Category Archives: Safety

Tweeting while driving

Posted on by
6
woman texting while driving

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.

Bullbars – dangerous or essential requirement?

Posted on by
142
car with bullbar

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?

Long weekend road toll raises the question of a Bells Line upgrade

Posted on by
13

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?

What sort of footwear do you drive in?

Posted on by
23

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?

Drugs and driving – are our laws tough enough?

Posted on by
10

This week, British pop star George Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in jail after he admitted to driving under the influence of cannabis when he crashed his car into a shop in North London. He also received a five-year driving ban and a fine of $2000.

Currently in NSW the penalty for driving with the presence of active THC (Cannabis) in oral fluid, blood or urine is the following:

Penalties First Offence Second or subsequent offence
Maximum court- imposed fine $1,100 $2,200
Disqualification – minimum 3 months 6 months
-maximum 6 months Unlimited
-automatic* 6 months 12 months

* ‘automatic’ is the disqualification period that applies in the absence of a specific court order.

Source: RTA – penalties accessed 15/09/2010

The NSW Police Force now has five* roadside drug testing vehicles and has just recently spent $150,000 on a new Random Breath Testing truck for use across the Southern Region of NSW.

*As of September 2011, there are only 3 roadside drug testing vehicles.

Should more be done to curb driving under the influence of drugs or does the NSW government have the balance right?