Articles by Anna Vlach

Subjecting elderly drivers to annual driving tests in South Australia would be age discrimination, the RAA believes.Traffic and safety manager Rita Excell said yesterday appropriate medical screening for all drivers, rather than practical tests from age 85, was necessary.Her comments follow a call by the RAA's counterpart in New South Wales, the NRMA, to scrap mandatory annual driving tests for motorists aged 85 and over.The NRMA said older drivers were already some of the most cautious on the roads and that medical tests should be limited to those drivers who had been identified by family, friends and medical professionals as being at risk.Ms Excell said it would be discriminatory to put restrictions on age. “Someone younger might be a greater risk on the road,” she said.The RAA was satisfied with licence conditions for SA drivers which requires motorists aged over 70, or of any age with a medical condition, to have a certificate of fitness to drive signed by a doctor every year. “We oppose practical driving tests for older drivers,” Ms Excell said.However, Joy Flood, of Glenside, who has held a driver's licence since she was 18, said she would not object to annual practical driving tests for seniors.“I wouldn't mind it,” she said. “I think it's a pretty good idea.”Mrs Flood and her husband, Bert, have also made a decision to drive in their “comfort zone” now that they are aged in their 80s.“We don't drive interstate and we don't drive at night by choice,” Mrs Flood said.Should older drivers do a practical test to keep their license? 

The most secure new cars available on the Australian market have been rated by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council.Executive director Ray Carroll said yesterday about 200 cars had been assessed as part of Secure by Design, a new campaign highlighting the importance of vehicle security features.Cars had been judged on entry systems, theft resistance systems and vehicle identification, he said.The best performers included the Volkswagen Polo, Mitsubishi 380 and Audi A8.Mr Carroll said the compulsory introduction of immobilisers in all new cars since 2001 had helped reduce motor vehicle theft in South Australia by 41 per cent between 2000 and 2006. However, RAA technical services manager Mark Borlace said while after-market immobilisers could be bought for less than $200, many car owners chose not to make the investment.“Some people think: `This is what I have insurance for', but they need to factor in the personal inconvenience and trauma the loss of their car or the return of their car in a dirty and damaged state may cause to them,” he said.Cars with immobilisers were also being stolen in SA.“People are leaving their keys in the ignition at service stations, for example,” Mr Borlace said.“Or when thieves are breaking into houses they are stealing car keys which have been left by the front door.”The Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon were the cars most commonly targeted by thieves.MOST SECURE VEHICLESSMALL CARSVolkswagen Polo (five-door hatch) and Citroen C2 (three-door hatch)MEDIUM CARSubaru Liberty 2.0RLARGE CARMitsubishi 380 SedanLUXURY CARAudi A8COMPACT SUVBMW X3, 3.0i (five-door wagon)LARGE SUVAudi Q7 (five-door wagon)PEOPLE MOVERVolkswagen MultivanCOMMERCIAL Volkswagen Caddy Cargo Van 

Boasting the sporty three-litre V6 TDi engine, which powered the A6 to a "Best Luxury Car over $57,000" gong in Australia's Best Car awards last year, the A4, priced at $86,700, delivers as "the most-powerful six-cylinder TDi in the B-segment".The C220CDi Mercedes-Benz diesel offers 110kW and 430Nm, while the newly introduced BMW 320d produces 115kW and 330Nm, although both are four-cylinder offerings.The new Audi V6 powerplant is a common-rail direct injection unit that uses piezo injectors (voltage-activated injectors that are very quick and precise) and runs 1600bar of pressure in the fuel delivery system.Multiple fuel injections per cycle and two intercoolers for the single turbocharger are among the other engine bay highlights.With 171kW of power and 450Nm of torque on tap, six-speed tiptronic transmission and speed-sensitive power steering, the A4 seamlessly (and frugally) cruises but has the capacity to reach 100km/h in 7.5 seconds.Similarly, the $210,000 supercar A8, with its all-new 4.2-litre, eight-cylinder twin-turbo engine, lightweight Audi space frame and quattro all-wheel drive, also turns it on.The turbodiesel V8 comes from the same family as the new V6 in the A4, using the same high-pressure common-rail direct-injection principles, and boasts a weight of 255kg, down by 15kg over its smaller predecessor.Like the A4, the engine is of low-weight, compact design, with Audi claiming a new benchmark in acoustics.The V8 has two turbochargers, with variable turbine geometry, assisting in reducing lag and generating higher torque at lower engine speeds, as well as two intercoolers.With 240kW and 650Nm the high-performance limousine accelerates from 0 to 100 in just 5.9sec.The new powerplant is so quiet it's easy to forget you are driving a diesel.The A8's 4.2 TDi engine's twin-pipe exhaust system is also equipped with a diesel particulate filter — made to last the lifetime of the vehicle without additives or servicing — which further decreases the engine's emissions, which in greenhouse terms are already low.And while Australian motorists do not have the privilege of discounted diesel prices, rebated registrations and the reduced taxation offered to their European counterparts, the models' fuel economy is incentive enough.Averaging 8.4 litres per 100km under Australian Standards testing, the A4 offers around 750km per tank; with just 9.7 litres per 100km fuel consumption, the A8 pushes close to 1000km.Both models feature electric front seats complete with electric lumbar support and leather upholstery.Positioned behind the sports leather steering wheels, driving from Hobart to Launceston was a pleasure.Travelling vast highways, curly mountain roads and even navigating unsealed stretches in winter conditions with ease, both the A4 and A8 lived up to the expectation that the sporty-yet-safe luxury models would be smooth operators.