Tag Archives: your say

School zones – have your say

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NRMA President Wendy Machin recently commented on the importance of flashing lights in school zones to indicate when they are in operation.

“Children’s safety is paramount – drivers’ awareness needs to be drawn to the presence of school children and that’s what flashing lights achieve,” she said.

However, the NRMA has concerns about the rate flashing lights are being rolled out.

A study conducted by the RTA in 2006 “indicated that flashing lights were effective in reducing vehicle speed outside schools during the operation of the 40 km/h school speed zone.”

In spite of this, only 10 per cent NSW’s 3,100 schools have flashing lights, with 100 sets per year being scheduled for installation over the next four years.

School zones were introduced to NSW in December 2002 to reduce the chance of fatalities in school areas. They ensure that motorists slow down to 40km/h during times when children are on the way to and from school.

The problem with this is that it can be unclear to motorists when school zones are in operation. School Zones come into effect only on school days. Therefore, during school and public holidays the school zones do not operate. This can be confusing to anybody who does not have kids – although it’s not an excuse if you get caught speeding.

For more information, visit the RTA School Zones page.

Have you found School Zones easier to identify when they have flashing lights? Is there more that could be done to improve the way School Zones work?

Motorists say time-of-day tolling has not worked

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A survey of 1,800 motorists in north and north-west Sydney has found that motorists believe the time-of-day tolling system on the Harbour Bridge is a failure.

The NRMA survey found 91 per cent believe the new tax has failed, NRMA Group CEO Tony Stuart said.

“Eleven per cent of motorists are using alternative routes to get to work, while 90-odd per cent are paying more for the privilege of just getting to and from work,” Mr Stuart said.

“All that so a mere 560 cars can travel before peak-hour per day. That’s not a solution to the problem and at best is moving the problem to another congested road.”

The release of the survey results coincided with the launch of RoadTube.com.au, a new site that gives motorists a place to air their frustrations and offer solutions to the state’s growing transport problems.

“RoadTube is part of NRMA’s campaign to Get NSW Moving Again,” Mr Stuart said.

“We are urging motorists to join the NRMA for this all-important campaign to fix the mess – we want to hear your views on issues such as the quality of roads and public transport, fuels, demerits, licensing and road safety.

NRMA President Wendy Machin said Get NSW Moving Again was borne of frustration among our members about the massive backlog of capital works needed across NSW.

“More than three-quarters [of those surveyed] believe they are being forced to pay for the mistakes of successive State Governments,” Ms Machin said.

“The Government is trying to fight congestion by raising taxes, but the solution is to upgrade our roads, improve public transport and build more parking to get people out of their cars and on to buses and trains.”

Has time of day tolling reduced congestion or made you rethink how you travel across the Harbour Bridge?

What have you done since petrol prices dropped?

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Last year, just as the price of petrol was beginning to drop from highs of over $1.70 per litre, we asked how you were dealing with high petrol prices. But now, despite predictions the drop was temporary and it would only continue to rise, the price has fallen, and significantly.

In the past we’ve published blogs about ethanol in petrol, discussed using premium unleaded, fuel alternatives, the benefits of car pooling and the price of diesel, looked at Hybrid technology and asked what you thought about making Sydney’s CBD car free. The Howard Government initiated an LPG grant of $2000 for those who wished to convert their cars from petrol to gas or $1000 to put towards a brand new LPG-powered vehicle, and we asked if you took up the offer. 

All were prompted by the debate surrounding the high price of petrol.

During the period of extreme petrol prices, the Rudd Government initiated a Fuel Watch scheme to ensure road users were not being ripped off by petrol companies and service station owners.

The number of people using public transport rose to its highest rate in almost 10 years and 2008 saw motorcycles sell in record numbers, increasing by 3.2 per cent on the record set in 2007.

Then, at the end of last year, we saw petrol at its lowest price in almost a decade, falling below $1.00. On the day of writing, the lowest price of the day was 108.9 cents per litre.

So what did you do when prices were high and what have you done since they dropped?

How are you dealing with high petrol prices?

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After months of watching it go up, the price of petrol has finally fallen.

But how long will it last? By all accounts the price of petrol will go back up and keep rising, as demand outweighs supply and oil reserves grow smaller.

Months of very high prices have given motorists more than a taste of what’s to come and a lot of people are acting, some by choice and some by necessity. We want to know what you’re doing.

The number of commuters using public transport has reportedly risen to its highest level since 1999. Have you found public transport to be a cheaper option?

Are you trying to be more frugal with your petrol or have you altered your driving technique so you use less?

Have you been getting your car serviced regularly, checking your tyre pressure weekly, going easy on the air-conditioner and carrying as little weight as possible?

Maybe you’ve signed up for a new credit card that offers discounts at certain petrol stations.

Perhaps the cost of petrol has prompted you to sell the V8 for a more economical four cylinder car.

Have you decided a vehicle that runs on alternative fuel is the answer and bought a hybrid, converted to LPG or bought a new turbo diesel?

Or are you going about your business as normal and waiting to see what happens?

What are you doing to cope with high petrol prices?

Has Electronic Stability Control helped you?

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A study by MUARC has found that having Electronic Stability Control (ESC) fitted to your car reduces the risk of driver injury in a crash by up to 32 per cent. Research also showed the risk of driver injury in a 4WD in a single vehicle crash was reduced by 68 per cent.

What is Electronic Stability Control?

ESC is an advanced vehicle safety technology that compares the position of the steering wheel to the vehicle’s direction of travel. When a difference is detected, it automatically applies brake pressure to individual wheels. By correcting understeer or oversteer, ESC helps keep the driver in control of their vehicle. Some versions of ESC also reduce engine power.

It is different to ABS and traction control as it acts independently of the driver but it does act in conjunction with these functions.

Does my car have ESC?

ESC is also known as Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) – depending on the vehicle manufacturer. If your vehicle is fitted with one of these or a similar variant, then yes, it does have ESC.

Prior to 2007, few cars came standard with ESC. After its development, it was often available as an option, if at all, and mainly on luxury car models. However, today many manufacturers are making ESC standard in new models, sometimes even across the entire range.

MUARC’s ESC study

The study used crash data from “Australia and New Zealand to evaluate the effectiveness of ESC in reducing crash risk and to establish whether benefits estimated in overseas studies have translated to the Australian and New Zealand environments.”

MUARC looked at crashes involving 7,699 vehicles comprised of 90 different models, making it the broadest study of ESC-fitted vehicles carried out to date.

It found that:

  • Vehicles with ESC had a 32 per cent reduction in the risk of single vehicle crashes in which drivers were injured;
  • ESC was more effective in preventing single vehicle crashes for 4WDs (68 per cent reduction) than for passenger cars (28 per cent reduction);
  • ESC was more effective in preventing crashes resulting in driver injury than less serious crashes.

The study did not show if ESC was effective in preventing or reducing the severity of multiple vehicle crashes. But it did predict that ESC would prevent “nearly 500 serious injury crashes in Australia over the period to 2015.”

Have you felt ESC activate while behind the wheel? Did it help? If your car isn’t fitted with ESC, would you make sure your next car was?