Articles by Vani Naidoo

The new RAV4 is bold and brash, packed to the hilt with inclusions and still a fine example of why SUVs continue to remain in the ascendancy.

Australia has been waiting a whole decade for a new HiLux, but does the all-new model live up to the legend?

A letter in the mail from your State transport authority never bodes well for the hip pocket. If it's not a renewal notice for your car registration, then you can bet it’s a traffic infringement notice that will not only see you parting with hard-earned cash but licence points as well.If you missed the flash of the camera, this is also the first time you will know you have been caught by a red-light camera, the accompanying photographic evidence usually leaving little doubt.While red-light cameras are installed at key intersections across the country to decrease the incidence of accidents and resultant injury or loss of lives, they are in fact big business, generating millions of dollars in revenue.In fact, in 2018, just one Sydney camera (cnr Elizabeth and Park Streets) generated more than $14.7 million alone.How do red light cameras work?Red light or safety cameras as they are also known, are connected to the traffic light and linked to sensors under the first white stop line.The camera is triggered when the vehicle crosses the white line on a red light. The camera takes two pictures, usually of the rear of the vehicle, at the moment it crosses the white line and then half a second later to show that it had indeed proceeded into the intersection while the light was red.The camera only takes the first picture if you cross the stop line more than 0.3 seconds after the light has turned red so cars that entered the intersection on a yellow light will not trigger the camera.In addition to the date, time and location of the offence, the camera also records the direction in which you were travelling, the speed limit and your actual speed.Some red-light cameras are also speed cameras so if you speed up to make a light, you can find yourself receiving two infringements instead of one.Remember the speeding part of the camera will be activated whatever colour the light.How are red light camera locations chosen?The premise of red light cameras is that they will help drivers make better choices. Ignoring a red light can result in a right-angle road crash which can be more dangerous to vehicle occupants in an event of an accident as the sided of vehicles tend to have less protection to absorb the impact than the front and rear of a car.The vehicle that is hit can also more readily spin out of control resulting in further impacts and injuries.Locations are carefully chosen and red light cameras are installed at:intersections with the greatest frequency of crashesthose intersections identified as a high crash riskpotential sections of road where road workers, pedestrians and other road users may be most at risk.So, you have received a red-light infringement. What are your options?Red light cameras are serviced regularly but are not infallible. In Geelong, for example, a camera at the Evans and Moorabool intersection booked some motorists incorrectly for more than two years, resulting in additional fines of more than $2 million.So, how can you get out of a red light camera fine? As with most traffic infringements in Australia, you can appeal a red-light camera ticket by writing a red light fine letter to the relevant transport authority.If you believe you were incorrectly fined or crossed on red for extenuating circumstances, you can apply for an internal review within 28 days of receiving the notice.If the application is successful, the agency can cancel the ticket. If the application is unsuccessful you can either pay the fine or have it resolved by a magistrate in court although courts rarely show much leniency. The court process can be expensive and complex so be prepared for that, too.What if you were not driving?If the photographs show your registration number but you were not behind the wheel, the fine and demerit points can be passed on to the actual driver.At the back of the Penalty Notice is a Statutory Declaration that you can fill out providing the details of the driver at the time of the offence. Businesses can do this on company cars too to avoid the higher fines.Do all States and Territories see red?The application and installation of red light cameras are fairly consistent across the country but States and Territories do differ on penalties for going through a red light.Locations of red light cameras can change with new ones added and some locations disused as situations change.Red light camera fines New South Wales (NSW)Locations of red light cameras in NSW.Red light camera fines Victoria (VIC)Locations of red light cameras in VIC.Red light camera fines Queensland (QLD)Locations of red light cameras in QLD.Red light camera fines Soth Australia (SA)Locations of red light cameras in SA.Red light camera fines Australian Capital Territory (ACT)Locations of red light cameras in ACT.Red light camera fines Western Australia (WA)Locations of red light cameras in WA.Red light camera fines Northern Territory (NT)Locations of red light cameras in NT.Red light camera fines Tasmania (TAS)Locations of red light cameras in TAS.

Give our family a dual-cab ute and we think camping. Who wouldn’t? What greater test for one of these steadfast machines than a family camping trip? Add three days of torrential rain and well, it’s just fun all round. That’s what we tell the kids, anyway.We took the Nissan Navara ST-X to the northern reaches of the Queensland Sunshine Coast during the school holidays. It watched patiently as we got the tent up in the morning sunshine and then laughed heartily as we sheltered inside the cabin when the rain was at its worst at 2:00am.

I used to love the sensation of going fast. Rollercoasters and race tracks, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road on the back of a motorcycle. It was all such as fabulous thrill – until I had kids that is.One minute, you are hurtling down the straight on the Portimao Circuit, and the next your tummy can barely handle 80km/h around a corner on the way home from Woolies.Becoming a parent changes more than just your physical ability to handle racing speeds, as it did in my case, it also changes your perspective on driving.Whether it is a conscious decision or not, having precious cargo in the back seat is a reason to exercise a bit more caution, to be more patient and even more generous of spirit on the roads.Unfortunately, it doesn't change the behaviour of that reckless P-plater weaving in and out of traffic at speed, making crazy decisions that put other motorists at risk.Defensive driving techniques, whether you are new to driving or a seasoned hand, are always a good idea which is why we jumped at an invitation from Audi to attend their Women's Driving Experience Day at the Mt Cotton racetrack.While the opportunity to drive their top performance models around a track all day was the perfect lure, the promise of enhancing individual driving skills and exploring the capability of active and passive safety systems rounded off the package nicely.Audi's driving experience days are open to present and future customers, actually, anyone really, who wants to be a better driver and have fun learning to do it.Led by successful racer and motoring commentator Steve Pizzati, the team consists of the cream of Australian motorsport including Luke Youlden, Nathan Pretty, Daniel Garnett, Melinda Price and Chris Pither. The women-only drive days, now in their second year, have been a phenomenal success."Some women tend to learn better and have a better overall experience on female-only days," says Pizzati, "mostly because they feel it less overwhelming. We are able to arm them with skills to allow them to feel safer on the roads and hopefully they have fun along the way."And they are taught by race drivers who in addition to being highly skilled are all passionate about driver safety, driver education, about improving people's skills on the road."They also get to do it at race tracks like this so they can learn skills at a faster speed. If you can do something at 150km/h, you will feel confident doing it at 110km/h, but of course they can do it at 60km/h if that's what they prefer."The skills on the half-day experience (a full-day version is available as well) included learning how to work with the car's advanced driver assistance systems, how to change lanes quickly to avoid an accident, how to effectively execute emergency stops in different weather and road conditions, make better use of the road and how to recover from inattention. Fast laps around the circuit were also the order of the day.Rapid improvements in technology in the past decade, and the last five years in particular, have resulted in exponential advancements in your vehicle's ability to not only enhance the driving experience but to also help keep you safer on the road than ever before.As a parent, features like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), reverse camera and sensors and blind-spot assist offer a comforting security blanket. But how many of us have learnt to use the technology and adjusted our driving styles accordingly to really take advantage of improvements?Take the Adaptive Cruise Control, for example, which uses special laser sensors to measure the distance to the vehicle ahead and then automatically control the set speed and maintain a constant distance to the vehicle ahead.Okay, so just between you and me, I am not generally a fan of cruise control. It requires giving up a little bit of control which I am not very good with and while I do use the feature during car tests I rarely do so willingly.Having to use Adaptive Cruise Control on an Audi RS5 Coupe, locked on to the race car driver in front, around tight corners didn't exactly spark joy but when in Mt Cotton…Once I damped down my demons, it was easier to appreciate the complexity of the system at work as well as the improvements made in the technology, too. Now, the radar spans a wider arc which means it can better account for cars that slip in front of you unexpectedly and detect open spaces in adjacent lanes if the car in front is turning."We will look back at this 10-year period as the transition from fully manual driving to the fully autonomous driving that is ahead, said Pizzati."This training is important because the tech is out there and if you don't understand what its capabilities are and more importantly what its limitations are, then you will lean on it at the wrong time and that won't turn out well. The few incidents with drivers in Teslas are proof of that."These systems are great but they are not completely doing everything for you so you need to learn how to work together with the car to get the best out of it so we can be safer and keep our families safe. That is what these days are about."Probably the most valuable lesson of the day for me, and I would hazard a guess for most parents, is how to take evasive action to prevent an accident or limit the damage.This is particularly relevant in situations where you become distracted, like when you are in traffic and the kids in the back need something for example, or when you are sneakily checking your phone (I hope you are not doing this), and you look up and car in front of you has stopped but you a still motoring along.The idea is to learn how to stop quickly and move into an open space on either side in the same motion."If there was one tip I would give any driver about defensive driving is, ‘Look Up'," said Pizzati. "I know that sounds unbelievably simple but at the heart of most problems is the fact that people are looking at the tail lights or bumper of the car in front. So, they use it as a cue to move or stop like rote learning, so if something goes wrong, your brain looks to the car in front of you for the cue to react."Looking up, over the roof of cars gives you the bigger picture, you see the problem earlier, so if something does go wrong you have more time to react and you would have spotted escape paths. Stop looking down, you should never know the number plate of the car in front of you."While many of us that are just trying to get our little people from day care or school to their activities and back home again, there are hundreds of thousands of Australian parents currently getting to grips with teaching their kids to drive.Why we subscribe to a system of letting parents, who may be poor drivers themselves, handing out bad driving advice to the next generation when driving is a skill that should be imparted by trained professionals, is probably a gripe for another time. But at the very least, says Pizzati, enroll your teen in a defensive driving course as soon as possible."Days like these are valuable for everybody but particularly for young drivers as you don't have 20 years of bad habits to break," he said."Apart from the fact that the tuition you get when learning to drive is inadequate, rudimentary at best, there is no retesting or retraining when you renew you licence every 10 years.Technology changes, road laws change and even thinking about driving changes, better ways to do things, that means whatever you did as a 17-year-old getting a licence will serve you for the next 70 years behind the wheel, which is not a good thing for anyone."Remember teenagers are used to being students, they take instruction and absorb the things we teach them without overthinking it. Whether they do a day with us or with other professionals doesn't matter, it is just vital that parents arm them with these skills."Audi is not the only manufacturer offering drive experience days, but they sure make it fun and the women's only day definitely had a more relaxed, supportive vibe.The team covers all the essentials from the correct driver seating set-up to slide control and oversteer practice, cornering practice and emergency braking with obstacle avoidance.And of course there is the opportunity of unrestricted track lapping – which is a super thrill even with your tummy in your mouth!See Audi Womens Driving Experience for more information.

I remember a Lexus RX commercial that used to run on television when I lived in Washington. The RX is perched on the glass bed of this industrial-sized photocopier and as the light line passes under it indicating copies being made out comes a Mercedes, Audi and BMW, I think.

Why driving without a licence is a terrible idea

Motor vehicles, irrespective of whether they are bought new or second-hand, need to be serviced to maintain their reliability, safety and efficiency. Service intervals and the work required on your car depend on how you use your vehicle, the distance covered since the previous service and, if new, the manufacturer’s recommended intervals to satisfy the warranty conditions.

Child-seat laws seem like one of those inarguable givens, like regulations forbidding you to murder your mother-in-law or to keep a killer whale as a pet.

My cousin taught me to drive when I was 12. In a gnarly beast of a 4WD that had survived the odd tussle with a cow or three. At two years older, he was an accomplished hand, and shared his knowledge in liberal fashion as we trundled around my grandparents’ farm.With feet that could just about reach the clutch pedal, my progress for the first few kilometres was lurching at best, but once I got the hang of it and how the steering mounted gear lever worked, it was happy days.My father, to his credit, hardly blinked when I talked up my new skills. He promptly took me out to teach me how to brake suddenly, what to do when you skid, and how to reverse like the wind out of the path of a charging animal. Even in Africa there are rules.I will never forget the exhilaration that comes with that first taste of driving. That sense of freedom and that little touch of the devil. It is the latter that makes me most anxious when I think about teaching my girls to drive. Thankfully for me that day is still in the distant future, for you though it may have arrived before you were ready.For many parents who have started, or are just about to start teaching their teen to drive, the challenge is one filled with mixed emotions. Not only do you have to become comfortable with the idea that your child is actually old enough to learn to drive, there is also the fear for their safety, for that of other road users and perhaps even your new car.Here are some things to consider to help make the experience more enjoyable.Just because your teen has reached the legal age to get their learner’s permit and expressed a desire to do so, it doesn’t mean they are ready. The minimum driving age in Australia ranges from 15 years and 9 months to 18 years, but two years can make a lot of difference when it comes to maturity.Assess how your charge reacts in pressure situations, whether he or she can think quickly on their feet and whether they are emotionally ready to be in charge of a 1500kg metal box at speed. So you’ve talked to your teen about the process of learning to drive and the responsibilities involved and they are champing at the bit to get started? Before you get down to the actual learning, take a minute to refresh your knowledge on the road rules. Check that your car insurance is current and covers your teenager while he or she is learning.You may have been driving for 25 years, but things can change and the last thing we need on the roads are young drivers who don’t know the rules.It is also a good idea to check that your car insurance is current and covers your teenager while he or she is learning.Actually not so fast. It may be hard to believe, but before their first lesson many teenagers have not even sat in the driver’s seat of a car and would be hard pressed to point out the brake from the accelerator.Before the first lesson, help your charge familiarise themselves with the car. Point out the lights, wipers and indicators, how the gear selector works even how to start the car correctly. Talk about adjusting the seat and mirrors, checking blind spots and basic car maintenance, including checking the tyres and water and filling fuel. Driving and motoring safety experts suggest that going-to-be drivers have at least three lessons with a driving instructor before they go on the road with a supervising adult. Lessons with a professional will give them the basics and offer you some comfort when you are in the passenger seat. Of course some parents don’t have time to do the required 120 hours of supervised driving so professionals can help here too. It is also a good idea to book a few lessons, at least one, before your child has their driving testIt would be crazy to guide a learner driver out onto the freeway during their first lesson. Start with an empty carpark or big open space where your student can learn how the car works. Practise turning the car around, reversing, braking and parking. If they are learning on a manual car, get them to open the window so they can easily hear the change in revs. When your teen gets used to the feel of the car, progress to quiet suburban streets or perhaps an industrial estate on a Sunday before eventually venturing out to locations with more traffic. As your learner driver becomes more confident be sure to expose them to a range of different driving conditions including peak hour, motorway merging and overtaking, school zones, wet weather and driving at night.It is hard to give up control of your car to someone who has so little knowledge of driving. Screaming at your kid, clutching the door handles like your life depends on it, or forcefully pressing an imaginary brake will not give that young person any confidence, and will probably scare them senseless.So, offer clear instructions. Instead of saying, 'Turn, turn!' or 'You're going too fast, we are going to die!', try statements like, 'Please turn left just after the traffic lights', and 'Drop your speed by 20km/h'.Praise good performance and judgement.Give them plenty of time to respond and try to speak in a calm clear voice. Also try to include the 'why' so, 'Please start to slow down as we are approaching a red light'.Remember that your teen will be so busy just concentrating on the dynamics of moving the car that they won’t be looking out for dangers. It is up to you to remain vigilant and bring them to their attention. Praise good performance and judgement.The time your teen spends with you in the car impacts on the sort of driver they will be. You want to make every lesson count. Plan the route ahead before you get in the car and discuss it with your teen. Also recap the skills they have learnt to date and talk about what you will practice in that lesson.As they become more accomplished, mix up the routes, change it up so they have a better representation of real-life issues. It seems laborious but it will be totally worth it.Teenagers are often eager to just go ahead and live an experience rather than talking about it, which means  your safety talks may fall on deaf ears. Remind them that they are sharing the road with other drivers that may not be paying attention. Therefore it is important that they indicate or start braking ahead of time to remind these drivers that they are there.As a parent, one of the main things you want to gain from these lessons is to ensure that your child is safe on the roads and not endangering the lives of others. Of course it is unrealistic to think that some of your teen’s driving habits won’t change when they have friends in the back seat and you are ensconced on the couch, so it’s important to practice safe driving habits when they are learning. Switching mobiles phones off and keeping them out of sight, no drinking, always buckling up, keeping to the speed limit and checking blind spots is a good place to start.You may think you are quite a good driver and you may very well be, but years of driving often sees us falling into bad habits. Like not keeping two hands on the wheel or being impatient or running through a traffic light when it is starting to blush. Your learner driver is taking note and you don’t want those habits to become their norm.Learning to drive is such a liberating skill to have and that feeling when you have your licence in your hand is difficult to replicate. But driving is also a skill that needs learning and next to a good education, a kind heart and generosity of spirit, is one of the best gifts you can give your child. Take a minute, too, to enjoy it. After all, how else can you get a teenager to engage with you for more than two minutes at a time?