Tag Archives: rta

P-Plate driver restrictions

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Mazda CX7

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?

Using snow chains in NSW Alpine Regions

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As winter approaches and holiday-makers begin to make their way to the state’s Alpine Regions, it is important to know the rules for driving in ‘snow and ice’ risk sections.

The RTA recommends the use of snow chains when driving in snowy conditions. They have also identified dangerous sections of road in Alpine Regions with yellow lane line markings and signposting.

National Park regulations state that all vehicles must carry chains if driving through a National Park’s designated ‘snow and ice’ risk sections.

Note that 4WDs are exempt from this regulation (’4WD’ includes SUVs and vehicles with all-wheel drive).

The current designated National Park ‘snow and ice’ risk sections are:

  • Alpine Way - Thredbo to Tom Grogin
  • Kosciuszko Road within the National Park boundary
  • Guthega Road within the National Park boundary

If directed by signs or an authorised officer, chains must be fitted to the vehicle’s driving wheels. This should be done at chain fitting bays located along the route.

The RTA advises that it will carry out random chain inspections along these sections of road during the ski season. Fines of over $300 will be issued to drivers who fail to comply with National Park regulations.

Of course, snow chains must not be relied upon to guarantee safety when driving in snowy conditions. Sensible driving practices appropriate for the conditions must be used.

Visit Stay safe on the road this season for driving tips and information.

Have you had difficulty driving in the snow? Should snow chains be mandatory in snowy conditions?

Stuck on the F3

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On Monday April 12, motorists were stuck in gridlock on the F3 Freeway after a crash involving a B-double fuel tanker at Mount White.

The crash occurred just before lunch time, however, a contra-flow emergency plan was not put in place until late in the evening. Traffic was backed up for a significant distance during the evening peak hour.

NRMA Motoring & Services President Wendy Machin said the RTA’s traffic management plan for dealing with incidents on the F3 needs a major overhaul.

The NRMA’s analysis of the F3 traffic management plan has found:

•  Two years after the $28 million plan was announced, it appears that five of the proposed cross-overs still have not been installed.
•  The cross-over located south of the crash site could have been used to divert northbound traffic onto the F3′s southbound lanes. The two cross-overs just north of the crash could then have been used to re-divert traffic back on to northbound lanes. None of these three cross-overs are finished.
•  Purpose-built sheds to store traffic cones and water supplies may be situated away from the cross-over sites, making it harder for contra-flow to be quickly put into place.
•  After the incident was contained, the priority should have shifted to managing its traffic impact. This does not appear to have happened.
•  Insufficient information was given to motorists approaching the F3 or those already caught in the congestion. 

The RTA’s traffic management plan was also supposed to enable the RTA and State emergency services to quickly distribute bottled water to stranded motorists.

“Instead, NRMA patrols on the freeway encountered many distressed motorists and provided bottled water of their own accord,” Ms Machin said.

According to the RTA website, the F3 Freeway is the main link between the Central Coast and Hunter regions and Sydney, with more than 75,000 motorists and 7000 freight vehicles using it each day.

What needs to be done to avoid extended delays on our roads? Were you stuck on the F3?

Safety cameras – Combining red-light and speed cameras

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Over the next four years, the RTA is replacing existing red-light cameras with safety cameras at 200 locations across NSW.

In December 2009, the RTA began to combine red-light cameras with fixed speed cameras at 50 locations across the state. The safety camera is capable of detecting speeding vehicles, vehicles running red lights, or both.

No new ‘combined’ offences have been created. Drivers will face a penalty notice and associated demerit points for each offence committed.

Safety cameras are being introduced to make intersections safer and reduce the number of crashes at traffic lights.

According to the RTA, “Evaluations of camera enforcement of red-light offences conducted in Australia and overseas have shown this type of enforcement is clearly effective in reducing casualty crashes at intersections. When the evaluations were considered together it is estimated that camera enforcement of red-light offences reduces the number of casualty crashes at intersections by around 30 per cent.”

Intersections with safety cameras will be signposted accordingly. However, motorists need to be aware that there is only one sign warning of the new safety camera, unlike existing fixed speed cameras which have three warning signs in advance.

For more information, please visit the RTA’s Safety camera page.

Will safety cameras reduce the number of crashes at intersections? Will they make you slow down?

Road rules for pedestrians

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The road isn’t only for motorists and cyclists - it’s for pedestrians too. As with cars, there are a number of rules, some better known than others, that govern how pedestrians use the road - as well as fines for breaking them.

Fatal crashes on NSW roads are up this year compared to the same period last year, as is the number of pedestrians killed. There have been 56 pedestrian fatalities so far this year. In the same period in 2008, 38 pedestrians were killed.

Part 14 of Road Rules 2008 covers pedestrians. Some of the key rules in this section are:

230  Crossing a road – general

  1. A pedestrian crossing a road:
    (a)  must cross by the shortest safe route, and
    (b)  must not stay on the road longer than necessary to cross the road safely.

Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.

236  Pedestrians not to cause a traffic hazard or obstruction

  1. A pedestrian must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of a driver.
    Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.
  2. A pedestrian must not unreasonably obstruct the path of any driver or another pedestrian.

238  Pedestrians travelling along a road (except in or on a wheeled recreational device or toy)

  1. A pedestrian must not travel along a road if there is a footpath or nature strip adjacent to the road, unless it is impracticable to travel on the footpath or nature strip.

Read the full Rules for pedestrians.

Most of the Rules for pedestrians are taught to us as children. However, pedestrian deaths continue to be significant. As the road is a shared zone, it is important that all users respect and adhere to the rules to make it the safe place that it can be.

Has pedestrian education fallen by the wayside? Should the rules for pedestrians be better policed?