Latest news with #AutomobileAssociation
Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
AA questions new electronic road user charges system
The Automobile Association has poked holes at the government's new electronic road user charges scheme being based partly on vehicle weight. Fuel taxes are due to be replaced in coming years, with all vehicles coming into the scheme. Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced this week petrol, diesel, electric and hybrid vehicles will pay for the road network based on distance travelled and the weight of vehicles. That would mean the end of the petrol tax of about 70c per litre being paid at the pump. AA principal policy adviser Terry Collins said basing road upkeep on vehicle weight in the nation's light fleet was flawed because heavy vehicles were the major contributor. There was "negligible" difference between a 1200kg car and a 2000kg car in relation to the damage they did to roads, he said. "It kind of irritates me when I hear about this weight thing on vehicles. The light fleet is not the vehicle that's causing the damage to the road, it's the trucks. You have to be about eight tonnes and then depending on your axle configuration that's when you are really starting to do damage to your roads. The light fleet subsidises the heavy industry [who] are the ones smashing up our roads and the potholes." A fair system would need to look at who was causing road damage and who should pay the repair bills. The government did not want to fully do this because they did not want to drive the cost of freight up as 94% of goods were delivered by truck, he said. AA members are also seeking assurances about private companies expected to gather charges and the privacy of data being collected. Mr Collins said car drivers wanted to know who would collect valuable data tracked electronically and how it would be used after the scheme was first introduced. He questioned if driver movements would be used for police enforcement or road safety by the Ministry of Transport. "Or will it be sold for somebody who wants to know how far you are travelling so they can sell you a car?" The administration costs of private firms would include a profit margin and they could be expected to "clip the ticket", he said. A cost breakdown for the road user charge had yet to be set, but was expected to be more than already being paid. Yet to be announced was whether plans to raise the fuel excise duty by 22c per litre over three years from 2027 would transfer to road user charges. Mr Collins said the government would take a hit on GST no longer being paid from 7c of tax removed for each litre of petrol bought at the pump. Overall, the AA supports the changes in principle because of their potential to unlock other benefits. Distance travelled was considered a better indicator of road risk than the amount of fuel being used as a basis for ACC contributions. Car drivers pay about 6c per litre for petrol towards ACC payments. Mr Collins said changes should also be made to motorbike registrations as motorcyclists often owned several bikes, but could only ride one at a time yet made multiple ACC contributions when not on the road. "By going to distance based it will be a much fairer way for them to make their contribution. So, we think that would be a really good outcome. We also think warrant of fitness should be based on the distance a car travels because distance travel is a better indicator of wear and tear than the age of the vehicle." Modern vehicles with a three year warrant could have completed 100,000km, yet a collector's car such as a 1955 Chevrolet had to be tested every year even though it might have only done 5000km a year. Combining all the systems based on distance would be better for motorists, he said. The AA will also watch with interest the scheme's impact on the uptake of more energy efficient vehicles. Road users on a distance-based charge who are paying $1.60 per litre for fuel after the tax is removed may be tempted to drive larger vehicles than a Suzuki Swift because they would not cost as much to run.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Salutes and sentry boxes mark 120 years of The AA
The AA is celebrating 120 years since it was founded by a handful of motoring organisation traces its origins to a committee that aimed to warn drivers of police speed took the name The Automobile Association on 26 June 1905 and went on to open England's first petrol station, erect early road signs and improve Basingstoke-based group now supports 14 million members through its fleet of yellow breakdown vans and other services. Early AA patrol workers were deployed on bicycles with the aim of "indicating dangers on the road and helping motorists who had broken down", according to the firm's AA badge on a car grille indicated membership and a requirement for the patrolman to salute the driver, sometimes conveying a a celebrated legal case - Betts v Stevens (1909) - a patrolman was convicted of obstructing police by deliberately giving a warning of a speed patrols stayed within the law by omitting the iconic AA salute in order to warn drivers. England's first petrol station was opened by the organisation at Aldermaston, Berkshire, in AA also erected early location signs and roadside sentry boxes equipped with custom of saluting ended in 1962, the same year that yellow AA vans began to replace patrol recent years, the organisation has campaigned on motoring issues, calling for new young drivers to be banned from carrying passengers for six months and for smart motorways to be scrapped. The AA has competition from a host of other breakdown firms, as well as in the insurance, travel and financial reported £1.9bn of net debt in April, down from £2.2bn the previous year. Chief executive Jakob Pfaudler said: "It is an honour to lead The AA as it celebrates its 120th anniversary."As the UK automotive sector evolves with electric vehicles, connected cars and autonomous technology, The AA and our patrols will always be needed to keep people on the road." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
1News
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- 1News
How to look after your car on these chilly mornings
Kiwi drivers are being asked to make sure their cars are winter-ready as temperatures drop across the country. Frozen windscreens, dead batteries and broken lights are all everyday experiences on frosty mornings and can lead to delayed commutes. 1News spoke with Automobile Association (AA) technical support lead Allister Wade, who offered some tips on how to make winter car care easy. He said winter was a great time to get your car serviced if it hadn't been recently. 'They'll look at things like your coolant and engine oil. All these things are going to be working a lot harder in these colder months. You want to make sure that they are all on top of their game.' ADVERTISEMENT Wade said keeping across the weather forecast was also important, as it meant you could plan for any curveballs the elements may throw. 'If you know it's going to be a frosty, cold morning, you can allow for more time to defrost your windscreen so you're not rushing out there in a vehicle that's not actually safe and ready to go on the road.' Keeping on top of ice (Source: One of the most common winter-related car issues Kiwis faced was a frozen windscreen. It's illegal to drive with an obscured windscreen in New Zealand. Last year, a Christchurch woman copped a $150 fine for driving with an ice-covered windscreen. Thawing out the windscreen can be a frustrating inconvenience, delaying your morning commute, but there are ways to get it done fast. ADVERTISEMENT Wade recommended parking your car closer to your house or the garage - if you have one. This stops the ice from actually forming. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including what will happen to food after supermarket blaze, Trump's dithering over the Middle East, and winter car care tips. (Source: 1News) For those who can't, he recommended allowing extra time to go outside and defrost the windscreen. This can be done by pouring cold water on the windscreen, or allowing the engine to warm the vehicle up and blasting the heater inside. You can also use a plastic scraper or debit card to scrape off the ice once it loosens. You should never use hot or boiling water, as the temperature difference could crack the windscreen. You can find a guide on how to de-ice your windscreen here. Wade said visibility was one of the most important things to be aware of in winter. 'I've seen so many people when I walk to the bus station, crouching down, looking through that little part of the front of the windscreen. They're not going to be aware of pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists.' ADVERTISEMENT This also extended to how visible you are to other drivers. Wade said winter was 'always a good time' to check that your lights worked. 'So even when the vehicles are defrosting, you can get one of the family members, if you've got the young kids or something around, to check all the lights. Make sure your headlights, your brake lights and your indicators are working.' Check on your battery A car battery with jump-leads attached. (Source: Car batteries don't last forever, and in the winter they're likely to be working hard to make sure all your vehicle's electronics are fully functional. To ensure your car starts every morning, Wade recommended getting your vehicle serviced so you're not using a battery that's about to die. 'They're going to be able to give you an idea of when it's getting there.' ADVERTISEMENT If your battery is nearing the end of its life and the car is becoming harder to start, Wade said you should turn all electronics (lights, heater, and radio) off when starting the engine, adding them on one by one. 'Almost like in a house. You don't have all the heaters on at once. It puts too much pressure on systems, and that's when the battery will get overloaded and go, you know, I'm not going to actually start today.' If you haven't driven your car for a while, Wade said you should take it for a drive the night before to make sure everything is working. Another thing to regularly check is your tyres. Wade said you should make sure all four tyres have equal pressure and treads in good condition. These chores could be done at home, petrol stations or local tyre shops. Drive to the conditions A car drives in a storm, Golden bay. (Source: When on the roads, it's important to be safe and drive according to the conditions. ADVERTISEMENT 'Like in the fog, just increase your distance between vehicles,' Wade said. 'Allow that little bit of extra time for people to have those delayed reactions. 'Treat everyone with respect. We're all in the same position. We all want to get to work and home.' He said alternatives, like public transport, could also be easier.
NZ Herald
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Herald
Israel-Iran attack: AA says petrol price panic pointless, severity of strikes will dictate impact on consumers
Israel's attack on Iran today has sent oil prices up. But any impact on New Zealand motorists and flyers should at least be delayed, the Automobile Association said. 'I saw the pre-attack indicators,' AA principal policy adviser Terry Collins told the Herald. 'The price of oil jumped about US$5
Otago Daily Times
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Young drivers' offending cut in half over decade: AA
Young drivers are committing fewer driving offences than a decade ago, but road deaths remain high, according to new research from the Automobile Association. The AA said between 2013 and 2024 overall rates of offending by 15 to 19-year-old licensed drivers fell by 41%. Drunk and drugged driving offences fell by 58% and seat belt offences dropped by 52%. AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen said it was encouraging that more young people were following the rules. "That's a real positive and demonstrates that we are heading in the right direction with the various road safety initiatives and legislative and policy changes that have been undertaken over time," he said. This included the driving age being raised from 15 to 16, the introduction of a zero-alcohol limit for people under 20 and the toughening of the restricted licence test, Thomsen said. "I think there's also been a bit of a cultural shift that's started to go on of a bunch of our younger drivers taking a few less risks and being a bit more careful," he said. The AA's data also showed a reduction in the number of fatalities of young drivers on the roads. New Zealand had a death toll of 16.6 road deaths per 100,000 licensed young drivers last year. This was compared to 19.7 deaths per 100,000 young drivers in 2023 and 22.5 deaths in 2013. "Even though the picture is better, we still have the worst rates of road deaths amongst young people of any developed country, and people under 25 in New Zealand die from road crashes at a much higher rate than older age groups," Thomsen said. "These figures show we need to be focusing on more than just enforcement to bring crash rates down even further." Thomsen said this latest data was timely with the government considering changes to the Graduated Driver Licensing System. The government was proposing to remove the practical driving test needed to get a full car driver's licence, and reduce the number of eye tests required. It was also proposing some new safety measures, including requiring drivers on a restricted to keep a clean driving record, halving the demerit threshold for learner and restricted drivers to 50 points, and a zero-alcohol limit for learner and restricted drivers of any age. Skills and training vital Any changes would be implemented in July 2026. "The AA supports some of the changes being proposed, in particular extending the zero-alcohol limit to cover a learner or restricted driver and more consequences if people offend while novice drivers," Thomsen said. "However, we also need to lift the level of practice, skills and training that young people have before they start driving solo to help reduce road fatalities. "The learner and restricted stages of the licensing system are the ideal time to instil practices and habits that will keep novice drivers and others safe on the road." The AA wanted three changes added to the government's driver licensing proposal: Increasing the learner period from six to 12 months to allow people to gain more experience under supervision before driving solo. Requiring a minimum 60 hours practice with a supervisor across a range of conditions on a learner licence. Professional training incentivised by accelerating progress through the practice hours system - for example crediting two or three hours following a one-hour session with a professional instructor.
