Economics

Banning unsafe cars may not improve safety

Attempts to improve safety by banning the import of older vehicles may actually keep older vehicles on the road longer, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety campaigner, says the government needs to remember what happened in 2008.

Government risks voter backlash over lowered speed limits

The government is likely to face a significant voter backlash if speed limits are reduced unreasonably, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety campaigner, says:

“It’s currently fashionable in government circles to blame speed for causing increased road deaths. The facts don’t support this view.”

“The government’s own statistics show that speed alone is a factor in just 15% of fatal crashes.”

Exhausted truck drivers major threat to road safety

Truck drivers regularly take terrible risks due to a cutthroat contract system, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

Editor Clive Matthew Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety campaigner, says the recent expose on contract truck drivers in New Zealand ”goes a long way to explaining the rising road toll.”

Petrol taxes are subsidising the trucking industry

Light petrol and diesel vehicles are paying far more than their share of transport taxes, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson says:

“Taxes on small vehicles pay nearly three quarters of the cost of building our highways. Yet these small vehicles get the least benefit from these highways. Effectively, the owners of petrol cars and light commercial vehicles are subsidising large trucks and buses.”

Better roads, less trucks, key to lowering road toll

Simple changes to our roads could more than halve the road toll, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

Editor Clive Matthew Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety campaigner, says:

“The single most urgent task is to upgrade our Third World roading system. Roundabouts at intersections, rumble strips, roadside fencing and median barriers alone could more than halve our road toll.”

Economy, cheap fuel, bikes and trucks drive high road toll

The government needs to fix our roads, move freight onto rail, make it harder to get a motorbike licence and target high risk drivers, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

Editor and road safety campaigner, Clive Matthew-Wilson, says:

Ex-cop expresses concern at police budget cuts

A proposal to axe 26 police from the Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit[1] has exposed deep flaws in police management, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety campaigner, says the proposal suggests the police management have lost their way.

Motorcycle levy system a failure, says safety campaigner

The government’s ACC motorbike levy system, which was meant to help meet the higher costs of bike accidents, has not improved road safety, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

The levy system has raised over $15 million, but the majority of it, which was supposed to be spent on road safety projects, remains unspent.

$2.9 million had been spent on road safety projects up to October 2016, projected to grow to $6.3 million by June 2017.

Multiple fatality ‘easily preventable’, says safety campaigner

Last Monday’s multiple fatality near Huntly could have been prevented by simple changes in rules and technology, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

Brisbane holidaymaker Stephen Phillips, together with his partner’s sons Jasper Williams, 14, and Ruben Williams, 12, were killed when their car collided with a truck on State Highway 1, after veering into the opposing lane.

Pages