Over a quarter of people convicted of drug driving get off penalty free.

I’ve never been pulled over for a drug driving test. Many times I’ve seen the booze bus out in force particularly the day after New Year’s Eve or late on Australia Day, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen a drug driving test in NSW.

Yet every year NSW police are successfully catching motorists who take drugs and drive. In fact Australia has taken a lead role when it comes to drug driving tests globally, with almost 1,400 people convicted of drug driving between 2007 and 2010 in NSW alone.

On the surface this might sound like drivers are being caught and penalised for this dangerous activity. In fact over a quarter (27%) of people convicted of driving with illicit drugs in their system are getting off penalty free.

How can this be?

Drug drivers can be let off under Section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 offenders have their conviction dismissed or discharged without penalty.

Regardless of how many drug drivers the police catch, one in four of those convicted of driving with illicit drugs in their system will walk away penalty free. Worse still the number of Section 10s being handed out have more than doubled since 2007 from 13 to 30 per cent in 2010.

In the Windsor Local Court 11 out of 13 convictions from 2007 to 2010 received a Section 10 or were convicted without penalty, while in Mount Druitt 55 out of 132 convictions were recorded without penalty. As you can see the alarm bells should be ringing.

The consequence of not imposing these penalties is alarming and completely sends the wrong message. As a community we cannot afford to be flippant about drug driving when we consider that in South Australia alone one-in-four drivers or riders killed between 2005 and 2008 tested positive to illicit drugs. Drug driving is illegal, it’s dangerous and it can kill.

Its simple, people should get punished for drug driving. The penalty for getting caught drug driving is a $1,100 fine and a minimum three month disqualification for a first time offence, yet this is not getting handed down often enough. I know I would feel safer on the road knowing that these people are getting some sort of punishment.

These penalties were put in place to keep our roads safe and we believe the community would expect them to be enforced more often to stamp out this highly dangerous and illegal behaviour.

People caught drug driving are putting their lives and the lives of others at risk. A fine and some time without a licence is an appropriate penalty and should be enforced more often.

Tell us what you think?

Chery J1 ANCAP Crash Test

Given recent crash test results from ANCAP (the Australasian New Car Assessment Program), some car buyers might be wary about purchasing vehicle brands being introduced into Australia for the first time.

Recent results include 2 stars (out of 5 maximum) for the Chery J11 and Mahindra Pik-Up and in 2010, 2 stars for the Great Wall utes.  The Geely MK and Chery J1, both small cars, scored 3 stars compared to most small cars tested by ANCAP which are scoring 4 or increasingly, 5 stars.  According to ANCAP, you are twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured in a 1-star vehicle than a 5-star vehicle in the same crash.

However, we need to remember that we still have the Proton Jumbuck and Mitsubishi Express on sale in Australia scoring 1 star and these companies have been represented in the Australian market for many years.  There are also several ute models from long-established manufacturers that score 3 stars.  It’s also worth noting that the Great Wall wagon scores 4 stars.

So there is not a strong basis for avoiding the purchase of vehicles from brands recently introduced into the Australian market.

NRMA’s advice is to check the ANCAP crash ratings of any new vehicle you are considering buying.  We recommend 4 stars as a minimum and preferably 5.  If you are considering a second-hand car, NRMA also provides ratings based on police reports of crashes - again we recommend purchasing a vehicle from the best category.

Would you buy a car from a new car manufacturer?

Drive safely this holiday season

This time of year is always one of the most high risk times on our roads, with Christmas parties, end of year celebrations and people taking to the highways as they head off for a well-deserved break.

In NSW drink driving is a factor in around one in every five fatal crashes. This statistic astounds me when you consider just how much information is out there on the dangers of drink driving.

Drink Driving
The message is plain and simple, having any amount of alcohol when driving increases the risk of being involved in a crash. You don’t have to be drunk to have been affected by alcohol, which is why if you are planning on driving, the best advice is to not drink at all.

If you are hosting a party this Christmas and new year here are some things you can do to look after your guests so they get home safely:

• Make sure you provide plenty of food, soft drinks and water
• Offer to let your guests stay over and
• Don’t let guests drive home if they have been drinking.

Driver Fatigue
Tiredness is another major killer on our roads. At this time of year many people are driving long distances on unfamiliar roads and often people leave for their holiday in the early hours of the morning to avoid traffic – it means they are driving when their body is programmed to sleep.

The statistics show if you drive between 10pm and dawn you’re four times more likely to have a fatal, fatigue-related crash.

Some tips:

• Plan ahead
• Take regular breaks (see NSW Driver Reviver locations)
• Share the driving
• Don’t start a long trip after a long day’s work and never drive when you would normally be asleep. Fighting tiredness won’t work – the only cure is sleep.

Wear your seatbelt
It’s remarkable how many people still don’t wear their seatbelts. Many fatalities could have been prevented if only the driver and passengers were wearing their seatbelts. Often it’s not just you that needs to buckle up, so make sure your kids are properly secured in a child restraint.

Roadwork speed limits
If you’re driving along the Pacific Highway, remember roadwork speed limits still apply although works have stopped for the Christmas break. While there may be some inconvenience during this time, the NRMA is pleased that the Government is getting on with the project to deliver the Highway by 2016.

Travelling on country roads
For those of you travelling on country roads, keep in mind that the road conditions are not like local areas. Be extremely careful of:

• Potholes and rough surfaces
• Soft or broken road edges
• Single lane bridges or road surfaces that change without notice
• Livestock and wildlife  - they often cross country roads, particularly just near sunrise or sunset which is why it is crucial that you drive to the conditions.

Petrol Prices
The NRMA will be working over the Christmas period to monitor petrol prices and there will be no justification for any sudden Christmas price hike.

Please remember, each and everyone of us are responsible for keeping our roads safe this Christmas.

Have a safe and merry Christmas.

Are you a good driving instructor?

Almost one-in-three learner drivers have been in a car with a speeding driver, according to a new NRMA Safer Driving School survey.

The survey of 300 learner drivers across NSW and the ACT found 32% have been exposed to speeding while their parents or other supervisors were driving.

The survey also found learner drivers were being exposed to their parents’ bad habits, with the worst offending habits being:

• Not having both hands on the wheel (38%)
• Speeding (32%)
• Talking on a mobile phone without a hands-free device (19%)
• Failing to indicate when turning (19%); and
• Road rage (16%)

NRMA Motoring & Services Director Coral Taylor says young drivers will pick up on the driving habits of their supervisors – good and bad.

“All supervisors need to remember that when a learner is sitting next to them in the car they will copy the way they drive, so they need to be a model of good behaviour,” Ms Taylor said.

Are you a good driving instructor or do you think you need to brush up on your driving skills before supervising your kids?

Car makers are constantly developing new technology to aid drivers.  Over the next couple of weeks we will look at eight of these new types of technology.

Ford has claimed a world first with its inflatable rear seat belt.

Ford’s Rear Inflatable Seat Belt Wins ’2011 Best New Technology’ Award

It combines an air bag with a seat belt. It inflates in a crash, and according to Ford it is aimed at providing extra protection to the neck and head by reducing the amount they move, and by spreading the load on the chest over a wider area.

This is seen as particularly important for children, with the belt being compatible with child and booster seats.

Air is pumped through a special buckle in a fraction of a second, although slower than that for an air bag.

Ford hopes it will provide the additional benefit of encouraging greater rear seat belt use because it says the inflatable belt’s extra padding and smoother edges make it more comfortable to wear.

For me this is a great innovation, as I have four kids and making sure they have their seat belt on properly (not under their arm) is a constant battle.

Do you find it difficult to get your children to correctly use a seat belt? Will a comfortable inflatable seat belt make all the difference?

P-platers can't drive turbocharged cars like the Mazda CX7.

Last week Wallabies fullback and P-plate driver, Kurtley Beale, had a charge of driving a high-powered vehicle dismissed when it was revealed he had no idea he was prohibited from driving his turbocharged Maxda CX7.

Back in 2005 NSW introduced laws to prohibit P-plate drivers from driving ‘high-performance vehicles’.

The RTA website states: 
“The prohibited vehicle condition restricts provisional (P1 and P2) drivers from driving certain high performance vehicles. The condition applies to provisional licences issued on or after 11 July 2005. The scheme aims to prohibit young driver access to vehicles that are overrepresented in young driver crashes.

Prohibited vehicles are those with:

• Eight or more cylinders (except diesel).
• A turbocharged engine (except diesel).
• A supercharged engine (except diesel).
• Engine performance modifications that require an engineers’ certificate.
• Certain high performance six-cylinder engine vehicles or other vehicles as described in the publication Novice Drivers – High Performance Vehicle Restrictions.

The following vehicles are not prohibited vehicles and may be driven by provisional licence holders:

Suzuki Cappuccino 2D Cabriolet Turbo 3 698cc (released between 1/01/1992 – 1/12/1997).
Daihatsu Copen L880 2D Convertible Turbo 4 659cc (released from 1/10/2003).
Smart vehicles (all models).

The RTA also provides a “guide to moderate performance vehicle exemptions” (which is mostly made up of small engine European vehicles) alongside its comprehensive list of banned vehicles.

Obviously the RTA has gone to a lot of effort in producing its “P1/P2 – Prohibited Eight Cylinder, Turbo and Supercharged High-Performance Vehicles” list, but the NRMA would like it to be updated to better reflect today’s motoring environment. There are many anomalies with this restriction that just don’t make practical sense.

For instance, a non P-plate legal Mazda CX7 (turbo) as driven by Beale will take around 10.3 seconds to reach 100km/h whereas a P-plate legal current-generation six-cylinder Ford Falcon will reach the legal limit in around 7.3 seconds. The turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder VW Golf TSI Comfortline (0-100km/h in around 8.4 seconds) is banned yet the Mazda SP25 (0-100km/h in around 7.8 seconds) is legal.

Classic cars haven’t escaped the list either, with things like a 1962 Chevrolet Impala or 1961 Pontiac Parisenne also being off-limits to P-plate drivers.

But are these laws working and is there a better way to keep young drivers from being over represented in crash statistics?

Have you been affected by this law when it came to purchasing a new family car?

Do you tweet while driving?

Nowadays, a handheld device can do a whole lot more than just call or text. You can use it as a GPS, keep up with online traffic reports, see what people are tweeting about, or check the status of your friends via social networks.

In a survey of 500 drivers by NRMA Insurance, 10% admitted to using social networking sites to check their Facebook or Twitter profiles or post updates while they were driving (and those are the ones that actually admitted it!).

It follows a similar survey which found almost 50% of drivers admitted to talking and texting on their mobile phones while driving.

The desire to always be mobile and accessible is growing despite the fact that using a handheld device while driving is illegal. The offence carries a heavy fine and the loss of three demerit points.

Do you use a mobile phone while driving to tweet or update your status? Do you think it impairs your driving or is any more dangerous than using your car stereo?

NB: The NRMA advises drivers who need to use their mobile phone for either texting or using a social networking site, to pull over before using their phones.

photo credit: poppalina

The Federal Government is considering adopting an international requirement which would include the mandatory redesign of vehicles that could see bullbars outlawed.

The new law would require the fronts of vehicles to be designed to reduce the severity of injuries to pedestrians in a collision.  Under Australia’s current system, this would apply to vehicles before they are sold and registered.  It’s common in Australia for bullbars to be fitted after the vehicle is sold.

There is a strong case, based on accident data, that bullbars should not be fitted to vehicles used mainly in urban areas, as animal collisions are rare and not often dangerous to the driver.

Country residents on the other hand, see bullbars as essential as they reduce damage to their cars from collisions with large animals.

NRMA believes there is no justification for the use of bullbars in urban areas.  What do you think?

The road toll for New South Wales this long weekend reached 8, more than double the previous year’s toll for the same period. 

Four members from the same family were tragically killed, after their sedan collided head-on with a semi trailer on the Bells Line of road at Bilpin.  Police believe the accident was triggered after the car overtook another vehicle.

A 2003 audit by the NRMA showed that in the previous 10 years, 129 people have died and 2984 people were injured in accidents on Blue Mountains crossings with 23 of those deaths on the Bells Line of Road.

According to an NRMA study, drivers on the Bells Line of Road are unable to overtake slower vehicles for over 80% of the 81 kilometre route unless they attempt dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

Some have suggested building a four-lane Bells Line Expressway is the best way to improve safety on that route while others believe smaller-scale plans such as improving the worst sections of the existing two-lane road and/or installing more passing lanes would be more achievable. 

Do you drive the Bells Line of road and do you find it a dangerous road on which to drive?  What do you think could be done to improve conditions?

We all wear footwear (some none) and the type of footwear can vary depending on where we’re going and what we’re wearing at the time.

There is currently no legislation requiring a driver to wear or not to wear footwear whilst driving a motor vehicle in the State of New South Wales.

However, if an accident was to occur and it was found that the cause of the accident was due to inappropriate or lack of footwear an offence under the Road Rules 2008, Rule 297 – Drive without proper control of vehicle, may be implied by the authorities.

The rule of drive without proper control of vehicle may include the wearer’s of high heel shoes, stilettos, bare feet and any other footwear if it is found that a driver was to drive without proper control of a vehicle.

Q. What type of footwear (if any) do you wear whilst driving and do you consider some types of footwear (or none) to be a danger on our roads?