Heading on a road trip these school holidays but concerned about the price of petrol?

While the price at the pump is out of our control, there are a few ways you can save on fuel when you’re on the road.

1. Drive smooth – Save up to 30 per cent

Slamming your foot on the accelerator as soon as the lights go green isn’t just unnecessary, it’s also a waste of fuel. In fact, accelerating and braking aggressively can lower fuel efficiency by as much as 30 per cent, according to the Monash University Accident Research Centre.

Instead, gradually accelerate until you reach the required speed and brake earlier so you’re gentle on the pedal. This will help save fuel and reduce wear and tear on your engine, brakes and tyres.

2. Keep it cruisy – save up to 5 per cent

Do you have cruise control but never use this nifty function? You’re not alone. A survey by mycar Tyre & Auto found that three-quarters of Australian cars have cruise control, but just 32 per cent of motorists use the driving tool.

With sky-high petrol prices, it might be time to switch it on, particularly if you’re heading away these school holidays. Where possible and safe, use cruise control on higher-speed roads to help maintain a more consistent speed and reduce acceleration. Cruise control can reduce highway fuel use by up to five per cent.

3. Lighten the load – save up to 24 per cent

Does your family pack the entire house, including the kitchen sink, into the car or caravan before heading off on a road trip? A car packed to its maximum with a roof pod or roof box can increase fuel consumption by up to 24 per cent.

Before leaving the driveway, it might be a good idea to re-think what you’re carrying in your vehicle while on the road. Aim to pack as light as possible and only take items that you’ll need while you’re away. Buying your groceries locally is also A great way to support regional communities and get you on the road earlier.

4. Are those roof racks required? Save up to 15 per cent

Are those roof racks more of a decorative car feature than a platform to carry bulky items? When you’re not using roof racks, it’s best to remove them as they increase aerodynamic drag.

Taking kayaks or other large items on your roof racks these holidays? Once you’ve arrived at your destination, unload any bulky items before heading out to explore. Carrying unnecessary weight, especially on the roof, increases both drag and fuel consumption.

5. Check your tyres – save one per cent per 1 PSI

Underinflated tyres can increase rolling resistance when you’re on the road and can reduce fuel efficiency. Each one PSI below the recommended tyre pressure can increase fuel use by one per cent. So, before you hit the road, double check your tyres are inflated correctly.

Equally, don’t over-inflate your tyres as this can impact tyre wear and safety.

Check your owner’s manual to find the right pressure for your tyres. There may also be a sticker inside the driver’s door, in the glove box or on the fuel cap displaying the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle.

6. Shop around

Don’t just buy fuel at the closest petrol station – it could be cheaper if you shop around. Drivers can download the RAA app and check the real-time price of fuel at all petrol stations across South Australia. On top of that, it also shows which retailers have fuel available, so you can plan your journey accordingly.

Australia has very stringent fuel quality standards so you can be confident that the fuel you buy from small and independent fuel retailers will be up to the task.

7. Service and save

Keeping your car maintained and having it regularly serviced can help you save and stay safe on the road. A dirty air filter or old oil can make the engine work harder, because an engine that can’t breathe easy or move freely will use more fuel and could make your vehicle less safe.

The post 7 ways to save on fuel appeared first on samove.com.au.

With motorists likely annoyed by high fuel prices in recent weeks, here’s how not to add to their annoyance when refuelling.

While a sa move poll last November revealed some of your biggest petrol station pet peeves, there are another five ways you might be adding fuel to the fire without realising.

1. Stretching the hose across your car to fill up

Efficient or inconsiderate? The time-saving hack of stretching the hose across your car because your fuel filler is on the other side of the vehicle might be an ingenuous way to skip the queue.

Unfortunately, at most petrol stations it’s likely to annoy motorists patiently waiting their turn at the bowser. What’s more, pulling the fuel hose across your vehicle may damage the paint.

To avoid the frustration of other motorists, and your own should the hose scratch your ride, try to pull up at the pump on the same side as your fuel filler when possible.

2. Cleaning your entire windscreen while others wait

The pump isn’t the place to perfect your squeegee skills; however, well done, you must have watched our video on how to squeegee streak-free. Instead of holding up the queue behind you, thoroughly clean your windscreen at home before hitting the road.

If you really need to wash your windscreen at the petrol station, move your car to a parking bay and wash it there instead. That said, if nobody is waiting to fuel up behind you, give your windscreen a good scrub.

Why? If your dirty windscreen obstructs your view of the road, you can be fined $228 and a $105 Victims of Crime Levy. Best petrol station protocol is to put your fuel in your car, pay and leave as soon as you can.

3. Taking ages to drive off after paying

Whether a quick text or phone call, using your mobile phone when returning to your car at the bowser after paying isn’t the best idea.

When returning to your car, get in and your fasten seat belt and move away from the pumps. If you want to check your phone, park elsewhere away from the pump area.

In Australia, it’s illegal to hold a mobile phone in your hand or have it resting on any part of your body, such as your lap, when driving. This rule also applies when your car is stopped in traffic, or in this instance, in a petrol station with the engine running.

The phone does not need to be turned on or in use for it to be an offence.  You can be fined $573, a $105 Victims of Crime levy and three demerit points for this.

RAA Senior Manager for Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says phones should not be used while refuelling.

“The engine must be turned off as well,” he adds. “If you want to check your phone then move away from the bowser area and park, which means out of gear and parking brake applied.”

Aside from being unsafe, leisurely using your phone or taking longer than usual to leave the bowser is inconsiderable to other motorists queuing behind you. Remember, the fuel bowser isn’t a parking bay.

4. You speed and don’t give way to pedestrians

They’re officially known as road rules, but did you know some of these rules still apply when you’re, you guessed it, not on the road? For instance, driving through a petrol station.

According to Charles, if there’s no sign posted speed limit at a petrol station, stick to under 10km/h.

“Petrol stations can be risky for road users because they’re pedestrian hot spots and store large amounts of hazardous and flammable substances,” Charles says.

Giving way to pedestrians and cyclists is an important rule that can get forgotten when you’re in a rush. Always keep an eye on your surroundings, particularly people coming out of the station after paying and on footpaths between pumps.

5. Panic buying and filling unapproved containers

Before you jump in the car and head for the nearest servo, we hope you’ve managed to reach the end of this article for a very important public service announcement. There’s absolutely no need for a repeat of the toilet paper saga. RAA advises motorists not to panic buy fuel.

RAA Fuel Expert Peter Nattrass says if you’re looking for the cheapest fuel prices, the best place to start is the RAA app.

“But please, if you see queuing out onto a road, drive on by as you will find a convenient supply elsewhere,” Peter says.

Filling up approved containers and hoarding them at home is also not advised.

In Australia, you can legally carry up to 250 litres of fuel in approved containers for personal use.

Plastic approved containers have a regulated service life of five years with the manufacture date moulded into the plastic. Using older containers is considered non‑compliant and can increase the risk of leaks or ruptures.

Another reason not to stockpile fuel is fuel degrades over time, meaning it can expire or ‘go off’.

“How fast fuel expires depends on the type and storage conditions,” Peter says.

Our advice? If you’re going to fill up approved containers with fuel, make sure you use them to avoid wasting fuel and your money.

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In November 2025, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) began testing American-style ‘pick-up’ trucks, examining crash-avoidance systems on these large vehicles.

It won’t stop there either, with tighter rules coming into force in 2029, which will put these utes under tougher scrutiny. We examine how.

Why ANCAP is testing big utes

Aussies’ love for utes shows no sign of ending. Currently, the Ford Ranger is Australia’s highest-selling vehicle, with the Toyota HiLux another consistently strong sales performer.

In recent years, pick-up trucks, such as the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Dodge RAM, and Toyota Tundra have also become more popular in Australia.

The size of these vehicles – some of which can weigh more than 2500kg – has raised serious safety concerns for occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.

In response, ANCAP now assesses the collision-avoidance safety systems for large utilities and their ability to detect and avoid crashes involving vulnerable road users. Vehicles are given an overall safety rating for collision avoidance.

• Platinum: 80-100 per cent
• Gold: 60-79 per cent
• Silver: 40-59 per cent
• Bronze: 20-39 per cent
• Not recommended: 0-19 per cent

This testing is critical, because according to ANCAP’s European counterpart, Euro NCAP, large pick-up trucks pose a far greater risk to other road users than smaller vehicles.

What are the new rules?

In January 2029, new vehicle safety regulations will be introduced, which could force manufacturers to redesign some of their larger vehicles. ANCAP will develop the regulations in conjunction with Euro NCAP.

ANCAP will penalise vehicles with poor forward visibility; this means vehicles with high, vision-obscuring front-end designs will need to be revamped to achieve a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

The new protocols will also focus on direct vision, which is what drivers can see through vehicle windows, rather than cameras and digital mirrors. As a result, vehicles with thick A-pillars, high bonnets and large rear-view mirrors that block drivers’ view will be penalised.

This may have flow-on effects for organisations that mandate a five-star ANCAP safety rating for all vehicles in their fleets.

RAA’s Principal Advisor of Energy and Future Mobility, Peter Nattrass, welcomes the proposed new regulations.

“RAA supports measures to improve safety for vulnerable road users, who are overrepresented in deaths and serious injuries on South Australian roads,” Peter says.

“This year, we’ve already seen three pedestrian fatalities involving large vehicles, and we welcome these regulations aimed at improving driver visibility and enhancing collision avoidance systems.”

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Keeping our roads safe is everyone’s responsibility. So, when you see someone behind the wheel putting lives at risk, what would you do – dob them in or ignore their behaviour?

The scenario

You’re driving along Brighton Road minding your own business until a motorist, who likens their red hatchback to a Ferrari, speeds up behind you only to abruptly switch lanes before taking off up Ocean Boulevard. 

What you shouldn’t do

“If only there was a cop sitting at the top of the hill waiting for them,” you think to yourself.

Then again, you always wanted to become a police officer growing up. That’s when you question if you could match their speed and catch up to them with your notebook to record their plate number.

Before reading any further, take note of this: the above is exactly what you shouldn’t do.

If you’ve ever experienced someone driving dangerously – whether speeding like the above scenario or perhaps looking down not-so-discreetly at their mobile phone – your instinct (and the correct one) should be to keep your distance where possible.

According to RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain, one of the biggest mistakes a motorist can make is moving into the path of someone driving recklessly.

“When others drive without care, your best defence is distance, patience, and a clear mind,” Charles says. “In this instance, it’s best to back off.”

What you should do

Road users can report dangerous driving directly to South Australia Police (SAPOL) through their non-urgent police assistance line (131 444.)

From tailgating and running red lights to drink driving and texting, the sooner you report dangerous driving to SAPOL the better.

“Ensure you provide as much information in your report as possible,” Charles advises.

“If you have dashcam footage of the incident, include this as well as it can greatly assist the investigation.”.

Six steps to reporting dangerous driving

1. Observe the driving: record the time, day, date, and location of the incident.

2. Collect details: if possible, write down the registration number of the offending vehicle and a description of the driver.

3. Contact SAPOL: call 131 444 while the incident is occurring. Of course, if you’re driving, make sure you use hands-free or safely pull over if using your mobile phone. You can also use the Traffic Watch online form to report non-urgent, traffic-related incidents that’ve already occurred and don’t require police attendance.

4. Provide witness details: include contact details of any witnesses.

5. Keep records: maintain notes about the incident for your records.

6. The investigation: SAPOL will follow up your complaint and may issue a cautionary phone call or an official warning. In serious cases, they may issue a fine or court summons. Most complaints are handled with a cautionary letter sent to the vehicle’s registered owner, highlighting the incident and the police’s attention to the behaviour.

“If [the person reporting the incident] wants the matter to be formally investigated, they may attend their local police station to provide information and any supporting evidence (i.e. dashcam footage), so the incident can be assessed for further action,” a SAPOL spokesperson tells sa move.

“The information captured through the system helps make South Australian roads safer by assisting police in determining the future allocation of police resources and identifying areas of concern.”

What you should do if you’re a passenger in the car

Witnessing erratic driving can be scary, even more so if you’re sitting in the passenger seat of the offending vehicle.

Charles says a passenger’s silence can be as dangerous as a driver’s recklessness.

“Ask the driver to slow down, stop, or let you out – your safety is worth it,” he says.

The post Would you dob on a driver? appeared first on samove.com.au.

With a cheaper, new entry-level four-cylinder CX-60, Mazda is fighting back against cost-of-living pressures. But with no hybrid system on offer, is this mid-size SUV simply too thirsty for its own good?

Mazda’s mid-size CX-60 SUV sits just above its best-selling CX-5 and there are no fewer than 18 variants between its four powertrains and five grades.

While there isn’t an entry-level hybrid, there’s a mild hybrid 3.3-litre, straight-six in turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel guises.

Mazda also offers a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, and the 2.5-litre non-hybrid four-cylinder G25 which we tested.

At $44,240, before on-road costs, the four-cylinder, rear-drive G25 Pure kicks off the CX-60 range.

Features

Unlike other brands, Mazda has resisted the temptation to attach a few iPads to the dashboard and call it a day. The slim, 10.25-inch central infotainment screen is smartly incorporated and sensibly positioned. Even the base Pure variant comes with head-up display.

Buttons and dials – for features like audio volume and air-conditioning fan speed – abound in the CX-60’s interior in the best possible way. The CX-60’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both wireless.

Our only gripe is that the central display is not a touchscreen, but you do get used to using the BMW-style hand controller.

The wide Lexus-like interior means you’ll never touch elbows with the front passenger, while the driver’s seating position is spot on. The overall design – with its unapologetic European influence, straight lines and mix of materials – looks smart and grown-up. There’s plenty of space in the back seat, the boot is a generous 570 litres, and there’s a space-saver spare wheel.

Safety

All CX-60s come with 10 airbags, a 360-degree surround-view parking camera, front and rear autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning and blind-spot monitoring, and almost every other safety feature you could want or need in 2026. On the road, none of the CX-60’s active safety aids are annoying or obtrusive, so you aren’t tempted to turn them off.

Final word

For the most part, the CX-60 is easy and enjoyable to drive with its perfectly sized leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Unfortunately, with no hybrid option, the four-cylinder CX-60 is a thirsty beast. With a full, 58-litre tank, our G25 test car predicted a range of just 350km. On the motorway, we recorded an impressive 5.5 litres per 100km but during normal suburban driving, fuel consumption was double.

Choose your spec and pay an extra $6000 for the turbo-petrol G40e which adds all-wheel-drive, a mild hybrid, substantially more grunt and a healthy dollop of six-cylinder desirability. It might even use less fuel.

The post Car review: 2025 Mazda CX-60 G25 appeared first on samove.com.au.

Several years ago, drivers were faced with the exhausting task of turning on the windscreen wipers when it rained.

That’s all changed with many cars now fitted with sensors that instruct the wipers to turn on automatically when rain falls on the windscreen.

How does it work?

The rain sensor module attached to the inside of the windscreen contains LED infrared light transmitters.

The infrared light is directed at the windscreen at an angle sharp enough that the glass becomes a mirror, reflecting all the light back to photodiode receivers in the sensor – none of the infrared light passes through the windscreen glass.

However, when drops of water fall on the windscreen, this process is disrupted and some of the infrared light escapes through the water droplets, meaning less is received by the photodiodes.

When the photodiodes detect the reduction of light they’re receiving, they send a message via electronic gizmos to instruct the wiper motor to swing into action.

The more water splashed on the windscreen, the greater the loss of light signal received by the photodiodes, and the busier the wipers become.

The sensor sits in the area of the windscreen swept by the wipers, so it knows when the water has been cleared and the wipers can be switched off.

To ensure there’s no air between the sensor module and the windscreen that could affect the infrared light transmission, the sensor sits on a gel pad.  

Infrared light is used rather than visible light because infrared isn’t affected by other light sources, such as the sun and oncoming vehicle headlights. It’s also invisible to the human eye, so it won’t distract the driver.

Most systems have an override so the wipers can be operated manually if needed.

The first patent for this clever device was filed in1978 by Australian inventor Raymond J Noack, but the system wasn’t fully adopted by carmakers until the mid-1990s.

The post How do windscreen rain sensors work? appeared first on samove.com.au.

Whether we’re driving, walking or riding, we all have to cross roads, paths and railway lines. But, do you know your crossings?

Wherever there’s a crossing, there’s the risk of a collision, so take our quiz and get to the other side confidently and safely.

*Enter your answers, then click ‘see my results’ at the end to check your score.

1. The Fletcher Road railway crossing in Mount Barker has a 'Stop – look for trains' sign. You drive across it most days but have never seen a train pass. Do you still need to stop each time you cross the tracks?

A. Yes, but only when the SteamRanger train is running

B. Only if you see a train coming

C. Yes, you must come to a complete stop every time before crossing

D. You only need to give way, but not stop, at this crossing because trains are rare

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2. The 25km/h speed limit in school zones applies for which of these times?

A. Whenever children are present at any time of day, but only during the school term

B. Only between 8am and 9.30am and 2pm and 4pm during the school term

C. Whenever children are present at pick-up and drop-off times, but during the school term

D. Whenever children are present in the zone at any time of day, any day of the year

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3. You’re waiting at a level crossing for a train to pass. Once the train has passed, the boom barriers rise and you drive over the crossing without waiting for the lights to stop flashing. Have you broken the law?

A. Yes

B. No

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4. You’re walking west down Rundle Mall and arrive at King William Street. You notice the numbered pedestrian timer has started counting down. Is it illegal for you to start crossing King William Street?

A. Yes

B. No

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5. In this scenario, the red car is turning right onto North Street from Military Road at Henley Beach, while the blue car is travelling straight ahead. Three pedestrians are approaching North Street to cross. Which of these statements is most accurate?

A. The pedestrians must not cross North Street until all vehicles have exited the roundabout

B. The driver of the red car can legally enter the roundabout but must give way to the pedestrians crossing North Street

C. The driver of the blue car can’t enter the roundabout legally until the pedestrians have crossed North Street

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6. Emu crossings have white road markings, orange flags, and red and white posts either side. Where will you find an emu crossing?

A. Along the North-South Bikeway on Frome Street and Frome Road

B. In areas known for collisions between vehicles and emus, such as national parks

C. Within school zones

D. Nowhere – they’re called koala crossings, not emu crossings

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7. Which of these statements about the zebra crossing on Pirie Street in the CBD is most accurate?

A. All vehicles must give way to pedestrians and cyclists on or entering the crossing, but only during office hours

B. All vehicles must give way to pedestrians and cyclists on or entering the crossing, at all times

C. All vehicles must give way to pedestrians and cyclists on or entering the crossing, but only between 7am and 7pm

D. Pedestrians and cyclists must only cross when there are no vehicles waiting

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8. You’ve pressed the button at the pedestrian crossing near Hotel Eyre in Whyalla. The symbol turns green, and you cross while sending your friend a text. Could you be breaking the law?

A. Yes

B. No

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9. You’re on a pleasant weekend bike ride to Glenelg. Is it legal to ride your bike across pedestrian crossings on the way?

A. Yes

B. No

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10. Which of the following is the most accurate definition of a wombat crossing?

A. Sub-surface tunnel to improve safety for wombats near the road

B. Pedestrian crossing with a button that activates red lights

C. Crossing that enables pedestrians to cross in every direction

D. Pedestrian crossing with white parallel stripes on a raised section of road

The post Quiz: Do you know your crossings? appeared first on samove.com.au.

The traffic light has just turned green but the car in front hasn’t moved. You wait a couple of seconds then… beep. You give your horn a little tap to get the driver’s attention. Was it too soon to toot? Let us know by voting in the poll.

What the rules say

RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says sounding your horn too soon, like in this instance, might be considered an offence.

If you thought your horn sounded good at the time, how about a $228 fine and $105 Victims of Crime Levy? This is how much you can be penalised for improper use of your horn.

The Australian Road Rules defines a vehicle’s horn as a safety device which must only be used to alert other road users of danger. For instance, if the vehicle in front starts rolling back towards you at the lights. That said, if the driver in front isn’t aware that the light has turned green then a quick toot to alert them can be helpful to avoid you and anyone behind you missing the green signal.

While tooting to get your fellow motorists’ attention sounds helpful, you could potentially risk the safety of other road users. “Not only can you receive a fine for beeping a slower driver, but you may also distract other motorists and cause a crash,” Charles says.

What you should do

Lightly tapping your horn to alert them isn’t the same as aggressively holding your hand down to deliberately intimidate other drivers. That said, beeping someone because they’re not moving as fast as you’d like isn’t reason to get too horn happy.

There are a few other scenarios where you can’t use your horn – who knew beeping bye to a mate was against the rules? We’ve outlined a few instances where beeping other road users is acceptable here.

Final word

“Give fellow drivers grace,” Charles says. “It’s important to remember we’re sharing the road and there’s no room for impatience behind the wheel.”

Paying attention at signals so that you move off safely when the light or arrow turns green helps to not only reduce delays and frustration but avoids the need for a reminder toot from the driver behind!

The post Too soon to toot? appeared first on samove.com.au.