Road Rules

The Federal Government receives approximately $20 billion each financial year from fuel excise – currently 42.3 cents per litre of diesel and petrol pumped at the bowser – but only 22 cents out of every dollar raised is funnelled back into roads. On the eve of the Federal Budget, the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has renewed calls for roads to receive a fairer share of the funds raised by motorists.

Ford is leading a research project in the United Kingdom that could see road travel in urban centres become easier and safer thanks to the ability to "foresee traffic incidents" and prevent them from happening. Ford Mobility has partnered with a group of councils, transport bodies and universities to create a predictive road safety tool that utilises data from connected vehicles, local authorities and roadside sensors to identify high-risk hotspots.

Thousands of drivers caught by NSW mobile phone detection cameras have avoided accruing demerit points through the use of a “dangerous loophole," according to the NSW Shadow Minister for Roads, John Graham. Mr Graham told CarAdvice motorists do not receive license penalties if their offence is referred to a company that does not identify them.

MORE: All COVID-19 coverage here The free ride – or free car parking – is about to come to an end across Australia. Councils across the country are getting ready to chalk tyres and issue parking tickets as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are gradually eased. As previously reported by CarAdvice, many suburbs across Australia enjoyed free parking as councils took the bombers off the beat to help communities handle working from home orders and social distancing measures.

There is widespread confusion about what constitutes "non-essential travel" during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown period, after a young Victorian learner driver was fined for embarking on a driving lesson with her mother, only to have the fine withdrawn days later. Hunter Reynolds, a 17-year-older learner driver from Victoria, made headlines when she was penalised $1652 by Victoria Police for taking a drive around Melbourne with her mother serving as supervising driver.