Safety

What is drink driving? Simply put, it’s when you’re driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

The City of Sydney council has been slowly reducing speed limits of high foot-traffic roads to 40km/h to enhance local safety.The 10km/h lower limit will now become the standard on regional and local roads within inner-city suburbs of Glebe, Forest Lodge, Beaconsfield and Waterloo.Illuminated electronic signs will be put in place in affected areas for a minimum of two weeks after the new limits become law.Suburbs further out with existing 50km/h limits including Annandale, Alexandria, Redfern Woolloomooloo and Zetland will also have some speed limits lowered to 40km/h.The City of Sydney's eventual goal is to implement more 30km/h zones in high pedestrian and cyclist areas.“It is everyone’s responsibility to make our roads as safe as they possibly can be for people walking, riding and driving,” said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.“Currently, 75 per cent of local and regional roads in our area already have a 40km/h speed limit or lower. That’s up from just five per cent in 2004. This has been achieved through our work with the NSW Government, which is funding the latest round of speed limit changes," she added.Myriad studies have shown a 10km/h reduction can benefit both pedestrian and vehicle safety in built-up areas.This latest reduction will only apply to local and regional roads. Motorways and State roads are spared.It is not all speed reduction in New South Wales, with the M4 motorway's WestConnex tunnel having its limit raised from 80km/h to 90km/h in March. Perhaps surprisingly, that speed limit increase was also for safety reasons.The number of deaths on NSW roads continues to climb despite newer, safer cars and generally lower speed limits. So far, 181 lives has been lost on roads in NSW compared to 165 in the same period last year. 

I bought a 2024 Subaru Forester 2.5 brand-new but now the brakes feel mushy and spongy. When I press hard on the brake pedal, it pulls the vehicle up very slowly. I took it back to the dealership and they tested the brakes and said there's no problem. So I'm taking it to an independent mechanic next week for a brake test.

Car accident statistics Australia historically focused on the casualty rate, so it’s difficult to determine how many car accidents in Australia per year there are, but the total will be far greater than anything generally quoted.

How much safety is enough?

Hyundai has called on the Australian Government to open its fleets to cars rated four-stars by ANCAP, believing it will help drive the market for more affordable, second hand electric cars in the future.

The Corolla ZR 2019 Hybrid doesn’t come with a spare tyre. Can other model Corollas’ space-saver tyres fit the 2019 ZR hybrid vehicle?

Does the 2019 Mitsubishi Triton GLX 4x4 dual-cab utility have side airbags in the front seats?

There appears to be a loophole in ANCAP’s testing policy so big you can drive a truck through it.

Turning on your headlights makes your vehicle more easily seen by other drivers and for you, the driver, it makes the task of being able to see the road or track more clearly ahead of you in those same conditions easier.