NRMA Motoring Blog

Sydney’s M4 Motorway is now toll free.

According to a survey conducted by NRMA Motoring & Services, 71 per cent of motorists supported the decision to remove the toll.

There have also been calls for the toll to be kept in place to contain the number of cars that use the motorway. Traffic on the motorway is, according to some reports, predicted to increase, as are travel times.

However, NRMA Director David Bentham said the NSW Government had made the right decision.

“Motorists have paid for the M4 and they deserve to have the motorway returned to them,” Mr Bentham said.

“Calls for the toll to be kept to fund future projects ignore the fact that NSW motorists already contribute billions to the public purse through the fuel excise, registration costs, stamp duty and other taxes and charges.”

The next motorway to come off contract is the Sydney Harbour Tunnel in 2022, followed by the M5 in 2023.

Visit the RTA’s M4 Motorway page for more information.

Do you think removing the toll will have an effect on your use of the M4? Should tolls be kept on motorways to limit the number of cars that use them? 

The design rules that apply for vehicles sold in Australia are always being updated and the design rules for mirrors on motor vehicles were changed a while ago to adopt the European rules, which allow a choice of either flat or convex mirrors on both sides of the vehicle.

Convex mirrors are curved mirrors that give a “compressed” view rather than a flat view. As a result, they cover a wider field of view and objects in the mirror appear smaller. This minimises blind spots but also creates the illusion that things in the mirror are further away.

These mirrors can take a little bit of getting used to, especially for those used to flat mirrors – but it is just a matter of becoming familiar with the characteristics of a convex mirror.

Convex mirrors have been fitted to the passenger side of vehicles in Australia for many years, sometimes accompanied by the warning “Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear”, with no evidence that they cause a safety problem. These types of mirrors have also been in use overseas for many years and we are not aware of any reports of increased crash risk due to their use.

The RTA Road Users’ Handbook states that “before you change lanes, give your signal in plenty of time, check your mirrors and look over your shoulder for other vehicles”. The “head check” is necessary to ensure it is safe to change lanes – drivers should not depend on their mirrors alone.

Convex mirrors are becoming more common on new cars and it is likely they will soon be standard across the market. So, when purchasing a new or used vehicle, be sure to read the vehicle owner’s handbook to become familiar with the operating aspects of the vehicle and the equipment fitted.

Have you driven a vehicle with convex mirrors on both sides? Do you find convex mirrors safer or more dangerous?

Indicating is the act of using your blinker to show other motorists that you intend to change your course of direction. It is not a courtesy, it is the law. Despite this, road users are being surprised by the movements of motorists who did not indicate.

The Road Rules 2008 states that before changing directions, a driver must give a change of direction signal for long enough to give sufficient warning to other drivers and pedestrians.

Rule 45, ‘What is changing direction’, of the Road Rules 2008 reads:

(1) A driver changes direction if the driver changes direction to the left or the driver changes direction to the right.

A driver changes direction by doing any of the following:

(a) turning
(b) changing marked lanes
(c) diverging
(d) entering a marked lane, or a line of traffic
(e) moving to the right or left from a stationary position
(f) turning into a marked lane, or a line of traffic, from a median strip parking area
(g) making a U-turn
(h) at a T-intersection where the continuing road curves—leaving the continuing road to proceed straight ahead onto the terminating road.

Read the full rule here.

Failing to indicate can result in a maximum $2,200 fine at court and the loss of two demerit points. The severity of the fine is indicative of the seriousness of not using your blinker to warn other road users of your movements. Not indicating is dangerous not only at high speeds on motorways but at all times on all roads.

Have you encountered the problem of motorists not indicating? Do you think it is becoming more of an issue on our roads?