Safety

Technology website Wired has published a story by Andy Greenberg which details how white-hat hackers were able to demonstrate and expose a flaw in a car's infotainment system to take control of the vehicle while it was driving on the highway at 100km/h.The Wired journalist worked with security experts Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek who installed malicious code into the car's computer system after finding a backdoor in the Uconnect infotainment system.They took over the car's transmission and brakesAt first the hackers just turned up the stereo to blast Greenberg with sound. Then they blasted him with cold air through the air-conditioner.Then they took over the car's transmission and brakes.Miller and Valasek alerted Chrysler, the makers of Jeep, to the flaw and a security update was issued in America last week although the driver has to install the patch with a USB drive.It's not clear if Jeep models sold in Australia have the same security flaw.They have found ways of controlling hundreds of thousands of vehicles remotelyThe New York Times reports that Miller and Valasek plan to used next months' annual Black Hat and Def Con conferences to announce how, after two years, they have found ways of controlling hundreds of thousands of vehicles remotely, demonstrating how they had been able to control a car's lights, navigation system and, in some cases, brakes and steering.Security experts are citing the demonstration of car hacking as one of the first vulnerabilities in the Interent of Things, in which billions of machines, household appliances, vehicles and devices will all be connected to the Internet in the next few years.The security scare comes a day after the announcement that Volvo has been given the go ahead to demonstrate driverless cars on Australian roads.Read the original story here. Fiat Chrysler Australia has issued the following statement:"No vehicles in Australia nor any international market outside of the USA were affected by this issue, as it is an American-only system not present in Australian vehicles. Vehicles sold in Australia and other international markets are not equipped with an external cellular connection." 

This compressed air means more air into each cylinder and that means more fuel can be added.The result of extra air - with extra oxygen - is a more powerful burn within the combustion process. A turbocharged engine produces more power than the same engine without a turbocharger.The turbocharger uses the exhaust flow from the engine to spin a turbine, which in turn spins an air pump. The turbine in the turbocharger spins at speeds of up to 150,000rpm.The advantages include the "add-on" ability of a turbocharger to an existing engine; relatively low cost; low maintenance; and light weight. The disadvantages include some "turbo lag" - where the engine hesitates before the turbines spin high enough to produce sufficient power; additional heat in the engine bay; and complexity of exhaust and intake plumbing.Some engines use two turbochargers either of equal size or, to reduce turbo lag, different sizes.Most turbocharged engines - diesel and petrol - use intercoolers (effectively small radiators) to cool the air before it goes to the engine. This cool air is denser, so contains more oxygen, and maximises the power produced in the combustion process.

Police are urging drivers to turn on their headlights when they get behind the wheel these holidays.Upper Mt Gravatt police station's Constable Karen Lee said the 'Light Your Drive' campaign ran until midnight on January 30.She said motorists were being encouraged to turn on headlights while driving during the Christmas period as a visual reminder of road safety."We will also focus on the Fatal Five, paying attention to speed, impaired driving, fatigue, seat belt use and driver distraction," she said.Constable Lee said as part of the statewide campaigns, police would conduct random breath and drug tests at static sites in areas carrying large volumes of cars."There will also be highly visible patrols on highways and roads," she said. Constable Lee said that driving during the Christmas holiday season could be particularly stressful and motorists needed to exercise patience."We also want to remind people to pay attention to school zones when school goes back on Tuesday, January 27," she said."Take those times into consideration and reduce your speed." For regular Queensland Police Service updates visit mypolice.qld.gov.au.Commissioner Ian Stewart said with 216 fatalities on Queensland roads in 2014, police would focus on the Fatal Five. "We as a community need to take action to stop this carnage. Police cannot do this without the support of every road user," he said.

I am looking at buying a 2006 or 2007 Holden Barina for my daughter's first car, but a couple of people have 'warned' me that there was a certain year that had problems. Can you please advise me?

ANCAP's latest round of crash testing has brought with it the maximum five-star safety rating for Skoda's new Fabia, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Holden's rebadged Astra range.The Fabia was lauded by ANCAP CEO Nicholas Clarke for its inclusion of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) technology as a standard feature across the entire range. AEB is currently rarity in the Skoda's class, even as an option.A recent international study found that an AEB-equipped car was 38 per cent less likely to be involved in a rear-end collision, with Clarke adding the increased adoption of the safety tech would "contribute to a further reduction in the number and severity of road crashes".AEB works by monitoring the road ahead of a vehicle, and automatically applying the brakes if it detects an obstruction.The five-star safety rating applies to all hatch and wagon variants of the Fabia.Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 models also picked up the maximum safety rating from ANCAP, marking an improvement from the previous four-star rating attained in 2011.The four-star rating came about as a result of a poor performance in the frontal-offset crash test, where the Grand Cherokee only scored 9.95 out of 16. A minimum score of 12.5 in that test was a requirement for five-star eligibility.However, V6 models built after March 2013 feature structural and seat design upgrades to help address criticisms of the previous model's dashboard components and seat slide mechanism.ANCAP has also officially recognised the new Holden Astra, continuing the five-star rating the model previously carried when sold here wearing Opel badges.

I thought I'd get a Mazda2 Neo with smart city brake support but two Mazda salesmen have said it's not worth the money as it really doesn't work so now I'm looking at a Hyundai i20. How do you feel about the smart city brake support?

Drivers who dodge boom gates in Victoria will be fined up to $3033 for crossing the tracks at the wrong time.

Professor Warren Brodsky, the director of music psychology in the Department of the Arts at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, wrote in a new book about the connection between music, emotion, and driving."The car is the only place in the world you can die just because you're listening to the wrong kind of music," Brodsky told the news site Haaretz.It's not the genre Brooksy is talking about either, but rather the driver's emotional connection to the music playing.Drivers should avoid music that brings forward extremely negative or positive emotionsWhen a song comes on that a driver is emotionally connected with, they are distracted from the road. A song that inspires happiness, sadness, nostalgia or even simply high-energy toe-tapping can cause a driver to become unfocused from the road. Distracted driving is a major threat on the nation's roads. In fact, it's one of the top five killers behind speed, intoxication and fatigue.Brodsky's research shows that drivers should avoid music that brings forward extremely negative or positive emotions, and that a quick change in music can help change the emotional state of an agitated driver. He even went as far as to say that he envisioned a system in cars that would automatically change a song if sensors indicated an intense emotional reaction to help reduce car accidents.“Whether it’s Beethoven, Basie or Bieber is irrelevant,” the professor says. “Ideally drivers should choose tunes that do not trigger distracting thoughts, memories, emotions, or hand drumming along to the beat while driving.”

At present, Victorian drivers who have been involved in an accident but do not require medical care can refuse a blood test.The proposed new law follows a crash in Docklands last year in which IT designer Tien Le was killed.Motorist Aaron Sandner ran a red light in his ute, and police officers at the crash scene found 50 grams of the drug ice in his car.But the uninjured Sandner refused a blood test, and so police were unable to assess what drugs were in his system.It is clear that there is a loophole that needs to be closedIn December, Sandner, 30, was jailed for 39 months over the crash, which also injured Ms Le's partner.Introducing the Bill in state Parliament yesterday, Police Minister Wade Noonan said it would improve road safety."For people like the families of the couple involved in the tragic crash in Docklands in early 2014, it is clear that there is a loophole that needs to be closed," he said."The Bill will allow police to request a blood sample from persons in charge of motor vehicles that have been involved in an accident causing serious injury or a fatality."Police need to be able to make this request to obtain evidence of drug impairment or influence, so they can hold people properly accountable for their actions on our roads."Mr Noonan said the Victorian government's Ice Action Plan included funding for police to take more drug-affected drivers off the roads.

It was also suggested police be given powers to issue on-the-spot fines to cyclists who ride while talking on their mobile phone and riders not in single file on windy and narrow roads.A host of changes to road rules has been recommended to VicRoads as part of the wide-ranging cycling road rules review it commissioned.Among proposed changes are laws requiring drivers to leave at least 1m when passing cyclists, allowing cyclists to ride in bus lanes, permitting riders of any age to ride on a footpath if with a child under 12 years old and making it easier to stage a cycling event.In a bid to address the ongoing road war between motorists and riders, it was recommended an education campaign start alerting drivers and riders to use horns only when needed and motorists to be mindful when opening their car door.There are significant barriers to bicycle riding in VictoriaCouncils surveyed urged Victoria should follow in the footsteps of the Netherlands and introduce "strict liability" where drivers are automatically at fault if they collide with a cyclist.Council officers also suggested riders being allowed to ride through pedestrian crossing without having to dismount and raising the prospect of permitting riders to turn left at red lights.These council reforms did not form part of the final recommendations. There were 10,450 people and most, especially bike riders, did not view cycling as safe in Victoria, citing drivers' negative attitudes towards cyclists, lack of riding infrastructure, fears of car doorings and problems with road design."Participants agreed there are significant barriers to bicycle riding in Victoria. The main barriers were thought to be the lack of respect shown to bicycle riders and the lack of bicycle riding infrastructure," the report said.Cyclists talking on mobile phones is illegal but riders can only be taken to court and penalised, making it difficult for police to enforce the law. It would bring consistency when enforcing the law for drivers and riders.It is also suggested that when motorists are turning left, they be required to give way to cyclists who had a green bicycle crossing light.The report found strong opposition to introducing licensing and registration for bicycles, and there would be heavy "resistance" if any laws changed requiring cyclists to ride single file.Data contained in the report shows between 2004 and 2013 there were 29,181 cycling-related crashes with 84 people killed and 4447 receiving serious injuries.On-the-spot fines for cyclists using a mobile phone When motorists are turning left, they must give way to cyclists who had a green bicycle crossing lightOpen up bus lanes to cyclists Make it easier to stage a cycling event Banning two abreast in certain locations including windy and narrow roads Allow cars to be driven with an empty bike carrier Making roadwork sites safer for cyclists Riders of any age able to ride on a footpath if with a child under 12 years old