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Opinions

Cars With Character
	It probably comes as no surprise that I love being amongst old cars. Car shows are great fun as I get to talk to owners and restorers who are doing an excellent job of maintaining our automotive history. I thoroughly enjoy going to a mate’s place where, slowly but surely, he continues to work on resurrecting an FJ Holden. Full Story
Electric Car Sounds
	I recently penned a piece on electric cars and the fact that they are beautifully quiet in operation. So quiet that pedestrians may not hear them coming and walk in front of them without realising they’re there. Full Story
Mobile Phones Can Save Lives
	I’ve had a lot to say against mobile phones in cars over the years. I regard them as real killers in far too many circumstances due to idiot drivers using them when they should be concentrating on safe use of a vehicle. But there are some positives in the use of mobiles as well... Full Story
Quiet Cars
	Not so long back I penned an opinion piece about noises being added to electric cars so that pedestrians who didn’t look before walking out onto the road would be protected from their silly behaviour. My argument was that our streets are already unpleasantly noisy and the introduction of almost silent electric cars was an excellent way of civilising our cities. Full Story
Space-Savers
	There has been considerable criticism of space-saver spare tyres by some people in recent times. The controversial space-savers are wheel/tyre combinations that are significantly narrower and slightly smaller in diameter than standard units. Their main reason for existing is to give more room in the boot. Full Story
Look Both Ways Before Crossing
	Electric cars are smooth, powerful and fun to drive. Best of all, they are serenely quiet. Unfortunately, some are seeing this quietness as being a disadvantage, not a major plus. That’s because pedestrians are in danger of being run over if they step in front of an electric car they didn’t hear coming. Full Story
Economy That Isn’t
I’m becoming increasingly concerned at the efforts being put in by some car companies to persuade buyers that the cars they sell are economical when they may well be gas guzzlers. I’m talking about the use of the words ‘fuel economy’ when the correct term is ‘fuel consumption’. Full Story
Time To End Speed Limit Farce
	This media release just published by the Outdoor Recreation Party repeats so many of my thoughts on the subject of speed limits that I have chosen to reprint it in full. Note that it applies to NSW, but I know that readers in other Australian states and territories will find it all too familiar. Full Story
Communication Is Vital
	Isn’t it interesting that there are so many different ideas on the best way to drive for maximum safety? I got involved in an argument the other day about the fascinating subject of communication between drivers. The day-to-day nods, smiles, eye contact and thank-you waves that are such an important part of safe driving. Full Story
Co-Operation, Not Competition
	Though it would be nice if it was otherwise, driving in traffic is a fact of life to the nine out of ten Australians who live in metropolitan areas. So driving should be a co-operative activity, not a competitive one. Invariably in life things work best when everyone works together to reach a common goal. Full Story
Airbags Save Lives
	Airbags, which began to be fitted to upmarket cars during the early 1990s, and which are common in everything on the market these days, are intended to work in conjunction with seat belts to further improve safety in crashes. Full Story
The Anti-4WD Brigade Seems To Be Growing
	At a noisy barbecue recently I heard, not for the first time in my career as a motoring journalist, the question, “Why don’t they ban 4WDs from the suburbs?” The angry lady brought up the usual arguments that 4WDs ‘block the vision of others’, ‘are hazardous to pedestrians’, and even complained about ‘threatening driving’ by those behind the wheels of 4WDs and SUVs. Full Story
Preserving The Oldtimers
	I do love cars. Just about anything with wheels gets me interested and I rejoice in the fact that I have the good fortune to work in the industry. Car shows in particular really interest me. I was at one this morning and enjoyed examined everything from hotted up Holdens, Fords and Chryslers to a restored De Tomaso and stunning Chevrolet Cameo pickup Full Story
Two Sets Of Rules: Speed Cameras
	Can you imagine playing a game of football with two sets of rules: one set for one team and a separate set for another? If you can, and you drive a car, that precisely the current state of play. Queensland has just introduced it's latest ploy to reduce the road toll. Vehicles in mufti parked on a road near you and fitted with speed cameras. Full Story
Frightening Car Trip
	I had a truly frightening journey in a car recently. It was down the big Brisbane to Gold Coast M1 motorway beside a driver I had never travelled with before. A pleasant lady in her forties who has been driving for many years so has had plenty of experience behind the wheel in a variety of cars. Full Story
Misleading Advertising
	The people striving to sell cars, particularly those in the creative centres putting together major marketing campaigns, sometimes get so far away from reality that they begin to twist people’s perceptions. One of their favourite tricks is to make consumers believe that ordinary things are really something very different, special and highly desirable. Full Story
Daytime Running Lights
	I must admit to being in two minds about having headlights on at all times. Some European countries already require headlights to be switched on by the driver whenever the car is being used. While other countries are soon to mandate that lights come on automatically with the ignition on all new cars. Full Story
Let The Car Do The Driving?
	Inattention is the biggest killer on our roads according. Forget speeding – it only racks up something like four to eight per cent of the primary cause crashes, whereas not paying attention amounts for around 35 to 50 per cent of crashes. Full Story
Speed Enforcement Isn't Working
	I’m going to sound like a stuck record in this week’s Opinion piece, but so is everyone else when talking about speed limits, so what’s the point in my being any different? These depressing thoughts struck me as the Christmas Day/New Year weekends ended and the road toll continued to be virtually unchanged – up in some areas, much the same in others, thankfully down in a few places. Full Story
Some Wise Words, And A Funny Story
Tony Stanton of Little Grove, the most southerly town in Western Australia, commenting on a pair of recent road-safety pieces I've penned. He really does have a great feel for the important factors in road safety. Full Story
Dobbing In Drivers
Australians hate dobbers more than just about anyone else. Dobbing in is certainly not common in Scotland, from where I immigrated to Australia as a teenage schoolboy many years ago. Yet in comparison with the Aussie attitude it's a mild offence. Full Story
Caring And Sharing Behind The Wheel
	Christmas is coming and a lot of people will be heading out into the great Australian countryside to relax and recharge their brains after a harsh year that has seen much doom and gloom pervading the news. Typically, two types of driver use country roads – those who are peacefully enjoying the scenery, and those who are simply getting from point A to point B in as short a time as is safely possible. Full Story
Deadly Signs
	There's absolutely no doubt that inattention causes far more crashes than low-end speeding, yet our governments continue to concentrate on the latter and ignore just about everything else. The trouble is that no-one has yet invented an inattention camera... Full Story
Speed - The Ongoing Debate
	Every time I even hint at the subject of speed limits I get hounded down by those who are adamant that driving within the limit is the answer to all our road safety woes – and praised by others who are equally convinced that all speed regulation is there purely to raise revenue. Obviously, the truth lies somewhere in between. Full Story
BMW TV Commercial Banned
	Let's listen into a conversation they didn’t know was being recorded: “Hey stupid! Hey you stupid Australian car driver, can't you hear me? “Ah, there you are, just as well we have found you. We thought you had wandered off again, and slipped back into that dreadful habit of thinking for yourself while behind a steering wheel. You really must learn to do only what we tell you. To obey every instruction we give you blindly and without the slightest deviation from our orders. Full Story
Traffic Lights At Rail Crossings?
	I received an interesting email from a regular reader this morning, let's call him Tony. He was saddened by the memories of the Kerang level-crossing crash in 2007 which killed 11 people and seriously injured eight more. Memories that were brought back by the recent trial and acquittal of truck driver involved in the crash. Full Story
Soft And Fluffy Things
	I would like to talk about soft and fluffy things this week. Soft and fluffy toys are wonderful things in their correct place, kids of all ages love to play with them. They can make great displays in bedrooms, sunrooms and suchlike locations. I love them there and admire the displays that are put together at times. But the soft and fluffy things have to be in the right location and that's not in the potentially dangerous environment of the motor car. Full Story
We Need Faster Turns At Traffic Lights
	I seem to see a lot more drivers making illegal U-turns at traffic lights these days. At first this used to annoy me, because these guys were not only breaking the law, but also displaying anti-social behaviour and apparently putting other road users at risk. But the more I thought about it the more I could see the sense in what they were doing. Full Story
Cooperation Enhances Road Safety
	Had an interesting talk with a high level policeman the other day. No, I hadn't done anything wrong, at least nothing that he knew about! It was during a break from talks at a road safety function and the policeman was more willing than usual to talk to a journalist. Because he realised I wasn’t out for a sensational story, but that I was genuinely interested in making our roads safer. Full Story
Drive Day At Albert Park
	Mercedes AMG has a wide range of high-performance vehicles aimed at the enthusiast who demands nothing but the best. Built in a special factory in Germany these ultra-hot models are designed as total packages. Full Story
Red Light Rules Don't Help Environment
	Last week I was sitting in my car waiting to turn left at a red light. There was nothing unusual about this. Not just for me but anyone else who lives in our urban environment. While waiting for the light to turn green --- and at this set of lights, its a looong wait --- there was little traffic from my right. Full Story
Changing Lanes
	Since penning a piece on the failure of too many drivers to ‘Keep Left Unless Overtaking’, particularly on motorways, I've received quite a few emails. The great majority are in complete agreement with my words. With many replies saying that if the police spent more time enforcing this law instead of simply sitting behind speed cameras life would be safer and more relaxed on the road. Full Story
Driving Like There's No Tomorrow
	The saying “He’s driving like there's no tomorrow” isn’t a new one. Referring to someone who feels their world is about to come to an end, so doesn’t care how they act behind the wheel, it paints a frightening picture in the minds of all other road users. Full Story
Keep Left Unless Overtaking
	“Keep Left Unless Overtaking” say the signs. It’s a simple instruction that should be easy to obey. So why do so many drivers struggle with the concept? Full Story
Lost Souls
	Short of a car crash there can be few things more terrifying to a driver than getting lost in a strange city. Feeling trapped in a crowded traffic situation with vehicles everywhere, street signs that often make sense only to locals, or streets without any signs at all. Then there's the frustration of not being unable to turn in the direction you want because there's no-right-turn. Full Story
Slow And Dirty
	I walked from a hotel to the domestic terminal at Sydney airport the other day. I could have caught the hotel shuttle bus but I reasoned that 15 minutes of early morning exercise would do me good and tie in with my new-year’s resolution to look after myself better. Full Story
Take The Sting Out Of Roundabouts
	Roundabouts are one of the most sensible pieces of traffic engineering every devised. Yet they seem to create huge amounts of confusion in the minds of many drivers. Perhaps because the concept of a roundabout is so simple they feel there must be hidden traps. The really good thing about roundabouts is that they eliminate complex turns. Full Story
Excessive Speed Is Not Particularly Dangerous
	Yet another unbiased and scientifically correct study has come out on the subject of causes of car crashes. And yet again excessive speed has been shown as being the reason for only a small percentage of crashes. Full Story
Good Time To Buy A Car?
	Right now is a good time to buy a car, indeed a great time to buy just about anything. But beware the messages advising you to do so if they have been issued as press releases by finance organisations, car dealer associations or the like. Therefore they have an ulterior motive. Which is fair enough as long as they disclose their interest in selling more cars. Full Story
Beware The Missing Motor Show
	Those of you who attended the 2008 Sydney motor show – these days known somewhat grandly as the Australian International Motor Show – would have noticed the event was somewhat less grand than usual. Though it is the biggest motor show in Australia, the Sydney event wasn’t attended by many of the major marques. Companies such as Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Citroen, Mercedes-Benz and quite a few others chose not to make an appearance this year. Full Story
Hands-On Driving
	Keeping two hands on the steering wheel seems like the most basic of requirements for safe driving. Yet it’s becoming appallingly apparent that people driving with both hands on the steering is increasingly unusual. To make matters worse, having two hands on a steering in something remotely resembling the correct position is an even less common sight. Full Story
Measure Competency, Not Speed?
	I recently commented that a good driver in an excellent car exceeding the speed limit was far more likely to get booked than a sloppy driver in a bad car travelling within the speed limit. I’ve yet to find anyone who disagrees with my statement, indeed some people to whom I have spoken are becoming increasingly heated on the subject of their speeding tickets, with hidden cameras being universally hated. But what can be done to make things fairer? Full Story
A Hard Day At The Office
	Rob McEniry looked awful. The President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Australia had just suffered through the hardest 12 days of his life. Major meetings with his chiefs in the Japanese head office, talks with the board of Mitsubishi Australia, as well as with top Australian government officials. Then the dreaded talk to the company’s employees at a mass get-together and finally the public announcement of the closure of the Adelaide factory. Full Story
Aurion Racer Backs V8 Supercars
	For years there has been speculation that Toyota Australia might enter V8 Supercar racing. There are two schools of thought on this, the more broadminded feel that having a third marque join Ford and Holden would further liven up what's already a very popular racing series. The more traditional racegoer likes things just the way they are. Full Story
Blind Obedience
Voicing an opinion on road safety matters can almost be dangerous at times. Many have strong ideas on the subject and sometimes become quite abusive when my opinions don't coincide with theirs. I don't have a problem with that, open healthy debate is one of the world’s greatest freedoms. My father and uncle fought in a war for it and let’s hope we always have it. Full Story
Too Close To Home
	You would think that drivers would take extra care as they entered their home area. After all, their neighbours are close by, as are kids, dogs and all sorts of assorted items like footballs, cricket bats, skateboards and the like. Sadly, my observations show exactly the opposite takes place. The closer people are to their home the more likely they are to drive dangerously. Full Story
Tailgating Can Open Another Gate
	My recent piece on the dangers of tailgating has resulted in a lot of replies from many interesting readers. Which really doesn’t come as a surprise as many surveys from a lot of different sources over the years show this dangerous driving practice sits high on the list of things that drivers dislike. Indeed, it’s often in the number one spot, and the word ‘dislike’ can frequently be replaced by the much stronger one of ‘hate’. Full Story
Speed Enforcement Isn't Working
	I’m going to sound like a stuck record in this week’s opinion piece, but so is everyone else when commenting on the controversial subject, so what’s the point in my being any different? These depressing thoughts struck me as the Christmas Day – New Year weekends ended and the road toll continued to be virtually unchanged. Full Story
Brake Light Or Breaks?
	There don't seem to be as many brake lights on cars these days as there used to. Sure the lenses are still attached to the rears of cars, but not all of them light up. Indeed it’s not unusual to see a car that should have three brake lights, but only one of them goes on when the pedal is pushed. And I’ve seen a fair few cars with no brake lights at all… Full Story
Lighting Up
	Do we need to drive with our vehicles’ headlights on all the time in Australia? It’s becoming quite a common requirement in some European countries, with drivers being told to have the lights on, and some countries are telling makers to design all new models with headlights that come on automatically with the ignition. Full Story
Keep Your Mind On The Job
	Driver distraction is one of the most difficult factors to determine in any crash, yet is increasingly looking to be a major reason for injury and death on our roads. For whatever reason people are concentrating less and less on the vital task of driving and more on carrying on with the rest of their lives. Full Story
Shocks From Driver Survey
	Driver attitude and behaviour behind the wheel are the most important aspects of safe driving. Trouble is they can’t be easily measured, certainly not with a machine beside the road as can speed, alcohol and other drugs. So it’s great to see a voluntary survey of drivers conducted by Private Fleet, a car buying service, looking deeply into this vital matter. Full Story
Stop Getting Lost
	Had a fascinating talk with the research manager for UBD street directories this afternoon. Directories are an important part of life in my job, I do a lot of travelling in a lot of places, spread over all major Australian cities, many of the minor ones, and even on several other continents. So it’s vital that I have the latest version of a directory beside me in the car and the greater the accuracy and the more attention to the finest of details, the happier I am. Full Story
Dopey Pedestrians
	A while back I reported on a near miss between my car and a pedestrian. The young lady, who very nearly didn’t get to be a middle-aged lady, stepped off the edge of the footpath just in front of my car in a busy shopping strip. Thank goodness there was enough of a gap between my Peugeot and the kerb for her to fit into. Full Story
Communication Is Good
	Only about one driver in twenty signals their intentions before changing lanes. That worrying fact became obvious during one of the interminable bus trips that are a fact of life for we motoring journalists. Full Story
Passengers In The Driver's Seat
	Had a long bus ride the other day and took a look at some of the habits of drivers with whom we were sharing the road. Some of the things I saw were truly horrifying. In particular the people you have to call ‘passengers in the driver’s seat’. Drivers who had left in a bit of a rush, so had brought their meals along with them are a real worry. Full Story
Backwards Or Upside Down?
	“Way Free” said the traffic sign on the road in front of my car. Having grown up in an era where hippies and beatniks were a colourful part of the social scene, my mind wondered what was so free. The “Way Free” presumably fell into line with phrases like “way out”, “way cool”, perhaps even “way to go, man”. Full Story
1.5 Seconds Early – Or Dead On Time?
	I saved a man a lot of money, time and trouble earlier this week, though I’m not sure he is aware of the fact. Let me explain: his BMW 3 Series was a mere car length behind the Volkswagen Golf I was road testing and we were running in a line of traffic, doing around 80 km/h in an 80 zone. He was far too close and tailgating for no reason other than a sense of urgency, an urgency that was possibly real, but much more likely was purely imaginary. Full Story
Mobile Death
	I recently eavesdropped on a conversation that made my blood run cold. A bloke was proudly describing his latest way of doing business while on the move. Whilst driving his car he would take part in a weekly business conference on his hands free mobile phone. Full Story
Buzzers And Other Distractions
	A confession: I’m probably more absent minded than most people, at least that’s what my kids are always telling me – at least I think it was the kids, I can’t be sure now… Being on the vague side at times it suits me to have a warning bell in a car to let me know I’ve left the keys in the ignition, the lights switched on, or whatever. But I find all these warning bells are a bit much at times. Full Story
Don’t Need It? Then Don’t Take It
	“Travel light” is an old piece of advice, but it’s still as appropriate on today’s holiday trips as it has ever been. The trouble with having a car is that it’s tempting to load up everything that you might conceivably need in every circumstance. That’s understandable with beginners, but experienced travellers soon learn to cut their gear to a comfortable (not necessarily Spartan) minimum. Full Story
Maniacs On Our Roads
	There was a great fuss in our local media on the Gold Coast this morning. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I suspect that either the police must have employed an excellent public relations manager, or it was slow news day. Because a disguised Toyota LandCruiser had just automatically booked hundreds of motorists for speeding on one of the busy through roads. Thus raising tens of thousands of dollars. Full Story
A Sign Of The Times
	Why are governments so keen to keep motorists in the dark in important things like road safety? In particular in causing distraction on the road. I’m on the record as saying that inattention causes far more crashes than low-end speeding, yet our governments continue to concentrate on the latter and ignore just about everything else. Full Story
An Apology
	I must apologise to my regular readers. A few weeks ago I stated that most drivers had been brainwashed into thinking that if they exceeded the speed limit they are dangerous maniacs so should be punished. In that deliberately controversial opinion piece I suggested that if hundreds of drivers were booked by the same hidden speed camera within a few hours, then perhaps the speed limit was too low, rather than all the drivers were stupid. Full Story
Eat-Driving
	The National Motorists Association of Australia (NMAA) has expressed concern about the dangerous practice of 'eat-driving'. Jim Wright, the secretary of the NMAA, says that American findings appear to prove that eating behind the wheel is potentially even more dangerous than using a mobile phone. I don’t know if that research can be directly translated to Australia as our habits usually aren't as bad as the American's. Full Story