A sure-fire way to extend the life of your engine is to check the oil. The right quantity and quality of oil lubricates components, clears out debris, and prevents corrosion – all vital for engine health and performance.

Your owner’s manual will outline recommended oil change intervals, but it pays to check at home between services.

1. Hot or cold?

For accuracy, check the oil on level ground with the engine at operating temperature, rather than stone cold. To get there, let the engine idle for about five minutes, then turn off the ignition and lift and secure the bonnet. Do it the same way each time so you can compare readings and monitor any changes. Be mindful of hot surfaces before you start touching anything.

2. Find the dipstick

If your engine doesn’t have a dipstick, consult your owner’s manual to see how to check levels. But if it does, it’ll be on top or at the side of the engine block, usually with a red, orange, or yellow ring or handle. Consult your owner’s manual if you’re having trouble finding the dipstick. Have a clean, lint-free rag in your other hand, then pull firmly on the dipstick to remove it. Wipe the dipstick on the rag, reinsert it fully into its tube, then remove it again.

3. Check the level

The dipstick should have two lines or marks near the bottom end to indicate the oil level. They indicate MAX for maximum and MIN for minimum, H for high and L for low, or something similar. The oil level should sit between the two, or on the maximum line if the car’s just been serviced. Near or below the minimum means it needs a top-up. If the oil is dark brown or black, watery or sludgy, have an RAA Approved Repairer take a look. Worth noting: some diesel engines have an extra indicator above the full mark, and oil levels can sometimes rise on their own between services. Check your owner’s manual if anything looks unusual.

4. Oils ain’t oils

Okay, we’ve borrowed a line from an old Castrol commercial, but the point stands. Motor oils differ by type (mineral, semi-synthetic and synthetic) and by viscosity (resistance to flow). Check your owner’s manual or consult an expert before adding oil to your engine. If you need a top-up, place a funnel into the oil filler hole and add the oil gradually. Check the dipstick regularly as you refill to avoid overfilling.

The post How to check your oil appeared first on samove.com.au.

Your caravan’s hitched to the four-wheel-drive and you’re heading off on a long-awaited road trip.

Your friends live on the way, and they’ve offered their driveway for the night to break up the journey. But can you camp there legally?

When you’re caravanning or camping on a person’s private property, you’re generally governed by your agreement with the owner, rather than the law.

Is it legal to camp in a driveway?

Yes, if it’s for a short time and you have the owner’s permission. There’s no specific South Australian law that prohibits camping on a person’s private property.

What are some general rules?

If you’re staying in someone’s driveway for a night or two, be considerate and make sure your vehicle isn’t blocking the footpath, impeding pedestrian access or obstructing access for emergency vehicles and workers. Your vehicle also mustn’t obstruct neighbouring properties or create a nuisance.

Is it ever illegal?

Without permission it’s a different story; turning up uninvited and setting up camp could result in a visit from police.

In some residential zones, using a caravan or motorhome as a permanent or semi-permanent dwelling – even on private property – may be considered a change of use that requires development approval. This is more relevant for longer-term stays than a night or two.

What about camping on public property?

Parking a caravan or motorhome on public property, like a residential street, is generally allowed, subject to local parking rules. The vehicle must be registered and roadworthy, and legally parked. If the caravan is hitched to a tow vehicle and the combined length is 7.5 metres or more, it’s classed as a ‘long vehicle’ under the Australian Road Rules and can only be parked for one hour in a built-up area unless signage says otherwise.

However, in most areas you’re not allowed to sleep or live in the vehicle while it’s parked. Pull your Kombi up to a car park near the Adelaide Parklands and sleep the night and you’re breaking the law.

Parking a caravan or motorhome on the verge – the strip of land between private land and the road – is also generally not allowed in SA. It can damage infrastructure such as irrigation and underground cables, and most councils prohibit you from doing this.

The short answer

A short stay in a friend’s driveway with their permission is generally fine in practice. But if you’re planning on staying for the long term, check with the local council to make sure you’re obeying the rules.

The post Can I camp in my friend’s driveway? appeared first on samove.com.au.

Giving way to pedestrians is a given, but is there ever a time when people on foot have to wait for drivers? Surprisingly, there are some scenarios where pedestrians must stop for motorists.

1. When walking across the road without a crossing

It’s not often you see a pedestrian casually walking across a road expecting drivers to stop for them (it’s rare but unfortunately not unheard of).  

Here, the pedestrian waiting to cross the road must give way to a driver travelling straight along the road they’re waiting to cross. It goes back to basics: stop, look, listen and think. However, a driver must give way to any pedestrians attempting to cross the road the driver is about to turn either left or right into. 

The rules change when there’s a crossing; in this case, the driver must then give way to the pedestrian.

2. When at a roundabout

Roundabout road rules can send anyone’s head into a spin. That’s why it’s important for all road users to be across the rules, including pedestrians. 

Under the Australian Road Rules, pedestrians and bicycle riders should give way to any vehicle or bicycle rider entering or exiting a roundabout. In this scenario, pedestrians should wait for a safe gap in traffic before crossing and never step into the path of vehicles navigating the roundabout.   

According to RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain, pedestrians should also never stand on the roundabout island.

“This can be extremely dangerous and shouldn’t be used as a space to seek refuge,” Charles says.

Instead, he urges pedestrians to always cross the road outside of a roundabout and use the designated pedestrian path and ramps, where provided. 

“The safest option is to use these crossing points which are generally located a few metres away from the roundabout roadway at the intersection,” Charles says. 

“If there’s a marked crossing nearby, use that as an even safer route.”

Motorists are only required to give way to pedestrians at a roundabout when there’s a marked pedestrian crossing. These ‘pedestrian priority’ roundabouts typically have zebra crossings at one or more legs; you may have spotted a couple at Henley Beach on Military Road at its intersections with North Street and South Street.

3. When pedestrian crossing signals show a red person

The red person starts flashing. When this happens, pedestrians need to wait and shouldn’t start to cross the road, unless they’re already in the process of crossing. 

Unfortunately, some pedestrians think they’re faster on their feet than they really are. Quick dashes across the road before the light goes green for vehicles are never a good idea. 

“There are no medals for making it across the road in the most dangerous way possible,” Charles says. There are fines though (keep reading for more on that).

According to Charles, pedestrians shouldn’t start to cross once the red symbol appears; instead, should wait for the next green pedestrian light, even if it costs you a few seconds.

Bonus: T-junction

We’ve thrown in this give way scenario (pictured above) as a bonus because it recently tripped one in three of you up in our ‘Who goes first?’ quiz last month.

In this scene, the red and green cars must give way to the pedestrian, but surprisingly, the blue vehicle isn’t legally required to give way to the person on foot. In this example, the pedestrian must in fact give way to the blue car.

“The safest option is for the person on foot to wait until all traffic clears. Once the intersection is completely empty, the pedestrian can safely cross,” Charles says. 

“The drivers of all cars should be aware of the pedestrian and not proceed until making eye contact with the pedestrian to ensure their intent to wait for traffic to clear.”

Can a pedestrian be fined for not giving way?

Caught failing to give way or obstructing the path of vehicles in any of these three scenarios? Don’t be surprised if you walk straight into a $63 fine, plus don’t forget the $108 Victims of Crime Levy. This is the penalty pedestrians face by causing potential traffic hazards, like stepping out in front of a car at a roundabout, crossing on a solid red pedestrian light or failing to cross a road by the shortest safe route.

Final word

While vehicles don’t typically have to give way in any of these situations, Charles says drivers shouldn’t be complacent and always look out for pedestrians.

“A driver’s duty of care remains, whether there are pedestrians around or not,” Charles says.

“Motorists must always drive with due attention and take all necessary steps to avoid colliding with a pedestrian if they have already stepped onto the road.”

The post 3 times you don’t have to give way to pedestrians appeared first on samove.com.au.

It’s been nearly 30 years since Jodi Clerke was found in a ditch after falling asleep at the wheel and slamming into this tree (pictured above) at 85km/h, just a few streets from her front door. Jodi was barely six kilometres and less than 10 minutes from her driveway. It’s a miracle she’s alive to tell her story; one that hits far too close to home.

Jodi Clerke was just 19 in 1997 when she was returning home to Strathalbyn on the Fleurieu Peninsula from her sister’s in Hackham, desperate to get to her volunteering job after a night as designated driver for her mates.

“I was always a designated driver when we went out,” Jodi, now 47, says. “I remember stopping to buy strawberry milk and that’s it.”

Police reports suggest Jodi fell asleep while driving, resting her foot on the accelerator and crashing close to home. She was found by her neighbour Jim who, to this day, lives just a couple of streets from her.

“Jim was leaving Strathalbyn as I was coming in,” Jodi says. “He drove past and saw the tail lights of my car and steam coming up from the bonnet. “I had a few corners left and then it’s a straight road all the way to my house.”

Jodi’s story may sound familiar. Most people have probably driven the roads around their home more times than they can count. The dirt corner on Paris Creek Road is a spot Jodi knew well and a route she’d taken hundreds of times before.

“You go into autopilot the closer you get to home. The more relaxed you are, the more you don’t pay attention to the road because three more turns and you’re home, right? Your body goes into relax mode.”

That’s exactly what happened just minutes from Jodi’s home when the engine from her white Datsun 180B bounced off her thigh and ended up in the passenger seat. Three millimetres closer to the centre of the car and she would have been crushed and killed instantly.

Jodi’s knees were stuck under the dash, her lungs collapsed and her voice box was broken along with her collarbone, arms and hip; even her thigh bone broke through the socket, shattering her rib cage. Every part of Jodi’s body was damaged except her head. However, most of Jodi’s injuries probably pale in comparison to her flatlining three times that day with her heart needing restarting.

Home sweet home

For many drivers, the most dangerous part of a journey isn’t the highway stretch or the unfamiliar detour; it’s the final few minutes, just around the corner from home. It feels safe, predictable and almost automatic.

Despite it being nearly three decades since Jodi’s crash, she relives it almost every day, partly because she regularly drives past the crash site in the charming town she still calls home.

“I always look at it,” says Jodi of the crash site. “It’s like reliving the moment every time. It never leaves me.”

The road to recovery has been long, emotionally and physically. “It was so traumatic that even my hair went white overnight,” Jodi says. “By the time I left the hospital, the whole crown of my head was white and, at 19 having white hair, my whole image changed.”

Jodi also describes the trauma she created “outside of herself” especially coming from a small town.

“Mum had to watch me bleed out, the two firies who pulled up to the scene went to school with me, the police officer was my mum’s friend who I’d known since I was five and, if my neighbour left home five minutes earlier, he would have crossed my path and died,” Jodi recounts. “The crash never just impacts you.”

The comfort of home disappears in an instant. Jodi was moments from making it to her driveway but, for a long time after the crash, that same driveway made her feel like a prisoner because she felt trapped and refused to get back in a car.

Whether driving a road you know like the back of your hand or one you never knew existed, Jodi says anything can happen. “I drove that road down to town every weekend for parties and work,” she says. “While you know the road, you’re a user on the road and that road always changes.”

When a route becomes routine

Have you ever driven on a road so many times you could memorise each corner or bump? Maybe you’ve driven through an intersection and can’t remember whether the lights were green or red?

According to RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain, when a route becomes routine, drivers often operate on autopilot: scanning less, reacting slower, and underestimating risk.

“Familiarity and complacency are common factors which can lower a driver’s level of concentration,” Charles says. Fatigue can often compound this effect, dulling reaction times precisely when attention should remain sharp.

“Jodi’s experience is a stark reminder that even the most familiar roads demand full concentration until the engine is off and the keys are out,” Charles says. “It’s important not to fall into the trap of thinking that just because you’ve driven the same road many times, it doesn’t mean you can disengage.

“Don’t take any journey for granted, even the shortest drive over the most familiar roads.”

The post When complacency can kill appeared first on samove.com.au.

You’re peacefully asleep, tucked up in bed, until a mosquito-thin whine grows into a swarming, full-throttle roar as a souped-up car tears past, rattling the windowpanes and jolting you unceremoniously awake.

Now you’re wide awake, grumbling about some hooligan’s desperate bid for attention.

The catch? SA Police can pull over a vehicle they suspect to be above legal noise limits and test it, but only while the car is stationary or under controlled conditions.

There are rules for how loud a car can be sitting still. But for actual on-road, drive-by noise, SA Police – like the rest of Australia – currently have to go with their instincts to pull over a vehicle and test if it exceeds the stationary noise limits.

However, all that may be about to change. With the help of new technology, some Australian states, including South Australia, are starting to target local hoon drivers in action, and the unreasonably loud noise that tends to accompany them.

Hoon: Australian and New Zealand slang for a person who drives a vehicle recklessly, aggressively or at dangerously high speeds. As a verb, the act of hooning describes such actions as performing burnouts, street racing and speeding.

Trialling noise detection technology

Earlier this year, the Victorian Government announced plans to trial seven new roadside acoustic cameras that record both images and sound. This follows a completed 12-month New South Wales trial. Meanwhile, Adelaide City Council announced in August it was considering installing the technology on city streets, including on O’Connell Street and Hutt Street.

The cameras are mounted roadside or on transportable poles and are triggered when a passing vehicle exceeds mandated noise limits. Why cameras and not just microphones? Once triggered, these cameras capture images of the offending car’s registration plates for easy identification.

NSW ran the first version of this from December 2024 to late 2025. As the trial was purely about gathering data, no automatic fines were issued. Surprisingly, motorcycles accounted for roughly 55 per cent of the noise events despite being only about four per cent of registered vehicles.

Knowledge of the camera locations and supposed lack of enforcement also added fuel to the fire, as a small, repeat-offending cohort of hoons targeting the area were behind a disproportionate share of the noise. Despite no fines, the data gathered allowed police to coordinate on-road blitzes, resulting in defect notices for modified vehicles.

Victoria won’t wait until the end of the two-year trial to fine noisy motorists. Once the cameras are in place later in 2026, the owners of offending vehicles will be sent a compliance testing notice.

South Australia has no camera trial of its own (yet). SA, like the other states, already has some rules: if your vehicle is found to ‘make unnecessary noise or smoke’, you face a $264 fine plus $108 Victims of Crime Levy.

But how loud is too loud?

SA’s stationary noise limits, with a few exceptions, are:

• 90 decibels for cars built after 1982 (96 decibels for older vehicles)
• 94 decibels for motorcycles and motor trikes built after February 1985 (100 decibels for older vehicles).

For context, sustained exposure to volumes 85 decibels or more starts to risk hearing damage, and every three-decibel increase roughly doubles the sound intensity.

Ninety decibels is about the same volume experienced when pushing a lawnmower.

One hundred decibels, the maximum for an older motorcycle, is about the same as using a chainsaw without ear protection, making it about 10 times more intense than a modern car at its limit.

The problem is, these are the limits for a parked, stationary car, and not one tearing past your window at midnight. There are no rules putting a decibel figure on how loud is too loud while a car or motorcycle is moving.

But this is the gap the noise cameras are aiming to fill and reduce the disturbance caused by passing traffic.

The post Are SA’s roads too noisy? appeared first on samove.com.au.

You peer through the curtain and see Barry’s vehicle parked out the front of your house. You need the kerbside clear for when you’re mowing the nature strip later that day.

If you remember our recent story about whether you can park in front of your neighbour’s house, you’d know it’s totally fine for Barry to be parked here.

In fact, most of you are polite parkers with close to four in five respondents in a recent sa move poll saying they’d only park in front of their neighbour’s house if there was no other choice.

So, when someone does park in front of your house, is it ever okay to ask them to move their vehicle?

What the law says

You can politely ask, but don’t expect the driver of the vehicle to follow your request as it’s not legally required. Why? If it’s a public street, anyone can park in front of your house provided there are no signposted restrictions (i.e. parking limits, clearways and no-standing zones), and the vehicle isn’t blocking your driveway.

Obstructing access to and from a driveway is an offence, and you can be fined $100 and receive a $108 Victims of Crime Levy.

If someone who shouldn’t be there has parked on your property, that’s a different story. In this case, you can ask the driver of the vehicle to move.

What you can do

In the words of Gandhi: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

According to RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain, there’s nothing wrong with asking someone to consider moving their vehicle if you have a genuine reason, but you should avoid confrontation wherever possible.

“It’s not uncommon for parking disputes of this nature to unnecessarily escalate,” Charles says.

“If you urgently need a vehicle moved from the front of your house, and you know the vehicle’s owner, ask respectfully.

“But remember, they’re not legally required to move, even if you say please.”

The post Is it okay to ask someone to move their car? appeared first on samove.com.au.

Your mate is sitting alongside you in the passenger seat of your car. They reach out their hand to change the song. Has your passenger committed an offence? By law, no; it’s perfectly acceptable for them to switch to another radio station, right? Not in your car.

From no eating to no smoking, some drivers have their own rules when it comes to passengers riding in their cars. Now we want to know your non-negotiables.

Cast your vote below. Select your number one, most important car rule only.

The post POLL: What are your car rules? appeared first on samove.com.au.

Maybe you’re frustrated by inconsiderate parkers and take matters into your own hands, installing your own ‘no parking’ sign.

Perhaps putting up a sign is a noble gesture to warn drivers to slow down by your house when children are present.

Despite your good intentions, putting up your own signs sends mixed signals.

As road users, we’re trained to recognise, comprehend and trust road signs, and make split second decisions based on colour, shape, icon, digit or word.

We expect these signs to be in predictable places like intersections and roundabouts. But a stop sign, speed limit or no-parking warning popping up somewhere unexpected causes confusion and distraction.

 As Ace of Base sang, “I saw the sign, And it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign…but where do you belong?”.

So, is DIY signage a ‘Proceed with caution’ or ‘Wrong way go back’?

‘Stop’ in the name of the Australian Road Rules

Putting up a road sign on your own property isn’t banned. However, signs that could be mistaken for an official traffic control device aren’t allowed near to and visible from a road. If you want to buy a ‘Stop’ sign from Bunnings and hang it out of public sight as a feature in your backyard then go for it.

But a genuine-looking ‘Stop’ sign or reflective ‘No Parking’ sign attached to a street-facing fence, gate or driveway visible from the road isn’t allowed. The sign sits too close to real traffic and has the potential to confuse drivers.

This is where distance makes a difference. If signs are placed along a long rural driveway to manage traffic on private property, for instance, away from and out of sight of the public road, then that’s generally acceptable. Attach them to a public-road-facing gate though or within eyeshot of the road, and the ‘false traffic control device’ rules may apply.

Can you ‘Give way’ to your own designs?

Crafty people might consider designing or drawing a sign for their fence. If your sign uses different colours, shapes and wording, and is clearly not trying to mimic an official Australian road sign, then it’s less likely that you’ll be found to be breaking the law. However, your council may not be so pleased to see your artwork.

There’s another layer to this: South Australian planning laws state that any sign visible from a street, road, public place or by passengers on public transport can be seen as an ‘advertisement’ and would need council approval. Many councils have their own rules around the size and shape of advertising and signage. Distance matters here, too. For those with long, rural driveways, go your hardest. As long as it’s invisible from a public road, you can help visitors navigate your property using any materials you like. Just make sure it’s for your visitors’ eyes only.

‘Keep clear’ of trouble with unauthorised signs

What happens if you put up your own signs and get found out? First, it depends on whether the sign is on your fence (private property) or if you’ve placed it on the road or footpath itself, like an A-frame out the front.

Let’s start with public spaces. If the offending sign is on the footpath, verge or road, your local road authority (be it the Commissioner of Highways or the relevant council) has the power to ‘remove and dispose of the sign Typically, that’s the end of it – no fines or warnings.

In some situations, you could be fined for ‘using a public road without a permit’ or ‘obstructing a public road’. You could even get in trouble for endangering drivers if the sign becomes a physical hazard. For example, if a motorist swerves to avoid the sign or it obscures a give-way sign.

Turning to private property. Yes, your fence isn’t the road, but it’s still not a billboard. You’ll receive a notice from the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT), requesting you remove, modify or screen the sign by a certain date. If you do as you’re asked, nothing further happens and you’re free to get on with your life. Perhaps put those signs up in your backyard, away from prying eyes.

If you don’t comply, DIT can remove the sign for you and recover the cost from you as a debt. You could even receive a fine of up to $2500.

On top of that, your local council can get shirty under its own advertising rules if your sign is considered to harm the visual character of the area.

Of course, this all pertains to residential, suburban locales, as businesses have their own set of rules.

In short, only DIT, councils and their authorised officers and contractors can install traffic and parking signs in public. Contact your local council, DIT or RAA’s Report a Road service if you spot an unauthorised sign in the wild.

Consider this your sign to skip the warnings and notices on your fence and let the real ones stand tall on the roadside where they belong.

The post Can you put up your own road signs? appeared first on samove.com.au.