Urban Hacks

When cars were in their infancy, so was the concept of music outside a concert hall. Record players were about as high-tech as it got, and car audio was limited to the sound of the engine and frighten

The problem with drawing up a list of the Top Five Most Annoying Behaviours of Other Drivers Who Shouldn't Even be Allowed on the Road is not knowing where to start, but where to stop.

What is Blind Spot Monitoring?

If you thought the worst thing your dog could leave in your car was a furious hair tornado that coats every surface, think again.

Qi lets you charge your phone without wires, but how does it work?

Since cars have been around people have needed car headlights to drive them at night. Today we're used to car lights featuring three settings: parkers, low-beam, and high-beam. Parker lights are to provide a minimal amount of forward illumination while there is still a good amount of ambient light.Low-beam is the setting you drive around on in metro areas where there are oncoming vehicles, and it features a cut-off to dip the illumination away from oncoming traffic and focus the light on the road ahead of the car. High-beam broadens and lifts the light beams, lighting a broader area ahead of the car. Early cars used glass headlights known as "sealed beam" lamps, which you swapped out as a complete unit rather than changing globes. It wasn't until 1962 when a consortium of European headlight and globe manufacturers invented the H1 Halogen high-output globe that output took a big leap. American laws prohibited their use until 1983, after which time the Halogen lighting system became the primary source of illumination for cars.There are now several types of Halogen globes (including H7 and H4), designed to work in headlight housings that have also gone through thorough redesign processes to improve light output, while lowering the power needed to use them. High-Intensity Discharge (HID, and sometimes referred to as Xenon headlights) lights first appeared in the mid-1990s on the BMW 7-series. They, and the later Bi-Xenon headlights, are an evolution of the Halogen system, with more work put into the reflectors in the housing to focus the light which is one reason aftermarket HID upgrade kits are not always legal in Australia.LED headlights refer to Light Emitting Diodes and these have become common fitment since they debuted in 2004, taking a fraction of the energy to run compared to HID lights or Halogen while having a much longer lifespan and giving clearer light. BMW i8 and new 7-series, plus certain Audi models are now using laser headlights. Supposed to use less energy to run than LEDs but offer superior light output, laser technology will eventually filter down through other cars to become the norm for headlights just as Halogen and LED did.Because of the risk to blinding oncoming drivers there are strict rules around upgrading headlight globes or using aftermarket headlight conversion kits in Australia. These are controlled by Australian Design Rules (ADRs) which set out the brightest legal headlights you can use in Australia. You should replace headlight bulbs in your car with the same type used by the manufacturer unless a qualified professional confirms an upgrade is safe and legal. There can also be issues with brighter bulbs melting wiring for the headlights due to excess current draw needed to light up the brighter bulbs. There are ADR-approved LED headlights on sale but you need to check with the seller whether they will guarantee that ADR-approval before you buy. LED headlights are legal in Australia, but you need to research if you need to upgrade the housing as well as the bulbs as this is a requirement for some ADR-approved LED headlights. The good news is popular cars in Australia, like the VE Commodore, Ford Territory and BA Falcon, Toyota HiLux and Hyundai i30 all have great headlights from the factory and shouldn't need upgrading. 

Is it illegal to drive on prescription drugs? Well, yes and no. It all depends on the medication. When we think of driving under the influence of drugs, we usually think illicit substances. But according to Health Direct, an initiative of the Australian federal government, it’s actually illegal to drive under the influence of any drugs that impair your ability to drive - including legal medications.The NSW Road and Maritime Services (RMS) guidelines on drugs and alcohol clearly state that it’s illegal to drive while affected by drugs, but goes on to clarify that some over-the-counter and prescription drugs may be legally taken while driving while others may not.In short, it is your responsibility as a driver to always read the labels of any medication you’re taking and to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether or not your driving will be affected. Never get behind the wheel if the label, or a medical professional, tells you that your concentration, mood, coordination or reactions as a driver could be compromised by a medication. In particular, the RMS warns that painkillers, sleeping pills, medications for allergies, some diet pills and some cold and flu medicines can impair your ability to drive.The Northern Territory government’s website has almost identical advice for driving on prescription drugs, while the Queensland government’s website also warns that some alternative medicines, such as herbal remedies, can affect driving.According to Access Canberra, it’s illegal to drive in the ACT while your ability is affected by illness, injury or medical treatment - and, as is the case around Australia, it’s illegal to hold a licence without reporting any permanent or long-term illness or injury that could affect your ability to drive safely.When you do report it, you may be required to undertake a medical assessment with a GP in order to get your licence. If you’re in the ACT and unsure as to whether or not you need to report a medical condition, you can phone Access Canberra on 13 22 81.According to the South Australian government, the common roadside saliva-swab drug tests don't detect prescription or common over-the-counter medications such as cold and flu tablets, but drivers who are impaired by drugs that are either prescription or illicit can still be prosecuted. It’s pretty safe to assume that if driving in Tasmania, Western Australia, or Victoria, you’d also be at risk of being prosecuted if you were caught driving under the influence of a prescription drug that is known to impair driving. For more specific information about driving with diabetes, you can visit the Diabetes Australia website and for information about driving with epilepsy, you can consult the Epilepsy Action Australia website on driving.And always remember that, while you should consult your insurance agreement for the most accurate information, if you have a collision while under the influence of medication that impairs driving, it’s almost certain that your insurance coverage will be voided. This article is not intended as legal advice. You should check with your local road authority to verify the information written here is suitable to your situation before driving.

Yes, it's illegal to speed while passing another car. In fact, it's illegal to drive in excess of the speed limit at any time, no matter the circumstances.It's a common misconception that you can speed when overtaking, particularly when you're driving on country roads and you rightly want to get past as fast as possible. But while it might feel safer to try and complete an overtaking move quickly, you must always obey the speed limits or risk a significant fine. According to the Royal Automobile Association, the reason you can't speed while passing a car is because courts describe driving over the speed limit as an absolute offence - one that doesn't have exceptions and for which there are no excuses. However, the RAA also notes that it's illegal for a driver to increase their speed while another car is trying to pass. While most states and territories don't directly address how to pass cars on the road safely, there are a couple of exceptions. The New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services website has a page dedicated to overtaking, as does the Western Australia's Road Safety Comission website.Both pages repeatedly advise that overtaking other vehicles can be dangerous as it's difficult to judge the amount of distance required to complete the manoeuvre safely, but that this difficulty can't be mitigated by speeding. They reiterate that some of the dangers of overtaking can be lessened through the behaviour of drivers who are being passed; if someone is trying to pass you, you should keep left, stay in your lane, and refrain from increasing your speed. The exact penalties for driving in excess of the speed limit differ state by state and vary in severity according to just how fast you've been caught driving. But beware, the penalties include fines and demerit point penalties.As always, remember that if you're caught speeding, then you could be in breach of your insurance agreement. While you should always check your specific agreement for details, be aware that any unlawful behaviour could jeopardise your coverage. This article is not intended as legal advice. You should check with your local road authority to verify the information written here.

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

Technically yes, as it's a safety hazard to not have a working horn.