News

Its December, and Christmas is just around the corner – can you believe it! At this time of the year we will all be doing more driving than usual –  shopping trips, trips to the beach, visiting friends and relatives – and for some of us, an annual road trip to holiday or spend Christmas with family.

If you are planning a long road trip, you need to think about preparing your car – this is not the time to have your car break down halfway between home and your destination due to something that could have been prevented with a little maintenance.

Even if your car’s services are up to date – it is a good idea to have your car checked over by a qualified mechanic before you leave on a long road trip. There are a number of things that can fail due to normal wear and tear, that only a mechanic will be able to pick up. Make a point of doing this at least 3 weeks before Christmas, so that if problems are found you will have enough time to get them rectified.

Here are some checks that need to be made:

• Check the level of fluids and top up where needed – fluids such as power steering fluid, windscreen washer fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, radiator coolant to name a few.
• Check your windscreen wipers and replace any work wiper blades if needed.
• Check the car battery for charge, corrosion, cables and fluid top up
• Check all of your vehicle’s lights to make sure that they are working properly
• Check the condition of all tyres (including the spare) for wear and correct inflation, and check the alignment of the tyres on the vehicle
• Have a look at the condition of the timing belt, spark plugs, hoses and connections in the engine
• Check on the condition of springs, shock absorbers and struts
• Check the condition of your brake pads
• Check the oil and air filters

If you are not a member of one of the automobile associations in Australia, and you don’t have a roadside assistance plan, consider joining, so that you will have access to a tow truck or roadside assistance if you need this.

While most roads and highways in Australia are safe, well-maintained and meet high quality standards, Australia is a very large country, and outside of the main cities is a vast area, much of which is remote outback, with variable road conditions.

Firstly, you really do not want to be stranded in a remote region of Australia, unprepared. If you are going into the outback, we would suggest taking some basic items with you, just in case:

• Detailed and current maps of the area
• A compass, matches and fire-lighter blocks
• As much water as possible
• Enough food for each person for two days
• Two changes of clothes – one for hot conditions and one for cold conditions
• Medicine/first-aid kit
• A complete set of tools. It is advisable to take two jacks and two spare tyres (correctly inflated of course).
• A radio, or preferably a 2-way HF radio with Flying and Telstra frequencies, as mobile phone signal coverage is limited in these areas. You may want to rent a satellite phone.
• A loud whistle.

Once you are fully prepared and on the road, look out for the following hazards in order to avoid an unnecessary accident:

• Getting your wheels caught in soft edges or verges of a gravel or dirt road. You need to slow down on roads like these, and try not to drive on these roads at night. Resist swerving and losing control, and if you happen to hit a verge, take your foot off the accelerator so that you can gently slow down while directing the wheels back onto the road. Remember that on a gravel road it will take longer for your car to stop, so slow down and make allowances for a longer stopping distance than normal.
• Rain after a long period of dry will create a slippery surface which can be similar to black ice when driving. If you travel too fast on the road you could end up losing traction and skating across the road.
• Wildlife and animals on country roads, especially at dusk. Driver more slowly and keep your headlights on high beam if there is no oncoming traffic. If you do experience an animal jumping out in front of you – brake, hoot and flash your lights to hopefully make it move away quickly.
• Flooded roads – avoid these and do not cross a flooded road or causeway, especially if the water is moving. It takes a surprisingly small depth of fast- moving water to sweep your car way.

There is no better way of exploring Australia than getting out of the city – and if you are prepared and cautious you can be sure to enjoy the experience!

According to research conducted by Insurance Australia Group (IAG) in 2016, 54% of Australian drivers state that they have trouble merging with traffic.

Many people have an issue entering a freeway or a busy road, and struggle to identify opportunities to merge with the traffic – irritating the stream of cars behind them. Exacerbating the problem are those drivers that simply will not adjust their speed to create a gap for a car to enter the stream of traffic – or worse, speed up to ensure that a gap cannot exist.

A lot of Australian drivers have difficulties on freeway on-ramps as well as bottlenecks along main roads, both of which are often hot spots for merging-related collisions.

Here are some tips for safe merging:

• When two lanes merge into one, the vehicle in front has the right of way.
• If there are two lanes, and the lane that you are in comes to an end, you need to give way to the vehicles in the lane that you are moving into.
• Always use your indicator to signal your intention to move into another lane when you want to merge.
• If there are long lines of traffic that is merging, take turns to merge – like a zipper.
• Match the speed of the road that you are merging into – don’t try to enter the freeway doing 40 km/h – you will be an accident waiting to happen. Try not to stop in the merging lane especially when you enter a freeway – you need to achieve the speed of the cars travelling on the freeway safely, within the distance available to you, without losing momentum while also timing the availability of a gap in the cars that you will be able to get into.
• If you are turning into a road with multiple lanes, use the lane closest to you to enter the road. You can move over to a further lane once you are safely on the road, merging one lane at a time.
• Never merge into another lane by crossing a solid line or a painted traffic island
• When you leave a freeway or a road with an off-ramp or separate turning lane don’t slow down until you have entered that lane.

In Australia, we drive on the left hand side of the road, with traffic travelling towards you in the opposite direction, will pass on your driver’s or right-hand side.

On single lane roads, you should drive as far to the left as practical.

On multi-lane roads, where the speed limit is 90 km/h or more, you must drive in the left lane. This also applies where there is a ‘keep left unless overtaking’ sign. In this situation, you can only drive in the right hand lane if:

• You are turning right, or making a U-turn
• You are overtaking
• The left hand lane is a special purpose lane (buses, bicycles)
• The left hand lane is turning left only and you are proceeding straight ahead
• There is an obstruction in the left hand lane
• The other lanes are congested with traffic

Overtaking other vehicles can be dangerous, and if you have any doubts, it is best not to overtake and to wait until it is safer to do so. The problem with overtaking is how to judge the space required to complete the manoeuvre safely.

You must overtake on the right unless there is a vehicle in the right hand lane that is turning right, is stationary or if you and the other vehicle are travelling in marked lanes – in these instances you can overtake on the left if safe to do so.

When you overtake, you should

• Not exceed the speed limit
• Ensure that the road ahead is clear, with enough space for you to overtake. Remember to check side streets and other lanes).
• Check your mirrors
• Give enough warning to other drivers by signalling in position for a suitable amount of time
• Check your blindspots for motorcycles and other vehicles
• Leave sufficient space between the vehicle that you are overtaking and your vehicle when you rejoin the left lane – you should be able to see the vehicle that you are overtaking in your rear view mirror before you move in front of it

Most regular drivers will say that drivers that clog up the right lane are one of the most annoying issues on the roads – don’t be one of these annoying drivers.

Australia as a country has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, and many pets travel in the family car on a regular basis. Do you have a pet that travels with you in your car and are they appropriately secured when you are driving?
If your pet is unrestrained in your car while you are driving, they may distract you, they may be flung around the car if you have to brake suddenly, or they may even jump out of the car and injure themselves. So many dogs are killed or injured each year while travelling on the back of open and moving vehicles – quite unnecessarily. If the dog jumps out they can also pose a danger to other vehicles.
Various states in Australia have laws that govern the transportation of animals in cars, and although there are differences in the wording, basically all of them require that the animals are not caused unnecessary harm or suffering, or that the mode of transportation is appropriate for the welfare of the animal. If you live in NSW, driving with an animal on your lap is illegal, as is transporting an animal on the open back of a moving vehicle unless it is secured.
There are a number of different options available for securing your dog in the car:

 A dog harness seat belt that secures your dog in position with a strap that plugs into the seat belt. This option is not good for a dog that is not well-behaved, or is likely to chew through the straps

 A zipline harness works well for active dogs that will not settle in the car, as it restrains them while still allowing them to move around

 A dog crate that is large enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in will work well for relaxed and confident dogs

 A plush carry box that provides for a harness to be attached to the carry box is good for small dogs as it will give them a view of their owner and surroundings

 A dog guard in the boot will allow your dig to see you, move around and will prevent the dog from being thrown forward in an accident. The dog guard should be bolted to the floor and roof of your car so that it is secure.

 A back seat hammock is great for older dogs as it allows them to lie down comfortably, while protecting them from falling off the seat and stopping them from climbing into the front of the car.

 A back seat barrier that blocks off access to the front of the car can be used if you have a larger dog that

Do you know how to change a tyre on your car? Have you ever had to do this yourself? If the answer to these questions is no – it’s probably a really good idea to find out and also get a bit of practice in. There is never a good time to get a flat tyre, and if this were to happen to you in the middle of nowhere, you should be in a position to help yourself.

Obviously, some preventative maintenance can help to avoid unexpected flats , although no guarantee. Check your tyre pressure regularly. If the tyre pressure is too low, it is easier for foreign sharp objects on the road to get into the sidewall of the tyre. You should also check your tyres for wear – and also to see whether there are any foreign objects like nails or large thorns, buried in the tyre. Check your spare tyre also – not too much use in a flat spare.

If one of your tyres is punctured while you are driving, you will notice that the steering pulls in one direction – slow down and safely pull off the road. Try to stop in a spot with space between the flat tyre and the road, and where you will be visible to other drivers. If you have roadside assistance – call them. If your car is equipped with run-flat tyres, you can proceed slowly to the nearest service station.

If you are going to change the tyre yourself, put on your hazards, and if you have a high-visibility vest, put this on, and follow the steps outlined below:

• Locate the spare tyre and the tools, as well as the owner’s manual
• Remove the hub cap if there is one, by prying it off with the sharp end of the lug wrench. Loosen the flat tyre’s lug nuts, without removing them entirely.
• Consult the owner’s manual to find out where to place the jack. Extend the jack until it reaches the underside of the car, and slowly raise the vehicle until it is about 6 cm from the ground, to allow you enough room to get the wheel off.
• Remove the loosened lug nuts, and take off the flat tyre by pulling it towards you. Replace it with the spare, sliding it onto the hub. Replace the lug nuts and finger tighten them.
• Slowly lower the car using the jack. Remove the jack once all of the weight is off the jack.
• Tighten the lug nuts on the spare tyre. Remember to tighten them so that they are fully secure, but not over-tightened. Replace and secure the hub cap.
• Put away the tools and the flat tyre in the boot

Have you ever left one or more of your kids in the car unattended while you quickly pop into a store, or to collect something from a friend, or to pay for your petrol at the petrol station? An intended minute or two that has turned into something longer? Is this safe? Is this legal?

Well, no. Firstly, it’s not legal. While penalties vary depending on which state you are in, the general rule is that children should never be left in a car unattended. The only exception could be if taking them out of the car is more dangerous than leaving them in the car – as in a busy petrol station – but, here you should either get petrol when the children are not with you, or pay at the pump.

Secondly, it’s not safe. What happens if your 1-minute errand turns into something more time-consuming? World wide, there are an average of 37 child deaths per year after having been left in hot cars for lengthy periods of time. You cannot assess the temperature outside and make a judgement on whether the temperature inside your car will be safe – a pleasant 20 degrees C outside can reach to up to 60 degrees C inside the car, and can reach 45 degrees C within the first 5 minutes. If it’s a hot day, at say 30 degrees C, you could be looking at 70 degrees C inside the car. Opening the windows slightly will only reduce the inside temperature by a few degrees. The colour of the car, outside or inside doesn’t make a difference to how quickly and to what extent the inside of the car heats up. Even with all of the doors fully open, there are lots of metal fittings inside a car that will heat up, posing a danger to small children.

This is all very scary when you consider that an internal body temperature of 41.7 degrees C is regarded as being lethal for humans. Children’s bodies heat up three to five times more quickly than do adults.

So bottom line – don’t take the chance, even if you believe it will be for only a minute or two – it’s illegal and definitely not safe.

Most of us spend a fair amount of time driving in our cars on a daily basis. We can’t always prevent breakdowns or accidents, but we can be prepared by keeping a few important items in our cars that will help in the event of an emergency.
Make sure that you have your licence, registration, insurance papers, car manual and roadside assistance information on hand. Add a pen and some notepaper should you need to write down details after an accident, and you are good to go.
A basic tool kit and/or multi-tool will come on handy if you need a screwdriver, a pair of pliers of a pair of scissors.
Wire and duct tape will help with workaround repairs such as reattaching an exhaust pipe or holding body panels or bumpers in place after an accident until you can get to a garage for proper repairs.
WD-40 spray lubricant – while duct tape helps with things that move when they shouldn’t, WD-40 can help with things that don’t move that should.
A first-aid kit will help you to deal effectively with any minor injuries or accidents.
LED flares and reflective triangles will help during a breakdown at night, when it is vitally important for other motorists to be able to see you.
A torch and spare batteries will help you to see things at night – don’t rely only on your phone.
Keep a travel map of Australia in your car, for those times when technology fails you.
Food and water – things like nuts, muesli bars, jerky and dried fruit will travel well and will last for a while. In the city, this could be a convenience – but in rural areas this could be the difference between life and death if you are stranded for a long period of time, in summer.
Face wipes will come in handy whether you are in the city or in the bush. In addition to being used to clean up after eating in the car, they are an essential if you are transporting children. They will also help tremendously if you need to clean up after tinkering in the engine or changing a tyre.
Always keep a spare phone charger and power bank in your car – and even a spare basic phone fully charged, would be a great backup should your primary phone fail.
A spare tyre, full size, in good condition and inflated to the correct tyre pressure is an essential to carry in your car, together with a tyre changing kit. Tyre inflators and sealers are also useful should you get a puncture. Many manufacturers supply a space saver spare as standard equipment – this will do in urban areas to help you get to the nearest garage – but if you are in rural areas, especially on roads that are not tarred, it probably won’t get you as far as you need.
Jumper cables can get you going again if you experience a flat battery. Remember positive to positive and negative to negative – having jumper leads handy can help you or another stranded motorist.
Coolant and water – if you are going on a long journey and your car overheats, you will be glad that you packed these.
Put an umbrella or rain proof jacket in your car, to make sure that you are covered for those unexpected rainstorms. Along these lines, sunscreen and a hat – in case you are stranded in the heat.