Latest news with #OntheRoad
Herald Sun
a day ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Secret Aussie driving rule revealed
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. Drivers are being reminded of a little-known rule that allows a special group of motorists to use transit lanes. This road rule applies to owners who display a blue EV tag on their number plates, giving them special road privileges in some jurisdictions across the country. This policy, as noted by Yahoo News, allows single occupants driving electric vehicles in New South Wales and the ACT to use transit lanes that are designated for multiple passengers. It was first introduced in 2022 as part of a broader initiative by both territory and state governments to support the shift to zero-emission vehicles. EVs are allowed to use T2 and T3 lanes. (AAP Image / Julian Andrews). MORE: New Aussie 'super hybrid' could be 'the one' The decision to allow electric vehicles in transit lanes was also a strategic move to make EVs more attractive to the average Australian, with the promise of being able to use the express lanes. The policy was initially intended to conclude by the end of 2022; however, it has been extended several times since, with the latest extension being until June 30, 2027. This privilege is not available to EV owners in other states. Vehicles with a blue EV tag can use T2 and T3 lanes in NSW and ACT. Photo: Dave Swift. Transit lanes play a crucial role in managing traffic flow and reducing congestion on busy roads. These lanes are specifically designed to encourage carpooling by requiring a minimum number of passengers — two for T2 lanes and three for T3 lanes. According to the NSW Government's official guide, 'Transit lanes can be used by vehicles containing a certain number of people.' Transit lanes are designed for vehicles who have two more occupants. (AAP Image / Julian Andrews). MORE: 'Truly impressive': Australia's Westworld unveiled 'Electric vehicles are also permitted to drive in transit lanes regardless of the number of occupants until 30 June 2027.' In addition to electric vehicles, transit lanes are accessible to a variety of other vehicles, regardless of the number of occupants. Public buses and minibuses, taxis, emergency vehicles, hire cars with HC number plates, motorcycles, and bicycles are permitted to use these lanes. Drivers with less than the required number of people are allowed by law to enter a transit lane for a maximum of 100m to 'enter or leave the road', 'overtaking another vehicle turning right or making a U-turn' or 'entering a lane from the side of the road'. Originally published as Secret Aussie driving rule revealed
Courier-Mail
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. A new report has found Aussie drivers are increasingly disabling safety systems found in modern cars which are designed to prevent serious crashes. An analysis by insurance company AAMI Insurance found a surprising one in five drivers admitted to turning these safety features off. It comes as new claims data, analysing more than 480,000 claims, from AAMI found nose to tail crashes were the most common, with afternoons being the worst time of day. Drivers are being urged to keep ADAS enabled. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard MORE: 'Musk on mute' as pet project crashes AAMI Motor Prevention Manager Mary Kennedy, says modern safety systems are designed to protect road users and encourages Aussies to embrace new technologies instead of turning them off. 'In-car safety features aren't just gadgets, they're designed to help protect us and make our roads safer,' Mary said. 'Many of the safety features drivers are turning off, like collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are really effective at preventing these types of crashing, along with many others, including reversing into another vehicle or object such as a trolley or bollard.' Of those Australians who confessed to disabling in-car safety driving features, the overwhelming majority, 69 per cent, cited that they found the systems 'annoying', 'distracting', or 'too sensitive'. Nissan Pathfinder LDW MORE: 'So lost': Huge issue hurting Aus drivers most Additionally, 23 per cent of drivers believed they 'don't need' in-car safety features, while 13 per cent expressed concerns that they just 'don't trust' them. The most commonly dialled-down or turned-off safety features were lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warning (see table below). This trend is particularly concerning, given that more than half of Australian drivers (59 per cent) agree that safety features improve road safety and reduce the severity and frequency of accidents. Subaru Infrared Driver Monitoring System detects drowsy drivers and distracted drivers on mobile phones. Picture: Supplied. Blind Spot Monitor warning in a side mirror MORE: Huge change coming to Aussie roads AAMI's claims data further supports this, showing that ADAS-enabled vehicles are less likely to be involved in an accident when compared to vehicles without this technology. When asked readers earlier this year whether modern cars are becoming too annoying and complicated, 94 per cent of the 10,102 voters agreed. Arthur, one commenter, said 'Lane keeping is useless on Aussie regional and rural roads. Your try to stay out of potholes and trucks squeezes you and the car jerks you back into the trenches.' Subaru says its next-generation EyeSight technology will automatically call for help following a crash. Australia has been slower to adopt driver monitoring systems. Picture: Supplied. While another user said 'Modern cars are intrusive and annoying.' Mary Kennedy is strongly urging drivers to keep Advanced Driver Assistance Systems activated in cars that support it and to adapt to the evolving changes in modern cars. 'Drivers should understand and use these safety features to enhance their own awareness, reduce the risk of human error, and avoid getting into an accident in the first place,' Mary said. 'We know through our claims data that Friday continues to be the worst day of the week, and afternoons are the most dangerous time on our roads.' Originally published as 'Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
Daily Telegraph
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Telegraph
‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. A new report has found Aussie drivers are increasingly disabling safety systems found in modern cars which are designed to prevent serious crashes. An analysis by insurance company AAMI Insurance found a surprising one in five drivers admitted to turning these safety features off. It comes as new claims data, analysing more than 480,000 claims, from AAMI found nose to tail crashes were the most common, with afternoons being the worst time of day. Drivers are being urged to keep ADAS enabled. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard MORE: 'Musk on mute' as pet project crashes AAMI Motor Prevention Manager Mary Kennedy, says modern safety systems are designed to protect road users and encourages Aussies to embrace new technologies instead of turning them off. 'In-car safety features aren't just gadgets, they're designed to help protect us and make our roads safer,' Mary said. 'Many of the safety features drivers are turning off, like collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are really effective at preventing these types of crashing, along with many others, including reversing into another vehicle or object such as a trolley or bollard.' Of those Australians who confessed to disabling in-car safety driving features, the overwhelming majority, 69 per cent, cited that they found the systems 'annoying', 'distracting', or 'too sensitive'. Nissan Pathfinder LDW MORE: 'So lost': Huge issue hurting Aus drivers most Additionally, 23 per cent of drivers believed they 'don't need' in-car safety features, while 13 per cent expressed concerns that they just 'don't trust' them. The most commonly dialled-down or turned-off safety features were lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warning (see table below). This trend is particularly concerning, given that more than half of Australian drivers (59 per cent) agree that safety features improve road safety and reduce the severity and frequency of accidents. Subaru Infrared Driver Monitoring System detects drowsy drivers and distracted drivers on mobile phones. Picture: Supplied. Blind Spot Monitor warning in a side mirror MORE: Huge change coming to Aussie roads AAMI's claims data further supports this, showing that ADAS-enabled vehicles are less likely to be involved in an accident when compared to vehicles without this technology. When asked readers earlier this year whether modern cars are becoming too annoying and complicated, 94 per cent of the 10,102 voters agreed. Arthur, one commenter, said 'Lane keeping is useless on Aussie regional and rural roads. Your try to stay out of potholes and trucks squeezes you and the car jerks you back into the trenches.' Subaru says its next-generation EyeSight technology will automatically call for help following a crash. Australia has been slower to adopt driver monitoring systems. Picture: Supplied. While another user said 'Modern cars are intrusive and annoying.' Mary Kennedy is strongly urging drivers to keep Advanced Driver Assistance Systems activated in cars that support it and to adapt to the evolving changes in modern cars. 'Drivers should understand and use these safety features to enhance their own awareness, reduce the risk of human error, and avoid getting into an accident in the first place,' Mary said. 'We know through our claims data that Friday continues to be the worst day of the week, and afternoons are the most dangerous time on our roads.' Originally published as 'Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
Daily Telegraph
6 days ago
- Daily Telegraph
‘He was a top lad': Man charged with murder after 15-year-old e-bike rider mowed down in horror crash
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. A 59-year-old UK man has been charged with murder after a 15-year-old boy was mowed down while riding an e-bike through a council estate in Middleton, Greater Manchester. Terrence King was arrested on suspicion of murder following the horror crash just before midday on Tuesday, after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) responded to reports of a collision between a car and an e-bike on Rowrah Crescent. The victim has been identified as Devon Simmonds, with locals describing the teen as a 'top lad' and 'very respectable'. CCTV footage of the incident showed Simmonds riding down the road, pursued by a black car. Devon Simmonds seen just before the fatal crash. Picture: Supplied As the teen turns around to ride back the way he came, the car veers left and smashes into him headfirst. Emergency services immediately attended but Simmonds was pronounced dead at the scene. His family are being supported by specialist officers. Police announced on Thursday afternoon that Mr King, of Caslterigg Drive, Middleton, had been charged with murder. He was remanded in custody to appear Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday, July 28. He is run down by a black car. Picture: Supplied Police said they were also investigating allegations of theft leading up to the incident. A 15-year-old boy previously arrested on suspicion of theft as part of the wider investigation has been bailed pending further enquiries. One neighbour who knew Simmonds and his family told the Manchester Evening News, 'This involves the family of my friend. When something like this happens you just try to keep out of the way because it's a sad thing.' The 15-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Picture: BBC Another resident who said they knew of the teen told the newspaper, 'He was a top, top lad. Lived on this estate all his life and a lot of people knew him. He was very respectable, obviously it's a horrible thing to happen to him and his family.' Detective Inspector Andrew Naismith, from GMP's Major Incident Team, said the investigation was 'already moving at considerable pace and we have now secured a murder charge as part of our work'. 'He was a top, top lad.' Picture: Facebook 'There is still much to do, and our officers are carefully combing through all available evidence to build a picture of the events of that day,' he said in a statement. 'I am aware of footage of the incident circulating online, and I would ask people to not share this footage due to ongoing proceedings, and out of respect for the boy's family, who I would remind people are grieving at this time. As we continue with our investigation, I would urge anyone with information to please get in touch — either to GMP directly or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.' Police had earlier urged members of the public not to 'speculate' about the incident. 'I want to remind people that at the heart of this is a grieving family, and I would ask the community to not speculate on social media while we piece together the events of earlier today,' Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Dean, from GMP's Rochdale district, said on Tuesday. Originally published as 'He was a top lad': Man charged with murder after 15-year-old e-bike rider mowed down in horror crash
Courier-Mail
6 days ago
- Courier-Mail
‘He was a top lad': Man charged with murder after 15-year-old e-bike rider mowed down in horror crash
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. A 59-year-old UK man has been charged with murder after a 15-year-old boy was mowed down while riding an e-bike through a council estate in Middleton, Greater Manchester. Terrence King was arrested on suspicion of murder following the horror crash just before midday on Tuesday, after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) responded to reports of a collision between a car and an e-bike on Rowrah Crescent. The victim has been identified as Devon Simmonds, with locals describing the teen as a 'top lad' and 'very respectable'. CCTV footage of the incident showed Simmonds riding down the road, pursued by a black car. Devon Simmonds seen just before the fatal crash. Picture: Supplied As the teen turns around to ride back the way he came, the car veers left and smashes into him headfirst. Emergency services immediately attended but Simmonds was pronounced dead at the scene. His family are being supported by specialist officers. Police announced on Thursday afternoon that Mr King, of Caslterigg Drive, Middleton, had been charged with murder. He was remanded in custody to appear Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday, July 28. He is run down by a black car. Picture: Supplied Police said they were also investigating allegations of theft leading up to the incident. A 15-year-old boy previously arrested on suspicion of theft as part of the wider investigation has been bailed pending further enquiries. One neighbour who knew Simmonds and his family told the Manchester Evening News, 'This involves the family of my friend. When something like this happens you just try to keep out of the way because it's a sad thing.' The 15-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Picture: BBC Another resident who said they knew of the teen told the newspaper, 'He was a top, top lad. Lived on this estate all his life and a lot of people knew him. He was very respectable, obviously it's a horrible thing to happen to him and his family.' Detective Inspector Andrew Naismith, from GMP's Major Incident Team, said the investigation was 'already moving at considerable pace and we have now secured a murder charge as part of our work'. 'He was a top, top lad.' Picture: Facebook 'There is still much to do, and our officers are carefully combing through all available evidence to build a picture of the events of that day,' he said in a statement. 'I am aware of footage of the incident circulating online, and I would ask people to not share this footage due to ongoing proceedings, and out of respect for the boy's family, who I would remind people are grieving at this time. As we continue with our investigation, I would urge anyone with information to please get in touch — either to GMP directly or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.' Police had earlier urged members of the public not to 'speculate' about the incident. 'I want to remind people that at the heart of this is a grieving family, and I would ask the community to not speculate on social media while we piece together the events of earlier today,' Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Dean, from GMP's Rochdale district, said on Tuesday. Originally published as 'He was a top lad': Man charged with murder after 15-year-old e-bike rider mowed down in horror crash
