Road safety

Kangaroos are involved in eight out of 10 car crashes with animals, new figures show. And the data has prompted experts to renew their warnings as Australians prepare to holiday at home: don’t swerve to avoid an animal. “You've got a fraction of a second to make a decision, and by that stage it's probably too late any way,” says Russell White, from the Australian Road Safety Foundation.

As the car industry applies the brakes on development of autonomous cars – and backtracks on promises over their ability and when they might become a reality – a report out of the US has caused more pause for thought. A detailed analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the US has determined autonomous cars may only be able to prevent one-third of crashes.

Police will be out in force this long weekend with a renewed focus on random roadside testing to detect drivers who could be affected by alcohol and drugs. Roadside testing was paused during the peak of the coronavirus crisis and widespread lockdowns, for the safety of officers conducting the tests and to prevent cross-contamination among drivers.

Mobile phone detection cameras have issued more than $7.1 million in fines to approximately 21,000 motorists in NSW in the first two months since authorities began issuing tickets instead of warnings. The high number of fines comes despite there being only a handful of mobile phone detection cameras in NSW – the first Australian state to adopt the breakthrough technology – in at least two fixed locations and a small but undisclosed number of temporary locations.

Australia’s love affair with utes is beginning to have dangerous consequences. An increasing number of ute owners are overloading their vehicles or fitting accessories that can cause irreparable damage and compromise safety, a peak industry body has warned.