Driving guides

Porsche has created a new road trip phone app that will warm the hearts of lead-foots everywhere, allowing owners to navigate to their destination via the area's finest driving roads.

It's the worst feeling: you're in a hurry, you hop in the car, you turn the key or press the start button… and nothing happens.

No, it's not illegal to drive and smoke, but it is illegal to smoke in a car with minors present.

Driving around with loose-fitting footwear on, like thongs (or flip-flops for our American friends), is not actually against any Australian road rules we can find.

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?

How can I upgrade to a manual licence from an auto one?

 

NSW Police will be able to hand out on-the-spot fines and automatic licence disqualification for low-range DUI offences under new legislation currently being considered.

Yes, Australian Vehicle Standards demand that you drive with a passenger side mirror at all times. Having your passenger side mirror swiped or in some way damaged would have to be one of the most common risks of parking your car on the street. How many of us have made our way back to our car at some point, only to

They’re the box of sparks which make your car work, but car batteries are filled with mystery for many people. Actually, they're a fairly basic piece of technology that you’ll probably have to work with at some point.In car nerd-speak they are a rechargeable 12-volt lead-acid battery made of six cells and are only designed to send a high-output charge to the starter motor to start the car’s engine, after which the alternator recharges the electrical system.A car battery also provides overflow power when the draw from running multiple electrical features at once, like radio, lights, wipers, and heater in poor weather at night, is high.Batteries were first fitted in the 1920s in six volt format, before stepping up to today’s 12-volt format in the 1950s with the rise in complexity and performance of the then-current vehicles.Just like smartphones and high-end electronics, the lithium car battery has now become a far more common fitment in late-model cars thanks to their improved life-cycle, power, compact size, light weight, better environmental efficiency, and cheaper production costs.Historically, batteries needed electrolyte refills but these days they don’t need to be topped up. Some cars also come with a thermal blanket around their battery to minimise maintenance, and promote longevity.Batteries are affected most by long periods of inactivity and also extreme cold conditions. This is why most manufacturers make a lot of noise about the Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) of each battery, as a quick reference to work out how much cranking power the battery has, which tells you how well it will start your car depending if it has a large or small engine.Batteries can be upgraded to take into account aftermarket accessories fitted to cars which draw more current, like spotlights, winches, or even large aftermarket stereos. Serious off-road 4x4s will often run a second battery to handle these accessories. While marine and truck batteries used to be the upgrade to handle heavy duty applications, those batteries are huge, expensive and very, very heavy. Today, high-tech aftermarket batteries are very compact, lightweight 'dry-cell' units from companies like Braille, or Odyssey. These units, which can even be mounted lying down, are also extremely expensive at four or five-times the price of a stock lead-acid battery. You can also get 'deep-cycle' batteries from companies like Optima, which are designed to handle long periods of inactivity or long periods of cranking. Again, cost is a significant drawback to these batteries.Car battery prices generally range from $75 up to $1500. Cost and cranking amps are only two factors to take into account when working out the best car battery for you – there is no specific best car battery to simply go and buy. Most auto parts stores will have a guide to suggest what specific battery your car needs, and then it is simply a job of swapping those batteries over.Some batteries will have their positive and negative terminals in different positions, and the terminals can range in size from small to large. This is why, for the average vehicle, it is best to go to auto parts store, who will have a specific battery listing for your vehicle.At some point we will all have to deal with a flat battery, when the car won’t even crank or have any lights on the dash. There are several options to getting your car restarted, depending on how the battery has lost its charge. The way most Aussies will be familiar with involves 'jumper leads', which you attach to another car’s battery terminals as well as your own flat battery. You do this by matching positive and negative terminals.It is important to read your car’s manual as some modern cars need to have the ground strap on the flat car attached to a special fitting in the engine bay. Some cars have special points under the engine bay to attach the jumper leads to, so read the manual to double-check how you should connect the jumper leads.With the other car running at above idle speed while connected you should be able to start the car with the flat battery. It is important to then drive the car for at least 30 minutes to allow the battery to recharge.If you have a car that spends a lot of time at home in the garage not driving you can buy what is called a trickle charger. Costing under $300 these units plug into a wall outlet and will gradually recharge or maintain the charge in your car’s battery. Again, you should read the manual to find out if you attach to the battery or an auxiliary point.Installation of a new battery is simple, taking under an hour, and requires only basic hand tools. Car battery replacement can even be done in the carpark of an auto parts store!1.    Check the manual for the location of your car’s battery. Most are in the engine bay but some are behind seats or in the luggage compartment.2.    Remove the battery blanket if the vehicle has one.3.    Most cars will need a spanner or socket to loosen the battery terminals. 4.    Once the terminals are able to be lifted off, tuck them aside.5.    You can then undo the battery clamp, or tie-down, and lift the battery out.6.    The new battery and tie-down can then be fitted, and terminals reconnected.

The answer is both yes and no, depending on what state or territory you're in. When we look at the legality of alcohol in cars we all too often concentrate our attention on the driver. However, in some states of Australia it is illegal for passengers to consume alcohol in a car - even when the car is parked by the