Articles by CarsGuide team

The UK survey of 1000 drivers found that almost one in four men (24%) men are at risk of being involved in a catastrophic head-on crash by overtaking blind. Four in 10 (44%) also men admit to speeding in excess of 60mph (100km/h plus ) on rural roads. It's not surprising then that 75 per cent of the people killed on UK roads are men. Men are much more likely to take these deadly risks than women, and more than twice as likely to be involved in an overtaking near-miss or incident. The Brake and Direct Line survey of 1000 UK drivers found: Almost one in four men (24%) and one in six women (18%) admitted overtaking when they couldn't be certain nothing was coming, in the past year. One in five men (20%) and one in 10 women (9%) have been involved in an overtaking near-miss or incident while driving in the past year. More than half of all drivers (54%) have witnessed an overtaking near-miss or incident by another driver in the past year, with one in five (19%) experiencing a vehicle approaching on their side of the road. Over half of women (52%) have been afraid when travelling as a passenger when their driver has overtaken another vehicle in the past year, compared to 44% of men. More than four in 10 men (44%) have broken a 60mph (100km/h) limit on a rural road, compared to one in four women (24%) and men are twice as likely to do this monthly or more (20% compared to 9%). The latest statistics show six in 10 UK road deaths were on rural roads; that's 1197 people violently and tragically losing their lives. Four in 10 serious injuries were on rural roads, meaning 9952 people suffered serious and often long-lasting or permanent harm. Three in four people (75%) killed on UK roads are male.  

The Alphabet game is a great one for any kids that are old enough to have started learning to write – and it’s a fun way for the younger ones to extend their learning while you’re travelling. Print out the Alphabet game sheet from the RACV website and give a sheet to each child every time you want to play the game.  Every time they see something on the sheet that starts with one of the letters, they can write it down. Even a single child can play the game, by trying to fill in all the items as they see them during the journey – and perhaps trying to do it within a set time span. With RACV cleverly keeping an eye on difficult words, the letter X can appear anywhere in the word. After all, there are more eXit signs than there are Xylophones on most of the roads we’ve driven. Download the Alphabet game sheet from here.

The Where’s Whitty game is a great one for even very young children. Print out the Where’s Whitty game sheet from the RACV website and give a sheet to each child every time you want to play the game.  Get them to find Whitty – Whitworth the RACV Patrol Bear – and his friends Wilbur, Wendy and Wagstaff. It’s a great game to help sharpen children’s eye for detail. And after they’ve found all four friends, they can colour in everybody in the scene. Download the Where’s Whitty game sheet from the RACV here.

The Motoring History game is a great free entertainer for road trips, created by the good folks at the RACV. The game takes you on a journey through the evolution of the motoring, starting with the invention of the wheel and extending into a look into what the future holds for the motor car. Suitable for one to four players, the game is ideal for playing on your rear seat armrest. You’ll need to provide your own dice, but the rest of the game is simply printed out from the RACV downloads here and here.  

Jerimiah Clyde Hartline, 19, allegedly stole a big-rig full of strawberries and then crashed on a California highway, blocking traffic for hours, The Press-Enterprise reports. "He said zombies were chasing him and he had to get out of there,” said California Highway Patrol spokesman Nathan Baer.Mr Hartline allegedly took off with the truck and speed north, striking a car which then ploughed into two more vehicles. He continued driving, hitting two more cars and then losing control and flipping the truck.The accident blocked the entire highway and sent its cargo of strawberries all over the road. It took hours to clear, police said.Read more here: www.news.com.au