Articles by Elissa Doherty

Mobile phone road rage is breaking out as some drivers photograph others texting and talking and order them to stop.

A suburban council is spending more than $50,000 to try to save lives as frustrated paramedics attend rising numbers of cases.Kidsafe Victoria wants shopping centres and supermarkets to join the campaign as Melbourne experiences a prolonged flush of hot temperatures this week.On a 29C day, a car can reach 44C within 10 minutes and 60C in 20 minutesMore than 200 cases of children stuck in cars were reported in the first five weeks of this year, with east and south Melbourne the worst areas.Moonee Valley Council has teamed up with Kidsafe to install hundreds of the 'Do Not Leave Children in Cars" signs, warning the temperature in a car can be 20-30C hotter than outside. On a 29C day, a car can reach 44C within 10 minutes and 60C in 20 minutes.Ambulance Victoria figures show 42 per cent of incidents occur between 11am and 3pm. The safety initiative will be launched today with hopes all councils around Australia will introduce the signage.

Residents are being warned the home driveway can turn into a deathtrap for little children, with school drop-off and pick-up times the biggest danger zones for run overs.Children under the age of five are the most likely to be accidentally struck by distracted drivers near the home, Kidsafe Victoria says.A new safety campaign is being launched today warning of the dangers of low-speed run overs with a video featuring radio personality Ryan Fitzgerald and son Hewie.Most driveway run overs happen between 8-10am and 4-6pmKidsafe Victoria said eight children aged under five are killed on average each year in Australia and 60 suffer serious injury due to driveway run overs.Most driveway run overs happen between 8-10am and 4-6pm.Parents are urged to follow simple safety tips including walking around the car before getting in, supervising children near cars, and keeping play spaces away from driveways and garages.Vice president Robert Caulfield said back-to-school time could be one of the most risky for young children.

Station operators say petrol prices of nearly $1.50 a litre are putting a huge strain on motorists and are leading to increased fuel theft.SA's Motor Trade Association deputy director Dennis Baldock estimated it would be costing operators as much as $7.1 million a year.“It certainly seems as the price of fuel increases the incidence of reported drive-offs increases,” he said.“I don't think it's the families doing this, I think it's the notorious offenders."“People who target certain sites, certain areas, who are up to all the tricks like dodgy number plates, stolen cars.”But he said operators were still reluctant to switch all their pumps to a pre-pay system.“It's still in use, but it's a bit off-putting for some motorists,” he said.“Motorists don't like it, so they don't particularly want to introduce it on a regular basis."“But it's a question of how much can they afford to lose - they might get to the point where it's better off losing a few customers and not having drive-offs.”In Victoria, record pump prices are being blamed for the rise of mum and dad petrol thieves, with fuel theft costing operators up to $300,000 a week.“When it first hit the $1.40-a-litre mark, we saw mums driving off with the kids in the car without paying,” Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce spokesman Terry Conroy said.He said some offenders were making a choice between paying for groceries or paying for petrol.What should be done to to stop you having to decide between groceries and petrol? Can you afford petrol these days?