Safety

Testing has found counterfeit wheels can buckle after hitting a pothole at just 50km/h -- and car owners may not even realise they are driving on fakes.Safety experts are concerned there are “tens of thousands” of counterfeit car wheels on Australian roads that can buckle or break if they hit a small pothole at suburban speeds.But there is no way of tracking them down because most were imported from China by independent distributors, some of whom pose as private sellers on online auction websites.More than 500,000 wheels are imported from China each year, but none are tested to see if they meet Australian Design Rules, and the regulations are not enforced.A test of just some of the suspect wheels -- conducted inside Holden’s top secret proving ground last month -- found a range of alloy wheels on a variety of popular cars cracked after hitting a pot hole at just 50kmh.Not all counterfeit wheels buckle or have a chunk taken out of them.Some develop subtle cracks near the centre of the wheel that initially can’t be seen by the naked eye.An investigation by News Corp Australia found a counterfeit wheel made for the Holden Commodore had a long hairline fracture near the hub.While the face of the counterfeit wheel looked identical to the original, the crack was caused because the underside of the hub lacked the proper support.Experts say most cheap or counterfeit wheels from China are made from a blend of scrap alloy and raw material -- but alloy wheels should be made solely from raw material to guarantee their strength.The black market in counterfeit wheels has spiked in recent years because genuine parts are so expensive and most of the fakes can be bought for just $250 each, or $1000 for a set of four.A genuine replacement alloy wheel on a new Mercedes can cost up to $2500 each -- or $10,000 for four.The wheels on certain VW Golf models can cost up to $1900 each -- or $7600 for four.Budget-priced cars are also vulnerable to having their genuine wheels replaced with fakes.The alloy wheel on a top-of-the-range Toyota Yaris hatchback is $1000 each -- or $4000 for four -- but look-a-likes cost just $1000 for a set.The Toyota Yaris alloy wheel is so expensive because it is imported from Japan.A genuine replacement alloy wheel on the locally-made Toyota Camry costs about $300 because it is made at ROH Wheels in Adelaide, Australia’s oldest and only surviving wheel manufacturer.Not all Chinese-made wheels are of substandard quality. Holden and Ford now fit Chinese-made wheels to cars on their Australian production lines, but the wheels are tested to strict internal standards that exceed government requirements.However, the majority of Chinese wheel manufacturers supplying the spare parts market have no quality control standards and the Australian government does not test them.“Some of the Chinese wheel suppliers might put a ‘QC’ (quality control) sticker on it, but that doesn’t mean it’s been tested. It just means they’ve put a sticker on it,” says Ian Raymond, an expert wheel repairer.

There are scores of capsules and seats to keep your children safe.

The death of a toddler run over in the driveway of his Oakden home has prompted calls for technology such as reversing cameras to be standard features on new cars.

Breathalyser interlocks should be mandatory for P-plate drivers to help reduce car crashes, a national road safety report says.

Lancer and Evolution models are now being recalled as a precautionary measure by Mitsubishi because of Takata airbag shrapnel risk.

Modern car design and our taste for SUVs and utes are making reversing cameras and sensors an essential safety feature.

Tyres provide a vital link with the road, one that properly maintained gives us the ability to steer, brake, corner and accelerate.They also help determine the fuel economy we value so highly, but most importantly they keep us out of trouble.The best things about checking and maintaining the inflation pressure is that it is easy and it's free.Every service station has a pump you can use to both check and inflate your tyres. It's easy to use, it can be done in a minute or two, and there's no charge.The pump is usually located away from the petrol pumps so you won't delay anyone else while you do it, and it usually has signs to allow you to identify it.If you're not sure ask the service station attendant.Tyre retailers also have pumps and they're usually happy to let you check your tyre pressures, and for a smile they might even do it for you.Tyre pressures should be checked at least once a month, and the best time to do it is when the tyres are cold. That's in the morning before you motor out of your driveway.Checking the pressures cold gives you the most accurate reading of the inflation pressures; the pressures will climb as the tyres warm up and you'll then get an incorrect reading.If you can't check the pressures before you drive away head to the nearest service station and do it there.The recommended inflation pressures are displayed on a sticker attached to your car's body.It's usually in the driver's door opening, but could also be inside the fuel filler cap, or on the inside of the glove box lid.If you're not sure the pressures are also shown in the owner's manual.The inflation pressures given are the cold settings and they are usually shown in metric kPa or the equivalent imperial psi.Pressures are given for normal driving and also for when you've got a load in the boot or when travelling at high speed.The recommended pressures are a compromise designed to achieve the best combination of safety, comfort, handling and braking, and fuel economy.Deviating from those recommendations will affect one or more of those things, so carefully consider the consequences before deciding to set your inflation pressures higher or lower.Setting the pressure a little higher can result in improved fuel economy and handling, but can make your car ride less comfortably.After locating the pump at your service station, check to see what the displayed pressure setting is and reset it to the pressure recommended for your car.Remove the dust caps from the valves on your tyres and slip the hose fitting over the valve stem and release the clasp so that it attaches to the stem.The pump will automatically adjust the pressure to the level you have set and an audible signal will tell you when it has reached that pressure.Release the clasp and remove the hose from the valve stem and move on to the next tyre.Also check the spare in the boot so it's correctly inflated and ready to use if you need it.After you've checked each tyre remember to replace the dust caps, they're there to keep dust from getting under the valve and causing a leak.Service station gauges can generally be relied on, but they are subject to misuse and abuse, and they can vary from station to station.Check the hose and end fitting that attaches to the valve stem and don't use it if you find any damage. Instead report the damage to the attendant.The best way to ensure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure is to check them with your own gauge.They're inexpensive and can be carried in the glove box, and that way you will be better equipped to maintain the inflation pressure to a more consistent level.If you choose to have your own gauge, take it to a tyre retailer and have it checked for accuracy against the retailer's gauge before you use it.Don't just stand there while the tyre pump is doing its thing, it's a good time to get down and inspect your tyres for wear or damage to the tread or sidewall.

ANCAP to add "date-stamping" to its five-star safety ratings.

Inattention created by texting is deadly but I'm becoming increasingly concerned about the dangerous practice of 'eat-driving' in Australia.I don't know if you have ever driven in the United States, but it's common practice for drivers to have their breakfast during the trip to work in the morning; a hot cup of coffee precariously balanced on the centre console, with the passenger seat acting as a table for a plate of cereal, perhaps even a bacon and egg roll just picked up from a drive-through takeaway.We seem to be moving in the wrong directionOur cousins from the other side of the Pacific even chuckle over occasional driving mishaps; heavy braking can cause a huge mess as the ingredients of breakfast mix with one another in a horrible slime on the driver's lap or the carpet on the other side of the car. I've never heard them chuckle over the huge mess created to human bodies during fatal crashes when things really do go wrong, though...Australians generally aren't nearly as bad as Americans, but we seem to be moving in the wrong direction. Especially in Sydney and Melbourne where ever-heavier traffic means drivers are having to get up earlier just to get to work on time. And drivers seem to feel that eating, drinking, reading the morning paper, making some phone calls, or scribbling a few notes in the diary is quite acceptable when behind the wheel.Research shows that failure to pay attention...causes about 40 per cent of all major crashes in the USAEat driving is certainly less dangerous than texting behind the wheel, but is still dangerous.Okay, so most try to set up their meals while their cars are stopped in traffic. But we all know the temptation to finish what you are doing after you are able to move off again, and that few seconds of inattention can result in a crash.Research shows that failure to pay attention - eating, phoning, texting, applying makeup, and much more – causes about 40 per cent of all major crashes in the USA. I see no reason why this figure shouldn't apply in Australia. Perhaps the Americans have fewer crashes than Australians because they have so much practice at eat driving – so the Aussies may be killing more people per capita than the Yanks.The only thing you should be doing whilst driving a car is just thatFailure to pay attention is approximately eight times more dangerous than travelling at excessive speed, but I'm not sure the last time I heard of anyone being pulled over and fined for this dangerous practice.I've said it before and make no apologies for saying it again. The only thing you should be doing whilst driving a car is just that – driving a car. If you don't have two hands on the steering wheel, two eyes on the road and 100 per cent of your mind on the task at hand you're putting your life at serious risk.

Emergency services are urging people to avoid leaving kids and animals in cars this summer as Mornington recorded the highest number of ambulance call outs for the area.