect on our ability to control a vehicle as alcohol.

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