Category: Opinion

I had a truly frightening journey in a car this morning. It was on the eight-lane Brisbane to Gold Coast M1 motorway beside a driver I had never travelled with before. A pleasant lady in her forties who has been driving for many years so has had plenty of experience behind the wheel in a variety of cars. However, she wasn’t what we in the motoring game call a ‘driver’; meaning she had no real interest in what she was doing, simply regarding driving as a means of getting from… Read more

Typically, two types of driver use country roads – those who are peacefully enjoying the scenery, and those who are simply getting from point A to point B in as short a time as safely possible. The faster drivers are normally either on their home turf, those enjoying the scenery are likely to be strangers to the area. Unfortunately the two types of drivers often get in each others’ way. Those who want to get on with their trip in a reasonably short time find themselves being frustrated by the… Read more

I don’t hear this statement as often as I used to, “They don’t make them like they used to.” The comment comes after a crash involving a new car and an old one. A rear-ender that’s resulted in a huge amount of damage to the front of a new car, yet has created only big dents in the back of the old one. The crash has usually been a small one, probably at a speed of under 15 km/h. A typical suburban bingle, usually caused by a driver’s inattention and/or… Read more

I’m going to sound like a stuck record yet again on the subject of safe holiday driving. But so is everyone else when talking about road deaths and speed limits, so why should I be any different? These depressing thoughts struck me yet again as the Christmas / New Year period began and governments boasted about the number of new fixed and mobile speed cameras put into play. TV news programs kept up a running score on the tens of thousands of people booked for speeding, and another gruesome list… Read more

Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) is urging drivers to check their luggage, indeed all items, are properly secured in their car. Saying that in a crash, loose objects can become dangerous missiles striking with a force up to 20 times their own weight. Professor Lynne Bilston, Senior Principal Research Scientist at NeuRA, recommends keeping all luggage below the height of the back seat or consider installing a cargo barrier. “All luggage needs to be properly packed and tied down so that everything is secure. You don’t want anything to be loose… Read more

The Queensland Government is showing strong and courageous leadership in issuing defect notices to owners of over 2000 vehicles fitted with dangerous ‘alpha’ type Takata a move that the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) welcomes and one that could lead to the cancellation of registration if ‘alpha’ Takata airbags are not replaced within 21 days. FCA Chief Executive Tony Weber noted that the decision is an effective response in the interests of the safety of motorists and passengers across Queensland. “We applaud the Palaszczuk Government for acting so decisively… Read more