Safety

Australia’s most treacherous car crash site has been identified through analysis of close to 400,000 insurance claims lodged across the country in 2025.The 2026 AAMI Crash Index highlights Springvale Road in Glen Waverley, Victoria as “Australia’s No.1 crash hotspot” at the same time calling out mornings and Fridays as “peak prang periods nationally”.Victoria, more specifically Melbourne, accounted for nine of the national top 10 sites listed, with Pennant Hills Road, Carlingford in Sydney’s north-west the only outlier.The index analysed more than 394,000 motor insurance claims lodged across Australia between January 1 and December 31, 2025. And the data has highlighted clear similarities across these high frequency crash locations: busy arterial roads, traffic lights, major intersections, shopping precincts, car parks and heavy stop-start traffic.In announcing the results AAMI said, “These are roads where congestion, merging traffic, turning vehicles and momentary lapses in concentration create the perfect conditions for everyday driving mistakes.”And tellingly, Springvale Road, Glen Waverley has knocked off Plenty Road, Bundoora in Melbourne’s north-east as Australia’s No.1 crash hotspot for the first time in eight years.Unsurprisingly, nose-to-tail impacts remain the most common type of collision, followed by failure to give way and collisions with stationary objects.While Melbourne dominated the national Top 10, the rest of the country didn't receive a free pass, with the following locations having the dubious honour of topping their home state or territory.Melbourne: Accounts for nine of the national Top 10.Sydney: Pennant Hills Road in Carlingford ranked ninth nationally.Brisbane: Mains Road, Sunnybank.Perth: Albany Highway, Cannington.Adelaide: North East Road, Modbury.Hobart: Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay.Canberra: Hindmarsh Drive, Phillip. Darwin: Trower Road, Casuarina. AAMI cites bad habits like following too closely, braking late, misjudging turns and failing to anticipate changing traffic conditions as common precursors to a sheet metal interface.Announcing the index results AAMI Motor Prevention Manager Mary Kennedy said, “The hotspots topping our list all share similar traits — heavy traffic, multiple lanes, traffic lights, major intersections, shopping precincts and constant turning movements, where even a momentary lapse in concentration can lead to a crash.“Mornings and Fridays are peak prang periods nationally, when school pick-ups, commuters, shoppers and heavy traffic all converge. It is a timely reminder to slow down mentally as much as physically, stay patient and avoid distractions.“Whether you are driving through Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra or Darwin, the message is the same: leave a safe gap, look further ahead, take extra care at intersections and avoid rushing through busy traffic,” she said.

Renault is officially discontinuing its current Koleos mid-size SUV in Australia after 10 years of being on sale and there may not be an available direct replacement for a period.“The current-generation Renault Koleos is in run-out after a stellar run as one of Renault Australia's most popular models, with more than 21,000 examples sold,” said a Renault Australia spokesperson.“Now available from $36,990 drive-away with a $2000 cashback offer, all remaining inventory – complied to meet current motor vehicle regulations – is expected to be sold out by the end of this year.”The reason why the Koleos is being discontinued is due to it not meeting an Australian Design Rule (ADR) pertaining to autonomous emergency braking (AEB) performance, called ADR 98/00. It came into effect for all new vehicles produced from March 1, 2025.While the current Koleos does have AEB, it does not meet the specific requirements outlined by ADR 98/00.This means that Renault was able to stockpile at least 18 months worth of the Koleos stock before the ADR came into effect. Production of this South Korean-made model also ended in 2025.The Koleos is far from the only vehicle to be affected by the implementation of ADR 98/00. Other examples include the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Eclipse Cross, as well as the Suzuki Ignis and Mazda 6.With the axing of the current Koleos, this leaves Renault without a mid-side SUV that isn’t purely electric-powered in Australia for the time being.However, the French carmaker has many alternatives available in its global portfolio, though none have been locked in for an Australian launch yet.Examples include the South Korean-produced Grand Koleos and Filante, the Spanish-produced Austral, Espace and Rafael, as well as the Turkish-made Boreal.“As we have said before, Renault Australia is in the middle of a model revitalisation,” said Renault Australia Managing Director Glen Sealey earlier this month.“And while we won’t talk numbers or volume, we are well progressed with our long-term plan.“Renault has a vast catalogue of vehicles and we continually assess what is available to us and which ones best suit the needs – and price ranges – of Australian customers.“We’re not going to reveal all our future model plans today, but we can tell you there are another six new or refreshed models now due over the next two years.“And we have plenty to get through before then.”It’s understood that three of these six new Renault models are the Symbioz small SUV, Master E-Tech electric commercial van and the updated Megane E-Tech electric small SUV.At this stage the other three forthcoming Renault vehicles remain unclear and unconfirmed.

Nissan has issued an urgent recall notice affecting its most popular model.A total of 13,795 Nissan X-Trail e-Power mid-size SUVs could have a potentially dangerous software issue, according to the official notice from the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.The affected X-Trails covered model years from 2022 to 2026, and used the Japanese brand’s e-Power hybrid technology.A software issue with the lithium-ion battery controller could cause the vehicle to enter a fail safe mode, which means the vehicles could lose power while driving and wouldn’t be able to charge the battery.Unlike other hybrids, Nissan’s e-Power technology only uses the petrol engine to charge the battery and the electric motors drive the wheels, rather than a combination of both. This means if the battery can not charge, the vehicle can not be driven.The recall notice said if this occurs it could “increase the risk of an accident, causing injury or death to the vehicle occupants and other road users”.Nissan will be contacting affected owners and urging them to attend their local dealership to have the software reprogrammed at no cost.Nissan also recalled 237 Qashqai e-Power compact SUVs for the same issue.The affected models cover the 2025 to 2026 model years and again will be reprogrammed free of charge.

Toyota has issued an urgent recall for its Tundra ute in Australia.It concerns a specific issue with 1199 local examples of the full-size pick-up manufactured between 1 May 2023 and 19 December 2024.These vehicles are equipped with a potentially faulty towing converter relay responsible for controlling vehicle and trailer rear lamps.Toyota said a wire within this relay may not be sufficiently insulated, which exposes the terminal pin, leading to the cabin back panel, which is a vital electrical component, shorting in some instances. This causes the brake lights to become inoperative and for the brake override warning message to be displayed."Inoperative stop lights may cause other drivers to be unaware when an involved vehicle is braking, increasing the risk of a collision which may result in injury or death," the brand's notice read.The car will also not turn on again once it has been turned off as part of the smart start system that prevents the car from being driven if the brake lights are not functioning. There is an emergency start procedure that can be used. Toyota said this issue does not affect other models within its lineup. A spokesperson for Toyota Australia said there have been three reported incidents of the issue occurring.The brand will contact affected owners to book a dealer appointment and rectify the issue for free.The procedure of reworking the terminal pin and re-insulating the wire to the main wire harness will take roughly an hour, according to Toyota. The hybrid Tundra competes with other full-size pick-ups like the Ford F-150 and the Ram 1500 for sales in Australia. It has experienced a solid sales increase in 2026, but remains a comparatively low-volume model for Toyota. 

More than 30,000 Jaguar Land Rover SUVs have been subject to urgent recalls in Australia, according to notices from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts. The largest of these recalls concerns 23,313 Land Rover Defender, Discovery and Range Rover SUVs for the model years 2019 to 2026.“Due to a manufacturing defect, the connection to the driver’s airbag clock spring may corrode over time and lead to an increased resistance in the airbag circuit,” the notice stated.“As a result, the airbag may fail to deploy in the event of an accident.“In the event of an accident, the airbag not deploying as intended could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants.”The second issue relates to the Jaguar F-Pace SUV, Land Rover Defender and Discovery, as well as Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Velar models.It impacts 7152 units from the 2024 to 2026 model years.“Due to a manufacturing defect, the front-end auxiliary drive belt idler pulley may over rotate and cause damage to the oil pressure and temperature sensor,” the notice stated."This may lead to an oil leak and engine stalling resulting in a loss of motive power whilst driving.“An engine stall or sudden loss of motive power could increase the risk of serious injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.”The brand will contact the affected owners of all affected vehicles asking them to contact a dealer and have the work to fix the issue carried out, free of charge. A spokesperson Jaguar Land Rover said these are recalls are a part of a global recall and there have not been any reported incidents of the issue occurring in Australia. 

A huge change to speed limits in New South Wales has just come into force. Roadwork speed limits in NSW will no longer apply during non-work hours on-site, when it is safe to do so.Speed limits signs must be removed when there are no workers on site and it is out of work hours.Speed limits will return to the normal signed range, as long as it is safe for drivers and pedestrians.“Protecting construction workers and motorists around worksites is critical. We are not changing or weakening any rules around safety,” Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said. “But as everyone has experienced, leaving speed restrictions in place outside of construction hours often slows down traffic movement. "This change will help traffic keep moving, reduce frustration for motorists and make journeys across the state more efficient."Previously, drivers were required to slow down to the signed roadwork limit regardless of whether there were any workers present.Roadwork limits meant speeds were dropped to 80km/h, 60km/h and 40km/h, including on major highways. Speed limits can incrementally decrease from 110km/h to 40km/h as drivers get closer to the location of the roadworks. This created unnecessary delays, where road roadwork speed limit signs were left out even after workers had left the site.This will now be illegal under the NSW Government's new legislation. Roadwork speeds are monitored by mobile speed cameras, as well as fixed mobile phone detection cameras. Fines, including double demerits, are applicable. The Chris Minns' government first promised to address roadwork speed limits ahead of the 2023 election.This move marks its fulfilment ahead of the March 2027 election. 

The latest all-new third-generation Audi Q7 large SUV underwent a dramatic redesign ahead of its official launch earlier this month.Speaking to Carsguide, a source working closely with the German car-maker confirmed that the Q7 was originally set to adopt wing grip door releases in place of conventional door handles, but that decision was reversed at the very last minute over safety concerns.In what's thought to be an unprecedented move on a car that was believed to have already been homologated for production, the flush, power-operated wing grip or shark-fin style exterior door releases were dropped following new regulations being rolled out next year in China, with senior Audi execs expecting a similar response from European legislators.Attracting designers and engineers to embrace hidden, pop-out or wing grip power-operated door releases was the intense pressure to create the most aerodynamic shape possible, in a bid to maximise an EV's range, or boost efficiency.According to reports, by deleting traditional door pulls, on average a vehicle's drag coefficient falls by up to 0.01Cd, which can equate to more than 3km of range under the European WLTP test cycle.The smoother, cleaner, unbroken lines are also seen as another benefit by designers, but now Audi has abandoned them with wider implications for the Volkswagen Group as a whole.Triggering the rethink has been multiple high-profile accidents that saw either occupants trapped within a car with failing door releases, or first responders struggling to gain access to a cabin in the event of an accident or fire.From January 1, 2027, new Chinese regulations dictate that power-operated door handles will now have to include a physical release for the first time, plus a range of other measures designed to boost safety.Since the new regs require an easily grabbable mechanical door release both inside and out, early indications hinting many Chinese brands are abandoning power-operated releases altogether, rather than adapting or evolving current designs, signalling a return to proper door handles.With a growing debate on the safety of electronic door releases already underway in regions like Europe, it's been hotly tipped that EU regulators and crash safety body EuroNCAP are also racing to implement new measures, or roll out new legislation.If that's not enough to put the likes of Audi off, last year the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it too was investigating Tesla's pop-out door releases over safety concerns.A change in the rules could be costly for car-makers like Volvo who have recently gone ahead and introduced vehicles with the tech.To help circumvent the new rules, the Swedish brand introduced a mechanical override that incorporated a physical release.Should a crash or power failure occur, there's an internal power source that ensures the door release still operates.As well as safety, some owners have also reported reliability issues with power-operated door handles prone to fail in icy conditions when the mechanism can freeze over.The Audi insider did not state how much money it would cost to re-engineer the Q7 doors at such a late stage of development, but it's thought adding back conventional door handles will have cost the car-maker many millions of dollars, but will still be only a fraction of the cost of having to reintroduce them later on during the large SUV's model life.It's thought that instead of reverting to a set of conventional door handles, the new door levers still operate via a power-operated catches, as the large BMW X5-rival adopts some Rolls-Royce-style automatic doors that swing open via a touch of a button on the key fob.

A popular family SUV has just been subject to an urgent recall in Australia for a potential brake issue. There have been 5556 Chery Tiggo 8 units from the 2023 to 2026 model years recalled, according to a notice from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. "Due to a manufacturing defect, the brake pipe may chafe against the engine and become damaged. This could lead to a brake fluid leak resulting in reduced braking performance,” the notice read. “A reduction in braking performance could increase the risk of an accident, causing injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.”A spokesperson for Chery Australia said the brand was not aware of any reported incidents of the issue occurring in AustraliaThe brand will contact owners of recall-affected vehicles to schedule an appointment with a dealer to have the vehicle inspected and repair work carried out for free. The Tiggo 8 competes in the busy large SUV segment, priced from $41,990 (drive-away).It is available with petrol and plug-in hybrid set-ups.

Safety has become the latest secret battleground for luxury car makers - you can't see it, but it is very important.As modern cars are required to include more and more active safety technology, both through regulations and pressure from customers, the difference in safety between a mainstream and luxury vehicle has shrunk.Which is why integration of these active safety systems is the new area of focus for premium brands such as Audi, allowing it to separate itself from both direct luxury rivals and mainstream offerings.It’s part of the reason why Audi has undertaken over 10,000km of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) testing in Australia, to ensure it works smoothly and without unnecessary distraction to the driver - something many of these systems are guilty of, particularly in cheaper, more mainstream models.“Almost anyone can build a nice watch for $300, but to get a really good watch you have got to invest quite a lot extra - it's all about the one percenters,” explained Peter Strudwicke, product manager for the new Audi Q3. “And we have a lot of those that we apply to all the cars we develop. Eighty percent good is not good enough.”Strudwicke added that Audi is so serious about ensuring its safety systems aren’t distracting or sub-standard, that it would rather not offer them at all if they cannot be properly calibrated.“It's the depth of engineering. It's integral to the whole company, they won't sign something off if it's just good enough, it needs to meet quite a high standard,” he said. “It's one of the reasons why we didn't have traffic sign recognition. We wanted it for years. We got it quite late because the engineers weren't comfortable with how the technology was and how it read Australian traffic signs. It's still not perfect, but once it got past a certain level of accuracy, then they were happy to turn it on for us.”Matthew Dale, head of product planning for the German brand in Australia, expanded on the level of work that Audi is undertaking to ensure that safety becomes a key separating factor for the brand as the entire market gets more competitive.“We do all local tuning and testing for ADAS systems, and was certainly one of them that we did,” Dale said. “With, say the A5, we brought those cars here, a fleet of them, with the latest ADAS systems, with speed sign recognition and things like that, to refine that for the Australian market. And I think it's that software engineering that goes into the cars as well, specific to the Australian market, because the Australian market is quite a popular test bed globally.“Pete mentioned an example before where we've got some unique scenarios in Australia that the tuning of the ADAS systems has been tuned for the Australian market, but that tuning's gone global. Tuning ADAS systems for tunnels, as an example. We've done over 11,000km of testing quite recently for next generation ADAS systems. “We're importing more cars this year to do significant test bases. And I think the new Q3 benefits from the last time we did the ADAS testing two years ago to refine it for the Australian market. And you can see with the lane guidance and the lane centring and things like that, it's that next generational step that isn't as intrusive.” Dale said ensuring the safety systems not only don’t distract the driver, but also don’t detract from the driving experience is a key tenant for Audi.“When you drive a car, people like me enjoy driving the car,” he said. “For some people it's an A to B, but you've still got to have enjoyment in a comfortable environment without the car taking over the inputs of the driver and making it a very comfortable drive. And that's,  I guess, where a premium product is meant to be, is it's meant to feel like a premium space and something that's not intrusive.”

Whether it’s lazy cost-cutting or an endeavour for design minimalism, the proliferation of touchscreens replacing buttons in new cars might have passed its peak.Feedback from both customers and media, as well as new assessments from safety organisations such as Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) and by extension ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program), could see more brands retreat from the trend of placing controls for key functions in the main touchscreen of their new models. While there are certainly fans of controls within touchscreens - particularly interior designers and engineers at certain brands - calls for easier access to commonly used controls have resulted in Euro NCAP and ANCAP changing testing criteria for 2026, bringing into account the ease important controls can be accessed.Things like indicators, hazard lights, windscreen wipers, headlights and even the horn are just some of the controls that will need to be easily accessible under new testing procedures spearheaded by Euro NCAP.“New assessments of the human-machine interface (HMI) are introduced” in its 2026 criteria, the safety body said in a press release in late 2025.They focus on “evaluating the placement, clarity, and ease of use of essential controls”, Euro NCAP said, “including the availability of physical buttons for commonly used functions, which consumer feedback suggests can reduce distraction”.Australia’s own ANCAP and Euro NCAP often align their policies on such things, and so ANCAP has since confirmed it will be doing the same.“If you’ve noticed that some new cars have the most basic driver controls buried within touchscreens and sub-menus, you’re not alone,” ANCAP’s latest publication said.“It’s time to bring back buttons and stalks and remove some of the complication (and distraction!).“From 2026, we’re asking car makers to either offer physical buttons for important driver controls like the horn, indicators, hazard lights, windscreen wipers and headlights, or dedicate a fixed portion of the cabin display screen to these primary driving functions.”It’s been part of the plan for years, with ANCAP’s CEO Carla Hoorweg having said as early as March 2024 reducing distractions for drivers is a key goal for the organisation."We know driver distraction is a growing factor in road crashes, so it is important that certain in-vehicle controls are easily accessible by the driver and don't complicate the driving task or contribute to in-car distraction or inattention," she said."Physical buttons or stalks to operate these key vehicle controls will be encouraged through scoring, with manufacturers awarded points for the prioritisation of physical controls."While this means brands like Tesla and Volvo, who have been two of the earliest adopters of the ‘big screen’, will have to reconsider how much of the key controls and functions of new cars go into touchscreen menus.Fortunately, some brands have refused to follow the trend.Not long after the 2024 statement from ANCAP, Aston Martin Director of Design Miles Nurnberger told CarsGuide that physical controls are important for retaining the right ecosystem for a driver to feel able to properly use the car.“As an overall industry, there is a big digitisation ecosystem, and that's been a really interesting challenge for us because a lot of car companies have tried to profess to be a tech company,” he said.“I think years ago, it was like you needed some buttons. You put them in the car and buttons and buttons grew, and I think understanding why someone buys a car… led us down a path of looking at all the buttons.“I might be able to make something seemingly more efficient by burying everything in a screen, but it doesn't talk to the real user experience.“You look at the best experience, the best user solution. It might be physical, it's tactile. I can do that with my thumb. I don't take my eyes off the road. I'm a better driver for it.”It’s not just brands like Aston Martin who are committing to buttons.Toyota’s new models still feature a healthy serving of physical controls, as does its upmarket sibling Lexus.Hyundai (and by extension Genesis) follow the same philosophy. Sibling brand Kia is much the same.Chief Creative Officer for Hyundai and Genesis Luc Donkerwolke admitted in 2024 the brands had gone too far in minimising physical controls.“We are always paying attention that we don't end up in the ridiculous situation that you have to go to sub menus,” Donkerwolke said.He also confirmed the reason for removing buttons often comes down to cost-saving.“It's easy to reduce all costs when you only have digital keys . It's low tooling investment, you can do whatever you want, it's only software. The problem is it's not compatible with the use of a car. “We have a clear philosophy, eyes on the road, hands on the steering wheel, and if you do something else like that you are basically putting in danger the life of your customers.”