Category: Opinion

Right now is a good time to buy a car, indeed a great time to buy just about anything. There are stunning deals on new cars and SUVs everywhere at the moment. The three local makers have hundreds of cars stored in carparks and paddocks. The importers are also in a difficult situation because they are under huge pressure from head office to sell. Global sales are still sluggish as other countries slowly move away from the worst days of the GFC, so the bosses in head office want a… Read more

Texting while driving is rapidly becoming the number one killer on our roads. Drink driving is still a problem but thankfully the authorities seem to be getting it under control, though illegal drugs are causing concerns. Inattention created by texting is deadly but I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the dangerous practice of ‘eat-driving’ in Australia. I don’t know if you have ever driven in the United States, but it’s common practice for drivers to have their breakfast during the trip to work in the morning; a hot cup of coffee… Read more

One of the most common things I hear when talking to people who have no particular interest in cars is, “They don’t make them like they used to.” The comment usually follows a crash involving a new car and an old one. A crash that’s resulted in a huge amount of damage to the front of a new car, yet has created only minor dents in the rear of the old one. The crash has usually been a small one, probably with at a speed of under 15 km/h. A… Read more

The last decade or so has seen a staggering number of innovations that have made motoring safer, easier and more comfortable. Back in the late 1960s when I bought the potential deathtrap that was my first car, a second-hand 1950-something Simca, its safety features included aftermarket seatbelts (they’d only recently become compulsory) and … umm … that was about it. Even the new Volkswagen Beetle that replaced the Simca within six months – the latter having died before it could kill me – although significantly safer, didn’t have any of… Read more

After several recent weeks in Italy, driving close to 4000 kilometres, on business then a most welcome holiday, I saw only a single crash, and that was but a minor bump. Given the severe winter weather and the unbelievably-crowded roads we experienced that lack of any real incidents was most impressive. On my return to Australia I said to several people that I reckoned the Italians are among the best drivers in the world. Sadly, it didn’t come as a surprise when some people disagreed with me. Quite angrily at… Read more

Regular readers will be well aware that I regard driver inattention as being the number one cause of car crashes. I witness inattentive drivers wandering all over the road every day, whether I’m road testing cars, attending new-vehicle launches, or simply going about my normal daily stuff. These readers will also know that I seriously disagree with the term ‘driver distraction’ being used in place of the words ‘driver inattention’. Distraction is something that takes you by surprise and pulls your attention away from driving. Inattention is when a driver… Read more