If you want to come to us and you are on the connecting road from the motorway, you first have to drive around 6 of these roundabouts. It’s like a round of roundabout roulette, where you’re betting on getting through without being hit by another car.

As in many countries around the world, roundabouts are becoming increasingly popular with traffic planners in Australia as they are believed to have some advantages over conventional intersections:

Roundabouts: A round thing for traffic flow

1. Safety First: Roundabouts are great at reducing accidents. That is a good thing because we all know how much of a headache dealing with accidents can be (literally and figuratively).
2. Improved Traffic Flow: Roundabouts keep the traffic moving, like a good dance party. There are no stop signs or traffic lights to slow things down, so you can just keep on rolling.
3. Reduced Congestion: Roundabouts can help reduce traffic congestion, which means less time spent sitting in traffic and more time enjoying life.
4. Lower Cost: Roundabouts can save money because they require less infrastructure and maintenance than traditional intersections. Who doesn’t love saving a few bucks?

Great for Cars, Not so Great for Pedestrians and Crowded Cities!

1. Increased Complexity: Roundabouts can be confusing for some drivers, especially those who are directionally challenged. It’s like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while driving.
2. Pedestrian Perils: Pedestrians might have to dodge traffic to get across a roundabout.
3. Larger Footprint: Roundabouts require more space than traditional intersections. But that can be a challenge in densely populated areas with limited space.
4. Gridlock Gremlins: While rare, roundabouts can get clogged up if too many cars try to enter at once or if people forget how to yield, which can be a recipe for chaos (or at least some honking).

Roundabouts reduce speed – sometimes quite abruptly

OK, the theory sounds pretty good: roundabouts are supposed to reduce the risk of accidents. But I wonder if anyone can explain that to the hoons in Australia. Because on Saturday and Sunday nights, the roads get wild and crazy. These incapacitated racers have only one goal: to pimp their modified cars and race around. And that works great on wide roads, as long as it weren’t for those damn roundabouts…

After every weekend, at least a few traffic signs on the six roundabouts on our arterial road are flat as a flounder. The city council then puts them back up the following week, but the next weekend the madness starts all over again. The hoons will probably even brag about their “adventure” when a roundabout suddenly emerges from the darkness and their spoilered and roaring vehicles are suddenly abruptly slowed down to a standstill.

Roundabouts: confusion about right of way and lane choice

It is not only on hoon nights that there are problems around roundabouts. When driving at roundabouts, many people don’t seem to know exactly who has the right of way or which lane to take. And often they forget to indicate. This confusion increases with the size and complexity of the roundabout, especially if there is more than one lane going in the same direction.

Yet the rules to follow on a roundabout in Australia are actually quite simple:

Rules on the roundabout

Probably the most important rule is that you must always give way to vehicles already on the roundabout. In addition, you should only enter when there is a sufficient and safe gap in the traffic, and of course always drive clockwise around the island.

If the lanes leading to the roundabout are marked with arrows, you must follow their direction.

If you intend to turn left:

1. Approach the roundabout in the left lane or lanes.
2. Blink left as you approach the roundabout.
3. Continue to signal to the left as you leave the roundabout.
4. Switch off the indicator after you have left the roundabout.

When driving straight ahead on a roundabout:

1. Approach without indicating.
2. However, turn left when exiting if appropriate.
3. Switch off the indicator when you have exited the roundabout.

To turn right:

1. Approach the roundabout in the right-hand lane or lane.
2. Blink to the right as you approach the roundabout.
3. Continue to signal to the right until you are ready to leave the roundabout.
4. Blink to the left before leaving the roundabout.
5. Switch off the indicator after you have left the roundabout.

However, every day we see people entering the roundabout in the left lane and then turning right. Or they indicate right but turn left or go straight ahead. And very often, when entering the roundabout, people do not pay attention at all to the vehicles in the roundabout that have the right of way. Basically, one must always drive carefully and defensively at roundabouts.

If you ever wonder why it’s called roundabout or traffic circle and not squareabout or traffic hexagon – now you know: it’s all about going clockwise around the island, not wildly geometric.

And if you are really unsure which direction to take at the roundabout, just take the exit back home and try again tomorrow.

The post And suddenly there was a roundabout … appeared first on GoAustralia.

If you spend more time in Australia than just on a short holiday or business trip, you might notice that the fuel price is very low in Australia in comparison to most countries in the world and that there are many big cars on Australian roads. Especially the omnipresent ute. Furthermore, a “hoon-culture” of “car-enthusiasts” is very distinct. Does all that have an effect on the average fuel economy. I wanted to find out.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) published 2019 a report, which – among others – adresses this question (“Fuel Economy in Major Car Markets: Technology and Policy Drivers 2005-2017“). That report investigates the fuel economy of newly registered light-duty vehicles (LDVs,) across the world from 2005 to 2017. LDVs are a category defined as passenger cars, passenger light trucks and light-commercial vehicles below 3.5 tonnes. For a better readability I will use the term “car” for LDV.

Average fuel consumption among the highest in the world

The average fuel consumption between countries differs substantially among countries, ranging between 5.2 l/100 km and 8.9 l/100 km. A big difference can be seen between

• advanced economies with a fuel price below USD 1/l –
  Australia, Canada and the United States, where average fuel consumption is in the 7.9 to 9 l/100 km range

and

• advanced economies with fuel prices above USD 1/l –
  European Union, Turkey, Japan and Korea, where fuel use per kilometre ranges between 5.2 and 6.5 l/100 km.

Australia consumes more than the global average car fuel consumption, reflecting larger and, therefore, less efficient vehicles.

Australia in 2017 had an average fuel consumption of 7.9 litres/100 km whereas e.g. Germany had 5.9 l, Italy 5.2 l and the USA 8.6 l/100 km. That means that Australian cars burn about 52% more fuel per 100 km than cars in Italy and 34% more than in Germany.

Heavier and larger vehicles

Advanced countries with relatively low population density and low fuel prices have larger shares of SUV/utes than other advanced economies. This is the case especially for Australia where about 30% of car sales were large SUV/utes (like e.g. Ford F-150, Toyota Hilux, BMW X5, Isuzu D-Max or Audi Q7) in 2017. In the same year, small SUV/utes (like Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V) accounted for 29% in Australia. Whereas the European Union, Japan and Korea, with much higher population densities and higher fuel prices, have smaller vehicles. In Japan, large SUV/utes had only 2% market share and small SUV/utes were just 9% of car sales in 2017. Large SUV/utes accounted for less than 5% of the car market in Germany, France, Korea and United Kingdom.

Also, vehicle weight is closely correlated with fuel use. 70% of new cars sold in 2017 in Australia weighed more than 1 400 kilograms. This ranks Australia among the world’s highest average vehicle weight markets. In contrast, around 70% of new cars in France and Italy weighed less than 1 400 kg, ranking them the most fuel-efficient among the countries assessed.

Furthermore, the report also found that city cars in the Europe Union are 15% more efficient than comparable ones in Australia. In general, it can be said that average fuel consumption in advanced economies with fuel prices above USD 1/l is more efficient than in similar vehicle size market segments in economies with fuel prices below USD 1/l.

Fuel economy improvement rate slowed down

Between 2010 and 2017, the overall average fuel consumption in advanced economies with fuel prices above USD 1/l improved by 15% and in advanced economies with fuel prices below USD 1/l improved by only 9.5%.

However, between 2015 and 2017 the average fuel economy improvement rate slowed down to 1.4% per year globally. And in advanced economies even to only 0.2% per year. Key drivers of the recent developments include the rapid decline of diesel sales in several major vehicle markets. This is most notable in Europe. Worldwide, 76% of new Cars sold in 2017 were petrol ones and just under 17% were diesel.

The growing consumer demand for larger vehicles is also a major determinant. Australia has had a particularly high market share of SUVs and utes, closing in on 60% in 2017.

Mandatory fuel economy standards have an effect

The fuel economy improvement rate of countries after implementing fuel consumption standards or efficiency-based purchase incentives was nearly 60% higher than countries without standards and incentives. The higher improvement rate is also reflected by the higher market share of electrified cars (hybrids, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles). Regulated countries are amongst others Canada, China, European Union, Japan, Korea or the United States. Wheras Australia has no regulations but some incentives like Brazil, Chile, Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.

Fuel saving technology – turbocharging

Turbochargers enable the recovery of energy from exhaust gases. This allows the engine to operate closer to its optimum efficiency throughout the drive cycle. In addition, vehicles with the same power rating can be produced with smaller engine displacement and lower engine weight, further reducing fuel consumption.

Nevertheless, the diffusion of turbochargers in petrol engines is lower in Australia where engine displacement remains far larger than elsewhere. The lower share of turbocharged petrol vehicles in Australia may be partly due to lower fuel octane values.

Electrification is going to be crucial

The electrification of cars is going to be crucial to ensure that fuel economy can be effectively improved. Countries that currently have high average fuel consumption values, like Australia, could benefit the most from electrification since electrified vehicle efficiency is less dependent on size and weight.

The uptake of fuel saving electric powertrain technologies (hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric) is higher in countries with regulations and incentives than those without. The market share in 2017 for electric powertrains only reached 1.1% in Australia where there are no federal fuel economy regulations, though several states provide incentives up to 4% of the vehicle price (Queensland Government, 2018; NSW Government, 2018).

No clear policy towards electrification

Unfortunately there is no clear policy in Australia regarding electric vehicles (EVs). A patchwork of conflicting regulations and road-user taxes between states and territories is inhibiting take up of EVs.

The Australian federal “emissions reduction minister”, Angus Taylor, has ruled out policies used elsewhere to drive EV uptake. These policies might include direct subsidies to consumers or a ban on new fossil-fuel car sales from 2030 or 2035 as promised in countries including the Germany, the UK, India, Thailand and Japan. Instead, the Australian federal government is spending billions of dollars on subsidies for the enormous twin cab utes that dominate Australian car sales.

However as of May 2021, Canberrans who buy electric and other zero-emissions vehicles automatically receive two years’ registration for free. The Australian Capital Territory already waives stamp duty for clean cars, and has promised households and not-for-profit organisations interest-free loans of up to $15,000 to buy them.

On the other hand also in May 2021, the Victorian parliament passed the country’s first road user charge – a tax on every kilometre driven – for EVs and hybrids. The Victorian government argues that it had to impose a new tax on EVs because drivers of those vehicles don’t pay fuel excise. This makes about as much sense as taxing nicotine patches on the basis that those giving up smoking aren’t paying tobacco excise any more.

But the New South Wales government just announced it will waive stamp duty on electric vehicle purchases and provide subsidies for 25,000 new purchases as part of a $490m strategy to drive uptake of EVs.

Conclusion

The 2019–20 Australian bushfire season was a major climatic event and the largest wildfires Australia has ever seen. At the same time, Australia is among the countries in the world with the highest average fuel economy and CO2 emissions per km. To change this is to increase the number of electric vehicles. A road user charge for electric vehicles should be many, many years off. Not now and not before Australia has a reasonably priced electric vehicle market and the right level of supply. The uptake of EVs needs to be encouraged.

The post Fuel economy and fuel price – big cars appeared first on GoAustralia.

Now a new Australian study by researchers at Monash University, QUT’s Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q) and the University of Melbourne’s School of Psychological Sciences, has found that cyclists are not human — or rather,  55% of their study group doesn’t see them that way. Bicycle riders in Australia are as unpopular as cockroaches.

This starts in the language and ends in dangerous actions, such as taking the right of way or throwing objects at cyclists. Common insults for bicycle riders Down Under are ‘cockroach’ or ‘mosquito’.

‘Cockroaches on wheels’ have no right to use the road

With this type of insult, a police officer in Queensland hit the headlines in 2014, denouncing bicycle riders on a social network as ‘cockroaches on wheels’ and declaring that ‘cyclists have no right to use the road’.

‘Cockroach on wheels’ – a strong image: After all, most want cockroaches crushed under their shoe soles or killed in another way. The case of the accused police officer illustrates exactly this ‘dehumanization’, from cyclist to cockroach: The linguistic comparison makes the people on wheels ideal targets for aggression and harassment, say the researchers.

In the study, cyclists and non-cyclists from different regions provided information on how they think about cyclists. On the basis of two development scales – from the monkey to humans and from the cockroach to humans – they should indicate at which point of the evolutionary stage cyclists are:

Abuse, cut, block

55 percent of non-cyclists surveyed did not assign cyclists completely to the human species. For the researchers, this also explains the following behaviours: 17 percent of respondents said they had once deliberately blocked cyclists, 11 percent had passed extremely close to bicycle riders, and 9 percent had already deliberately cut them off.

Once someone classifies someone other than ‘not totally human,’ he can more easily justify hate or aggression.

Mechanism: devaluation justifies discrimination

The results of the study were so striking that researchers recommend we abandon the word “cyclist” altogether, replacing it with the term “people on bikes.” Because as humans, we all share the streets with each other.

‘Once someone classifies someone other than ‘not totally human,’ he can more easily justify hatred or aggression,’

However, there is no need for a study confirming that bicycle riders in Australia are being harassed and cursed by many motorists on a daily basis. You just have to cycle a longer distance to experience this aggression yourself.

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