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"What a joke": Backlash over new strict speed limit

Melbourne residents have lashed out at a local council over the controversial decision to reduce the speed limit on bust roads. Every street in Fitzroy and Collingwood, except state-managed roads such as major thoroughfares, are now under the new strict speed limit of a mere 30 kilometres an hour, which has been enforced by the Yarra City Council. Thoroughfares that are currently exempt from the 30km/h limit include Johnston Street, Nicholson Street, Hoddle Street, Alexandra Parade and Victoria Parade, although the council is working hard to bring the speed limits on these major roads down to 40km/h or 60km/h. Yarra City Council Mayor, Edward Crossland, said there is clear evidence that reducing speed limits will lessen the number of road accidents and save lives. “We want to make our streets safer and better places for people of all ages and abilities whether you are walking, wheeling, cycling or driving. 30km can have a huge benefit and we know there is a lot of support for this initiative across our community,” he said. “Research shows that a person walking is at least twice as likely to be killed by a driver travelling at 40km than at 30km and that safer speed limits in urban areas has minimal impact on travel time." The council first began trialling the 30km/h speed limit in 2018 in northern parts of Fitzroy and Collingwood, and brought the number of crashes down by 52 percent over the first 12 months. Despite the evidence that reduced speeds help the community at large, not everyone is impressed by the change, with social media users claiming the lower speed limit will “never be enforced”. Another claimed, “When the police commissioner comes out and says it’s ridiculous and nobody will follow the limits then yeah, fair to say it won’t be enforced.” In 2023, Victorian Police chief commissioner Shane Patton, told ABC radio that changing the speed limit to 30km/h was “not the answer”. “I think no one’s going to obey it. It’s ridiculous,” he said. Social media users have branded the change an attempt at “revenue raising”, with one commenter saying: “Just another way to nab us with fines! All about the revenue.” “What a joke,” another person said, while one claimed people might as well start pushing their cars if the speed limit is so low. However, there are also those that have praised the council’s decision, branding it a “great initiative”. “Great news! More traffic calming please,” one person said. Image credits: Shutterstock

Legal

Surprising move after top cop busted for speeding

Victoria Police found themselves facing embarrassment recently when one of their top-ranking officers, Glenn Weir, was caught speeding. Weir, who serves as Victoria’s Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, was captured by a hidden speed camera in an undercover police car on February 29, traveling at 58km/h in a 50km/h zone. What makes this incident particularly noteworthy is not just the fact that a high-ranking police officer was caught breaking the law, but also the response Weir himself has taken. Despite being eligible to have the charge downgraded to a warning due to his clean driving record, Weir has chosen to accept the consequences – a $337 fine and a single demerit point penalty. In a statement addressing the incident, Weir expressed remorse and took full responsibility for his actions. He acknowledged the severity of the mistake, especially given his position as an advocate for road safety throughout his career. "I take full responsibility for this error and am mortified it has occurred," Weir said. "I’ve spent my entire career advocating for road safety and this incident proves nobody is immune from making a mistake on the road." Weir’s willingness to own up to his mistake sets an important example for accountability, not just within the police force but for all members of society. Moreover, his case underscores the importance of adhering to speed limits, with Victoria Police having long advocated for the correlation between speeding and road accidents. According to their data, speed is one of the leading causes of car crashes in the state, with the rise in the state’s road toll by almost 12% February 2023 to February 2024 further highlighting the urgency of addressing speeding and other reckless driving behaviours. Weir’s decision to accept the consequences of his actions demonstrates integrity and a commitment to upholding the principles of road safety. Image: 7 News

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War in Ukraine affected wellbeing worldwide, but people’s speed of recovery depended on their personality

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luke-smillie-7502">Luke Smillie</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> The war in Ukraine has had impacts around the world. <a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/ripple-effects-russia-ukraine-war-test-global-economies">Supply chains</a> have been disrupted, the <a href="https://news.un.org/pages/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GCRG_2nd-Brief_Jun8_2022_FINAL.pdf?utm_source=United+Nations&utm_medium=Brief&utm_campaign=Global+Crisis+Response">cost of living</a> has soared and we’ve seen the <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/hk/en/73141-ukraine-fastest-growing-refugee-crisis-in-europe-since-wwii.html">fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II</a>. All of these are in addition to the devastating humanitarian and economic impacts within Ukraine. Our international team was conducting a global study on wellbeing in the lead up to and after the Russian invasion. This provided a unique opportunity to examine the psychological impact of the outbreak of war. As we explain in a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-44693-6">Nature Communications</a>, we learned the toll on people’s wellbeing was evident across nations, not just <a href="https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-023-00598-3">in Ukraine</a>. These effects appear to have been temporary – at least for the average person. But people with certain psychological vulnerabilities struggled to recover from the shock of the war. <h2>Tracking wellbeing during the outbreak of war</h2> People who took part in our study completed a rigorous “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2773515/">experience-sampling</a>” protocol. Specifically, we asked them to report their momentary wellbeing four times per day for a whole month. Data collection began in October 2021 and continued throughout 2022. So we had been tracking wellbeing around the world during the weeks surrounding the outbreak of war in February 2022. We also collected measures of personality, along with various sociodemographic variables (including age, gender, political views). This enabled us to assess whether different people responded differently to the crisis. We could also compare these effects across countries. Our analyses focused primarily on 1,341 participants living in 17 European countries, excluding Ukraine itself (44,894 experience-sampling reports in total). We also expanded these analyses to capture the experiences of 1,735 people living in 43 countries around the world (54,851 experience-sampling reports) – including in Australia. <h2>A global dip in wellbeing</h2> On February 24 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, there was a sharp decline in wellbeing around the world. There was no decline in the month leading up to the outbreak of war, suggesting the change in wellbeing was not already occurring for some other reason. However, there was a gradual increase in wellbeing during the month after the Russian invasion, suggestive of a “return to baseline” effect. Such effects are commonly reported in psychological research: situations and events that impact our wellbeing often (<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237535630_Adaptation_and_the_Set-Point_Model_of_Subjective_Well-BeingDoes_Happiness_Change_After_Major_Life_Events">though not always</a>) do so <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7062343_Beyond_the_Hedonic_Treadmill_Revising_the_Adaptation_Theory_of_Well-Being">temporarily</a>. Unsurprisingly, people in Europe experienced a sharper dip in wellbeing compared to people living elsewhere around the world. Presumably the war was much more salient for those closest to the conflict, compared to those living on an entirely different continent. Interestingly, day-to-day fluctuations in wellbeing mirrored the salience of the war on social media as events unfolded. Specifically, wellbeing was lower on days when there were more tweets mentioning Ukraine on Twitter/X. Our results indicate that, on average, it took around two months for people to return to their baseline levels of wellbeing after the invasion. <h2>Different people, different recoveries</h2> There are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31944795/">strong links</a> between our wellbeing and our individual personalities. However, the dip in wellbeing following the Russian invasion was fairly uniform across individuals. None of the individual factors assessed in our study, including personality and sociodemographic factors, predicted people’s response to the outbreak of war. On the other hand, personality did play a role in how quickly people recovered. Individual differences in people’s recovery were linked to a personality trait called “stability”. Stability is a broad dimension of personality that combines low neuroticism with high agreeableness and conscientiousness (three traits from the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/big-five">Big Five</a> personality framework). Stability is so named because it reflects the stability of one’s overall psychological functioning. This can be illustrated by breaking stability down into its three components: <ol> <li> low neuroticism describes <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2212154120">emotional stability</a>. People low in this trait experience less intense negative emotions such as anxiety, fear or anger, in response to negative events </li> <li> high agreeableness describes <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-63285-010">social stability</a>. People high in this trait are generally more cooperative, kind, and motivated to maintain social harmony </li> <li> high conscientiousness describes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112331">motivational stability</a>. People high in this trait show more effective patterns of goal-directed self-regulation. </li> </ol> So, our data show that people with less stable personalities fared worse in terms of recovering from the impact the war in Ukraine had on wellbeing. In a supplementary analysis, we found the effect of stability was driven specifically by neuroticism and agreeableness. The fact that people higher in neuroticism recovered more slowly accords with a wealth of research linking this trait with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10573882/">coping difficulties</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5428182/">poor mental health</a>. These effects of personality on recovery were stronger than those of sociodemographic factors, such as age, gender or political views, which were not statistically significant. Overall, our findings suggest that people with certain psychological vulnerabilities will often struggle to recover from the shock of global events such as the outbreak of war in Ukraine.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224147/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luke-smillie-7502">Luke Smillie</a>, Professor in Personality Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/war-in-ukraine-affected-wellbeing-worldwide-but-peoples-speed-of-recovery-depended-on-their-personality-224147">original article</a>.

Mind

Driver's shock after copping $2.2 million speeding ticket

In a shocking turn of events, a man in the US state of Georgia has found himself facing a $2.2 million ($US1.4m) traffic ticket after getting caught speeding on a freeway. Yes, you read that right - $2.2 million! It sounds like a punchline from a comedy show, but it happened in real life. Connor Cato was cruising through the city of Savannah on September 2, probably enjoying the wind in his hair, when the Georgia State Patrol nabbed him going a zippy 145km/h (90miles/h) in an 88km/h (55mile/h) zone. Now, we've all been there, right? In a rush, late for a meeting, or maybe just trying to win a real-life game of Mario Kart. But poor Mr Cato got WAY more than he bargained for. When the officer handed him a ticket, he must have been bracing himself for a hefty fine. But what he got was more jaw-dropping than a surprise birthday party from a circus troupe. The ticket had a price tag of $2.2 million! In disbelief, Cato decided to call the court, assuming it was a typo. But, to his amazement, the court clerk insisted that the amount was correct. She even had the audacity to tell him, "You either pay the amount on the ticket or you come to court on December 21 at 1:30pm." Thankfully, Cato's dire financial situation turned out to be a mere illusion. The $2.2 million was just what's known as a "placeholder" generated by e-citation software used in Savannah. This software, used by the local Recorder's Court, goes all Mission Impossible on super speeders – those who exceed the speed limit by more than 56km/h (35miles/h). It seems that the software programmers have a taste for drama, as they used the largest number possible to create this fine that sounds more like a ransom demand from a Bond villain. In reality, a judge will set the real fine, which cannot exceed $2,000 ($US1,000), plus state-mandated costs, at Cato's mandatory court appearance. So, our dear speed demon can breathe a sigh of relief; he won't be selling his house, car, and perhaps an organ or two to pay off that outrageous ticket. The city of Savannah has been using this placeholder system since 2017 and has promised to work on adjusting the language to avoid any further confusion. In the end, this story is a reminder that sometimes technology can have a wicked sense of humour. Images: Shutterstock / WSAV TV

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What can you do to speed up your metabolism?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-fuller-219993">Nick Fuller</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Our metabolism is the force inside our bodies that mysteriously decides whether to convert the food we eat into a burst of energy, or extra kilos on the scales. A “slow” or “sluggish” metabolism is often the first thing we blame when we struggle to lose weight. As a result, a <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/weight-loss-supplements-market-report">US$33 billion</a> industry offers thousands of products promising to speed up our metabolic rate for weight-loss success. But rather than reaching for a supplement, there are things you can do to speed your metabolism up. <h2>What is metabolism and how does it work?</h2> Metabolism is the term describing all the chemical reactions in our bodies that keep us alive. It provides the energy needed for essential functions like breathing and digestion. When we refer to metabolism in the context of our weight, we’re actually describing our basal metabolic rate – the number of calories the body burns at rest, determined by how much muscle and fat we have. Many factors can affect your metabolism, including gender, age, weight and lifestyle. It naturally slows down <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobe/2019/8031705/">as we age</a> and becomes dysfunctional <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989512/">after dieting</a>. <h2>Why does our metabolism slow with age?</h2> As our bodies age, they stop working as efficiently as before. Around the age of 40, our muscle mass starts <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6431367/">naturally declining</a>, and the ratio of body fat to muscle increases. Because muscle mass helps determine the body’s metabolic rate, this decrease in muscle means our bodies start to burn fewer calories at rest, decreasing our metabolic rate. <h2>Why does our metabolism become dysfunctional after dieting?</h2> When you lose large amounts of weight, you’re likely to have lowered your metabolic rate, and it <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22535969/">doesn’t recover</a> to the level it was pre-dieting – even if you regain weight. This is because, typically, when we diet to lose weight, we lose both fat and muscle, and the decrease in our calorie-burning muscle mass slows our metabolism. We can account for the expected decrease in metabolic rate from the decrease in body mass, but even after we regain lost weight our metabolism doesn’t recover. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27136388/">Research</a> shows that for every diet you attempt, the rate at which you burn food slows by a further 15% that can’t be accounted for. <h2>3 ways to speed up our metabolism (and 1 thing to avoid)</h2> 1) Pay attention to what you eat Consider the types of food you eat because your diet will influence the amount of energy your body expends to digest, absorb and metabolise food. This process is called <a href="https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-1-5">diet-induced thermogenesis</a>, or the thermic effect of food, and it equates to about 10% of our daily energy expenditure. <a href="https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-1-5">Research</a> shows the thermic effect of food is highest for protein-rich foods because our bodies need to use more energy to break down and digest proteins. Eating protein-rich foods will increase your metabolic rate by about 15% (compared to the average of 10% from all foods). In contrast, carbs will increase it 10% and fats by less than 5%. But this doesn’t mean you should switch to a protein-only diet to boost your metabolism. Rather, meals should include vegetables and a source of protein, balanced with wholegrain carbs and good fats to support optimum <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071223/">health, disease prevention and weight loss</a>. 2) Get moving Regular physical activity will boost muscle mass and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-020-05177-6">speed up your metabolism</a>. Increasing your muscle mass raises your basal metabolic rate, meaning you’ll burn more calories at rest. You can achieve this by incorporating 30 minutes of physical activity into your daily routine, supplemented with two days of gym or strength work each week. It’s also important to mix things up, as following the same routine every day can quickly lead to boredom and exercise avoidance. Neglecting exercise will just as quickly result in a decline in muscle mass, and your lost muscle will slow your metabolism and hamper your efforts to lose weight. 3) Get enough sleep A growing body of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929498/">research</a> confirms sleep deprivation can significantly impact your metabolism. A lack of sleep disturbs the body’s energy balance. This causes our appetite hormones to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.23616">increase feelings of hunger</a> and trigger food cravings, while altering our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2084401/">sugar metabolism</a> and decreasing our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523129534">energy expenditure</a>. If you want to boost your metabolism, set yourself a goal of getting <a href="https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(15)00015-7/fulltext">seven hours</a> of uninterrupted sleep each night. A simple way to achieve this is to avoid screens for at least one hour before bed. Screens are a big sleep disruptor because they suppress melatonin production in the brain, telling us it’s daytime instead of nighttime. 4) Don’t waste your money on diet pills and supplements Thousands of products promise to activate your metabolism and speed up your weight loss. While some may have ingredients that will boost your metabolism immediately after you take them, such as caffeine and capsaicin (the component which gives chillies their heat), <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo201682">research</a> confirms the effect is temporary – they don’t support long-term weight loss. Most products promising to help you speed up your metabolism to help you lose weight don’t offer any scientific evidence to back their efficacy. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33976376/">Two</a> extensive <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31984610/">reviews</a> published recently examined around 120 studies of weight-loss supplements and found they just don’t work, despite the bold marketing claims. So leave the pills, potions and powders on the shelf and focus on the things that work. Your metabolism – and your hip pocket – will thank you. At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can register <a href="https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=RKTXPPPHKY">here</a> to express your interest.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204811/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-fuller-219993">Nick Fuller</a>, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-can-you-do-to-speed-up-your-metabolism-204811">original article</a>.

Body

American influencer shocked to discover speed cameras are real

An American influencer currently living in Sydney has learned an expensive lesson in obeying the rules of the road, particularly while in full view of speed cameras. TikToker Sophia Kim was caught racing through Sydney’s Cross City Tunnel at 21 km/h over the speed limit - 101 km/h in an 80 km/h zone - and took to social media to share her surprise at receiving a ticket for her actions. In a video posted to her TikTok account, Sophia broke the news to her followers, running through what had transpired - her ‘reasons’ for speeding, and sharing images of her car between lanes in the tunnel, along with the caption “this is BS and I was only going 60 mph”. “I got a speeding fine because I was going 100km in the Cross City Tunnel when it was 80km,” she explained in the now-viral post, “and apparently there are cameras in the tunnel. “As an American, I got a licence here without taking any test, without learning about the Australian [driving] laws here, and I didn’t realise that you guys have cameras for speeding in the tunnels. “And apparently there are signs everywhere.” Sophia went on to describe how she’d been “so focussed on driving” and “stressed out” trying to navigate while “driving for the first time in a different country on the other side of the road”. According to the TikToker, at home in America there might be cameras involved when it came to running red lights, but that speeding offences fell to police officers and their scanners. At this stage, Sophia was talking over an image of her car with an 80 km/h sign clear on the ceiling of the tunnel. “The fine is $295,” she announced, before revealing that she’d been having a great day, on her way to Fashion Week events, and “was rushing to get there. “I thought I was saving money by driving and not Ubering but no, it’s actually more when you get a fine.” It turns out that Sophia had borrowed the car from a friend, who informed her that he couldn’t afford “to lose 3 points over this”, and had to transfer the fine into her name. And despite claiming that she would pay the fine and have the points deducted from her licence, she then asked her followers if she “should fight this”. <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7237487133483814187&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40sophiainsydney%2Fvideo%2F7237487133483814187&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Ff969d5dac251496aa62d08dfdb8a417f_1685108800%3Fx-expires%3D1685433600%26x-signature%3D%252FwZf1iguRsEhBEcz37LOvMtuELI%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Her post attracted more than 9,000 comments, and while some took Sophia’s side, most were of the opinion that fighting the fine would be a waste of time, and had many thoughts to share about the whole situation. “There’s no fighting this one,” one told her, “if there’s a speed sign that says 80 right in front of you they’re not gonna be forgivable”. “That's a fair bit over the limit. Maybe just don't speed hey!” one suggested. “If only there were large LED displays hung above the road every 1 km to tell you the maximum speed you can do,” another mused. And as a like-minded soul put it, “[it’s] almost like speed signs exist for a reason and not decoration”. “Because the signs with the speed limit and the fact they tell you every 100m there’s a speed camera don’t help,” someone else added. Meanwhile, one was of the opinion that it could have been worse, sharing that “in QLD that would be a $646 fine for 21km over the limit. NSW is cheap”. “Lesson learned I guess,” one more supposed, before noting that at least “now you know." Images: TikTok

Legal

Traffic cop shares best ever excuses for being caught speeding

South Australia Police have called out speeding drivers in what has been described as a “sassy” video on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@southaustraliapolice/video/7121530775543041282?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>. Senior Constable Matt Browne was filmed dancing along to Alexis Jordan’s hit song, Happiness, sharing excuses as to what drivers give when they are caught speeding. “No excuses. Especially not these. Please drive safely! #roadsafety,” the caption read. The video then showed Constable Browne dancing as different excuses popped up on the screen. <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7121530775543041282&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40southaustraliapolice%2Fvideo%2F7121530775543041282%3Fis_copy_url%3D1%26is_from_webapp%3Dv1%26lang%3Den&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> “I was just trying to get there quickly before I forget where I’m going,” one excuse read. “I was just seeing if your radar is accurate. It appears it is,” another one. “The wind was pushing my car faster,” was another excuse. “I thought speeding was going REALLY fast, I’m only 20km/h over”. The video has been viewed almost a whopping 4 million times with many social media users sharing other excuses they shared when they got caught. “One cop told me it was my own fault for buying a red car cos red goes faster,” someone wrote. “I remember when I was younger I told the police officer Daniel’s that Jesus took the wheel, he laughed, I laughed, he gave me a fine and I paid the fine,” another commented. “My excuse once was; I’m just really hungry & need to get home to eat. He gave me a fine & a snickers bar I was thankful,” someone else wrote. “My favourite is that I was keeping up with traffic and when told there isn't any, I say that's how far behind I am!” another read. Images: TikTok

Travel Trouble

Speeding car plunges down cliff at Kiama Blowhole

A pedestrian near Kiama’s famous blowhole on the NSW south coast has been fortunate enough to walk away without severe injury after almost being hit by an out-of-control car. Shortly before 2 pm on Sunday July 17, emergency services were called to Blowhole Point Road at Kiama, following reports a vehicle had crashed down an embankment. Upon arrival at the scene, rescue officers found an unoccupied silver Honda sedan. The car had rolled down a steep grass verge, ripping through bushes before crossing the road and rolling down a steep embankment, stopping just above the rock pools. Fire and rescue crews from the NSW south coast town rushed to help, with one person being reportedly hit as the car shot towards the ocean. Fire and Rescue NSW said they were not badly injured. “It was extremely fortunate that nobody else was hurt in this incident,” FRNSW said on Facebook. “Our crew stood by with NSW Police Force until a tow truck could recover the vehicle and then cleaned up a small fluid spill.” The owner of the car organised a tow-truck. Images: Fire & Rescue NSW

Travel Trouble

Ferrari owner loses licence AND car for record-breaking speeding

A Sydney man has been charged after being caught allegedly driving at almost 100 kilometres over the speed limit in an unregistered Ferrari Portofino on the Hume Highway in NSW. The 42-year-old was clocked doing 204 km/h in a 110 km sign-posted area near Goulburn, before being chased down and issued with a Court Attendance Notice by NSW Police. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/ferrari-portofino.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The car in question. Image: NSW Police He was charged with driving a vehicle recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, exceeding the speed limit by 45 km/h, and using an unregistered vehicle. His NSW driver’s licence has been suspended and his car confiscated for three months, and he is due to appear in Goulburn Local Court on Wednesday, June 29. As speedy as he was, the man isn’t the first (or last) to drive at such speeds, with the driver of a Mercedes Benz caught driving 220 km/h in an 80 zone in 2020, per <a href="https://www.dmarge.com/ferrari-driver-speeding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DMarge</a>. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Teenage "speed camera warrior" confronted by grouchy "Karen"

Teenage "speed camera warrior" Beau Jackson has been confronted by a disgruntled middle-aged woman as he warned motorists of an upcoming speed camera. The Central Coast local has dedicated his free time to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/i-ve-been-saving-them-heaps-teen-speed-camera-crusader-hailed-a-hero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alerting drivers</a> to hidden speed cameras that can often result in <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/speed-camera-crusader-cops-highly-dubious-fine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hefty fines</a>. While parked on the side of the road with a sign bringing attention to the sneaky cameras, thankful motorists often show their appreciation to Beau by honking their horn. Despite his noble cause, the 17-year-old had his first unpleasant experience with a local, and shared the confrontation on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@scamerasloveme/video/7088872965651172610?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a>. Beau filmed the woman, who he dubbed 'Karen' walking away and said from behind the camera, "This lady tried getting me by complaining about the honks - tried getting a photo of my number plate." "It's the first Karen interaction," he laughed, as another passer-by honked their horn. "She tried to take a photo of my number plate - I'm legally parked, there's nothing she can do about it." When speaking to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10753241/Beau-Jackson-teenage-speed-camera-warrior-confronted-grouchy-Karen.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>, Beau explained the woman lived close to where he was parked, and got sick and tired of the honking noise. "She asked me to move because she was sick of the honking," he said. "I told her I was only parked there because the speed camera van was parked a few metres in front of me." The woman was unfazed about his mission to save locals from spending hundreds of dollars in speeding tickets and continued demanding that he move. When he continually refused, she started taking photos of Mr Jackson and his bike. "So I started taking photos of her," he recalled. "She backed right off when I did that, and then she starting making phone calls." Beau was unsure of who the woman was calling, but explained that as soon as the mobile speed camera took off from the area, so did he. "When they left, I had no reason to be there anymore so I left," he added. As Beau's video of the encounter racked up thousands of views, many people left comments telling the teenager to ignore the haters and keep protecting the community. Image credits: A Current Affair

Travel Trouble

"Speed camera crusader" cops highly dubious fine

Beau Jackson has been dubbed the "<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/i-ve-been-saving-them-heaps-teen-speed-camera-crusader-hailed-a-hero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speed camera crusader</a>" of the NSW Central Coast by helping motorists to avoid an "unfair" fine at the hands of sneaky speed cameras. Beau spends his spare time on the side of main roads with a sign warning drivers of upcoming cameras, and is often thanked with a honk or wave of appreciation. The 17-year-old had never had a fine himself, because "I just do it for the community in these tough times". However, after A Current Affair spoke about Beau's selfless acts, he received his first fine the very next day. But the fine isn't for what you think. "They fined me $250 for littering. I couldn't believe it. I don't litter, all my friends and family know that," he said. "I rang them and they said my sign and some drink cans were on the side of the road." "But I pack up my sign and rubbish and take it home. I still have my sign, so I certainly didn't leave it on the side of the road." Upon investigation, Beau still has his old sign and decided to contest the fine. "I rang and asked for proof of the rubbish and they said there was no photo," he said. "Clearly someone is upset with what I am doing, because I'm costing them revenue." Police have previously told Beau they don't have a problem with what he is doing, as at the end of the day, he is not breaking any laws and is helping keep roads safer. "The only person other than me there would be the speed camera operators," Beau said. A Current Affair contacted Revenue NSW to explain the situation, as they responded that Beau is welcome to take the fine to court, which is exactly what he plans to do. Image credits: A Current Affair

Legal

Woman cops eye-watering fine for being just 6km/h over speed limit

A Melbourne woman who copped a massive $3,635 fine for going less than 10km/h over the speed limit has taken to social media to share her horror story. Jane Agirtan uploaded a TikTok showing the eye-watering fine she received for speeding 6km/h over the speed limit in a 60km/h zone on the 3rd of March. “A bit excessive, no?” she said in the caption of the video. In the clip, Ms Agirtan can be heard saying: “Six kilometres. Are you kidding me? Six kilometres, are you serious?” The woman appeared to have also been fined a few weeks prior for going 106km/h in a 100km/h zone, resulting in a $3661.20 fine. The TikTok post has since received more than 17,000 likes and hundreds of comments. However, Ms Agirtan, a former local candidate for Chelsea in Melbourne, didn’t receive the response she was expecting, with the majority of commenters being less than sympathetic, pointing out the high penalty is likely because she is driving a company car. Under Victoria’s current road rules, exceeding the speed limit by less than 10km/h in a corporate vehicle will result in a fine of more than $3,000. The fine can then be reduced once the company nominates the employee who was behind the wheel at the time of the infringement. “It’s to stop people abusing corporate cars. If you pay it you won’t lose points. If you nominate, the fine will be like normal,” one person said. Ms Agirtan then responded in the comments confirming her company had followed the process and nominated a driver. Commenters suggested she wouldn’t have to worry about paying a fine if she had simply followed the road rules. “Maybe don’t speed,” one person said. In turn, this prompted Ms Agirtan to say: “106 in 100 zone is prob calibration issue, not speeding”. However, there were some people who agreed with Ms Agirtan that $3,635 was excessive, even for a company car. “That’s absolutely whack. That amount of money is ABSURD even if it is a company car!” one person said. Ms Agirtan responded saying that was the “exact point” she was trying to make. Fines Victoria explained the large fine amount was used to incentivise companies to out the driver behind the wheel. If the company fails to nominate a driver, they are liable for the $3,365 fine – and if the company does this three or more times over a 12-month period they then run the risk of copping a $21,000 penalty. Image: TikTok

Legal

"I've been saving them heaps": Teen speed camera crusader hailed a hero

A 17-year-old from the Central Coast has found a unique way to help out his community, by warning motorists about upcoming speed cameras. Beau Jackson has been hailed a national hero for spending his spare time on the road helping drivers to avoid unnecessary speed camera fines by alerting them to mobile speed cameras hidden out of sight. No matter the weather, Beau can be seen before and after work on most days across the Central Coast on the lookout for "unfair" cameras that are collecting revenue from unsuspecting drivers. He stands out on the side of the road next to his motorbike with a handwritten sign warning passing drivers. Motorists express their gratitude by beeping their horns and yelling out messages of support. "I want to look out for people as it's a pretty hard time right now," Beau told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/aussie-teens-speed-camera-crusade-helping-locals-avoid-fines/1ab8ed54-1a3c-4396-a2da-ff2c3aa5b422" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">A Current Affair</a>. "I don't want people getting a fine. I've been saving them heaps in the month I've been doing it." "People can cop a $170 fine for just going four kilometres over the limit and right now people are struggling so I just want to help them." Beau claims he has checked with local police to check that what he's doing isn't illegal. "They think I'm doing the community a service as I'm actually making people slow down," he added. Local motorists have declared Beau a national hero for the work he haas done. "He's great at it, saving all our licenses," one man said. Others have pulled over to offer Beau drinks and chocolate while a local tyre business showed their appreciation by giving him new tyres for his motorbike. Image credits: Nine

Travel Trouble

Police slammed for speed trap outside flooded town

An image of a NSW police car has sparked outrage as residents in northern NSW beg for help in the wake of devastating floods. The photo, taken by The Australian journalist Liam Mendes just outside the NSW town of Mullumbimby, depicts a highway patrol officer sitting in a car with a speed gun, according to <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/locals-volunteers-and-one-officious-cop-in-floodhit-northern-nsw-town/news-story/925fad7154bfab208b69523906a05d05" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the publication</a>. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Thread: Heading towards one of the worst-hit areas in northern NSW, I spot a cop with a speed gun. Just 30 mins away, residents are trapped inside their communities. They say they’ve had no assistance from emergency services and are relying on helis and volunteers. <a href="https://t.co/6uqIDzMx6O">pic.twitter.com/6uqIDzMx6O</a> — Liam Mendes (@liammendes) <a href="https://twitter.com/liammendes/status/1499906439275773953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2022</a></blockquote> It comes as the town has been left without power, fuel or running water, as well as severely limited communication due to recent flooding. Locals have taken to social media to ask for help from the army and other government services as roads blocked by mud and downed trees trap residents in the town. “To the Government Services: We need you to rescue people still trapped and missing… houses in landslides, roads turned into rivers, people trapped in mountain areas with no power, food or capacity to escape,” one woman from Mullumbimby wrote on Saturday. “We need you to pass uncrossable roads, to rescue people, then start the road clean up and longer term recovery. “The locals are alone doing it themselves. “Some of my friends in the mountains are running out of clean water and have no food. Power generators provide an hour of time to access [the] internet and communicate.” Another post circulating on social media read: “There are landslides, and regular people trying to scale cliffs to rescue pregnant people, babies and families. “We need the army, we need police, we need services. “There’s still no phone reception and no one knows the full depth of what’s going on here … it’s apocalyptic.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Just went to donation center in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mullumbimby?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mullumbimby</a> - region is running out of petrol, no internet + mullum has run out of water. They need help on ground with delivering goods. Still need clean mattresses, bottled water. This relief effort has been run by the community. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NSWFloods?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NSWFloods</a> <a href="https://t.co/P7k5lJrrXz">pic.twitter.com/P7k5lJrrXz</a> — Mia Forrest (@miaforrestphoto) <a href="https://twitter.com/miaforrestphoto/status/1498854285500551169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></blockquote> After Mendes’ photo emerged online, many shared their fury on social media and questioned why police were checking speeds while nearby residents needed help. “If you’re asking me, ‘Protect and Serve’ shouldn’t mean ‘fine people speeding whilst residents of said town are suffering’,” one man tweeted in response to the photo. “There’s far more important matters over revenue raising in that area and it’s so obvious the police and Government do not care.” “That is seriously f****d up,” another wrote. “People rushing to help people in danger and the [government] wants to make money out of it.” A third person shared their own encounter with police as they delivered supplies to family members. “I drove into Ballina… to drop supplies to two boats going upstream to my relatives cut off in Empire Vale,” they wrote. “Surreal to drive past police pointing speed cameras at me on the way down.” According to The Australian, emergency services were yet to arrive after a landslide cut off the road to Main Arm and Wilsons Creek, two localities within 10 minutes of Mullumbimby. “It’s an appalling use of public resources in the middle of a crisis,” local Saul Fitton told the publication. Meanwhile, NSW Police told <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw-police-savaged-over-appalling-act-near-flooded-town-052806501.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Australia</a> that hundreds of officers had been deployed across the region, and that part of their efforts included keeping people safe on the roads. “Motorists need to drive to the conditions to avoid any unexpected hazards due to the weather conditions and abide by road rules for their own safety and the safety of other road users,” a spokesperson said. Five thousand ADF personnel are due to be deployed to clean up northern NSW, with 900 arriving on Monday and another thousand deployed next week, per AAP. Images: @liammendes (Twitter)

Travel Trouble

Why does my internet connection feel slow and jumpy, even when my internet speed is high?

<div> <div class="copy"> Of the 8.2 million homes and businesses active on Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) in July 2021, 77% are now <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nbnco.com.au/corporate-information/about-nbn-co/updates/dashboard-july-2021" target="_blank">reported</a> to be on a broadband plan that delivers speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps). This is plenty to accommodate a typical household’s needs for video streaming (Netflix high-definition resolution, for instance, uses about 3Mbps and ultra-high definition about 12Mbps), video conferencing (2-3Mbps), gaming (less than 1Mbps) and general web browsing. So why do we still experience video freeze, game lag spikes, and teleconference stutters? The problem is not speed, but other factors such as latency and loss, which are unrelated to speed. For more than three decades we have been conditioned to think of broadband in terms of Mbps. This made sense when we had dial-up internet, over which web pages took many seconds to load, and when DSL lines could not support more than one video stream at a time. But once speeds approach 100Mbps and beyond, studies from the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.broadband-forum.org/an-economic-argument-for-moving-away-from-mbps" target="_blank">Broadband Forum</a> and others show that further increases are largely imperceptible to users. Yet Australian consumers fear being caught short on broadband speed. More than half a million Australians moved to plans delivering <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/record-number-of-australians-move-to-very-high-speed-nbn-plans" target="_blank">more than 250Mbps</a> in the March 2021 quarter. Indeed, we have collectively bought about 410 terabits per second (Tbps) on our speed plans, while actual usage peaks at 23Tbps. This suggests we collectively use less than 6% of the speed we pay for!<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/cybersecurity-war-online/" target="_blank"></a> In contrast to our need for speed, our online time has grown tremendously. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the average Australian household <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Internet%20Activity%20Report%20%28December%202020%29.pdf" target="_blank">consumed 355 gigabytes of data in December 2020</a>, a 59% increase on the year before. Our internet usage is like a marathon runner gradually adding more and more miles to their training distances, rather than a sprinter reaching higher and higher top speeds. It therefore makes little sense to judge our multi-hour marathon of video streaming, gaming and teleconferencing by running a connection speed test which is a 5-10 second sprint. <h2>What do we really need from broadband?</h2> So what do we need from our broadband for a good streaming, gaming or conferencing experience? A connection that offers low and relatively constant latency (the time taken to move data packets from the server to your house) and loss (the proportion of data packets that are lost in transit). These factors in turn depend on how well your internet service provider (ISP) has engineered and tuned its network. To reduce latency, your ISP can deploy local caches that store a copy of the videos you want to watch, and local game servers to host your favourite e-sport titles, thereby reducing the need for long-haul transport. They can also provide good routing paths to servers, thereby avoiding poor-quality or congested links. To manage loss, ISPs “shape” their traffic by temporarily holding packets in buffers to smooth out transient load spikes. But there’s a natural trade-off here: too much smoothing holds packets back, leading to latency spikes that cause missed gunshots in games and stutters in conferences. Too little smoothing, on the other hand, causes buffers to overflow and packets to be lost, which puts the brakes on downloads. ISPs therefore have to tune their network to balance performance across the various applications. But with the ACCC’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/internet-landline-services/broadband-performance-data" target="_blank">Measuring Broadband Australia (MBA) Program</a> predominantly focused on speed-testing, and with a 1% margin separating the top three ISPs all keen to claim the top spot, we are inadvertently incentivising ISPs to optimise their network for speed, rather than for other factors. This is a detrimental outcome for users, because we don’t really have quite the need for speed we think we do. <h2>How can we do better?</h2> An alternative approach is possible. With advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, it is now becoming possible to analyse network traffic streams to assess users’ experience in an application-aware manner. For example, AI engines trained on the pattern of video “chunk” fetches of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www2.ee.unsw.edu.au/%7Evijay/pubs/conf/19tma.pdf" target="_blank">on-demand streams</a> such as Netflix, and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www2.ee.unsw.edu.au/%7Evijay/pubs/conf/21iwqos.pdf" target="_blank">live streams</a> such as Twitch, can infer whether they are playing at the best available resolution and without freeze. Similarly, AI engines can <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ausnog.net/sites/default/files/ausnog-2019/presentations/2.1_Vijay_Sivaraman_AusNOG2019.pdf" target="_blank">analyse traffic</a> throughout the various stages of games such as CounterStrike, Call of Duty or Dota2 to track issues such as lag spikes. And they can detect videoconferencing stutters and dropouts by analysing traffic on Zoom, Teams, and other platforms. Australia has made significant public investment into a national broadband infrastructure that is now well equipped to provide more-than-adequate speed to citizens, as long as it runs as efficiently as possible. Image credit: Shutterstock This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/computing/why-does-my-internet-connection-feel-slow-and-jumpy-even-when-my-internet-speed-is-high/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by The Conversation. </div> </div>

Technology

Aussie states and territories planning 30km/h speed limits

A number of Australian states and territories are trialling or planning 30km/h speed limits and zones in a move that could benefit the economy. Western Australia, NSW and VIC have implemented the measure with other states following their lead. “By building safer streets, governments and cities around the world are creating more liveable cities,” Matthew Mclaughlin, Ben Beck, Julie Brown and Megan Sharkey wrote for <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/busted-5-myths-about-30km-h-speed-limits-in-australia-160547" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. “The benefits include low crime levels, more physically active citizens, greater social connectedness, increased spending in local businesses and less pollution.” Research by the Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety found that the speed limits reduce our national toll by 13 per cent. “The evidence is very clear: the chance of a pedestrian surviving when hit by a car skyrockets when the car’s speed is reduced,” The Conversation piece read. Road Safety NSW says that the chance of someone surviving after being hit by a vehicle at 50km/h is just 10 per cent whereas the rate spikes to 90 per cent if someone is hit by a car going at 30km/h. “Speed is the most common contributor to road trauma – more common than alcohol, drugs and fatigue,” the group wrote. “To reduce serious injury, 40km/h speed limits aren’t low enough. The chance of survival when hit by a car improves from 60 per cent at 40km/h to 90 per cent at 30km/h. “Reducing speed limits to 30km/h in urban areas such as high pedestrian zones, school zones and local traffic areas is urgently needed to reduce deaths and severe injuries.”

Legal

Bunnings' big offer to help speed up vaccine rollout

Bunnings is offering its warehouses as giant vaccination hubs, meaning Australians can nab a sausage sizzle while getting their COVID-19 jab. The major warehouse initially offered their car parks as testing clinics and are now offering to help speed up the vaccine rollout across the nation. Bunnings' Chief Operating Officer, Deb Poole said the company could work out any logistical issues if a formal request was made by the government to pitch in. "We're always open to discussing further support directly with the government," Ms Poole told Nine News. The National Cabinet did say they would attempt to fast-track vaccinations after there were major delays that were caused by supply issue and safety concerns. The Health Minister Office said they were considering "readiness of more state and territory-operated vaccination sites including mass vaccination sites, as vaccine supplies increase".

News

Why speeding fines have gone through the roof

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> The controversial decision to remove warning signs that alert drivers to mobile speed cameras in NSW have seen a massive spike in fines. In February, the shortest month of the year, around 28,000 fines were issued which totalled around $6.1 million in revenue. Labor has said NSW drivers paid more in fines last month than they did the entire last financial year. The spike is believed to have been driven by the removal of mobile speed camera warnings in November. Shadow Transport Minister John Graham said that the fines were expected to continue as the NSW Government rolls out an extension to the hours that mobile speed cameras are operating. “This program might be unpopular with drivers but it’s very popular with the Treasurer,” Graham told <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/" target="_blank">7NEWS</a> on Monday. “We support these cameras, but we would like to see warning signs in place and some of this money should immediately flow back in to driver education.” NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury agreed that warnings should return, telling 7NEWS “they remind people to do the right thing and it internalises their behaviour while they’re behind the wheel”. Photo credits: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/plan-to-remove-speed-camera-warning-signs-about-saving-lives-minister-20191104-p5375b.html" target="_blank">Sydney Morning Herald</a> </div> </div> </div>

Legal

Road rules change that has seen speeding fines triple

They look like regular cars parked on the side of the road. But in fact they're part of dozens of mobile speed cameras, catching unknowing drivers more often than ever before. According to 9News, the NSW Government's overhaul of the speed camera program, which includes removing warning signs, stripping back vehicle markings, and increasing enforcement time on our roads, is having a massive impact. The amount of fines handed out per month has more than tripled since the changes were put in place, with revenue surging to a record high of almost $2.5 million in December. In comparison, the figure was under $400,000 for the same month in the previous year. The State Government claims the changes to mobile speed cameras will ensure safety on our roads, but critics believe keeping the camera visible is a more effective way to change driver behaviour. NRMA's Peter Khoury says removing warning signs eliminates the opportunity to educate drivers about speeding in real time. "Is it a good policy? Well no, it's not. Will it save lives? Probably not," he said. "We've lost all of that education, we still have the enforcement but all too often people don't find out they've done the wrong thing until two to three weeks later [when they receive a fine in the mail]." NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole announced changes to the mobile speed camera program on public safety grounds on November 19 last year.

Money & Banking

"Ridiculous speed": Mum's crucial decision that saved her baby's life

A mum has shared a decision that she made that saved the lives of her family after her car was hit by a car going more than 160km/h. Hayley explained that she was driving with her one-year-old son to do a quick errand when they were hit from behind. “We were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the mother wrote on Facebook. She explained that a car travelling at a “ridiculous speed” of more than 160km/h smashed into them. “Ran straight up the back of us and slingshot our car into the drain,” she wrote. Both mum and baby Miles escaped with minor injuries. “My son and I walked away from this terrifying crash a little battered and bruised, but nevertheless we were able to walk away,” Hayley wrote. The lifesaving decision that she and her husband made that saved the life of her one-year-old was choosing a child car restraint with rear-facing capabilities, which allowed Miles to continue to travel in the rear-facing position. “...the police officer ‘took her hat off to me’ for still having my 1-year-old REARWARD FACING! He only had two little bruises from the harness in all this carnage. “If he was facing forwards, the police officer said this would of been a whole different conversation we would of been having and his injuries would of been horrendous instead of minor,” she explained. She posted the ordeal on Facebook in the hope that other parents would think twice before changing their child's car seat to a forward-facing option. “Please, please, please keep your babies safe! Keep them rearward facing as long as possible! You just never know when the unexpected can happen,” she wrote.

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"What a joke": Backlash over new strict speed limit

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Speeding car plunges down cliff at Kiama Blowhole

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Teenage "speed camera warrior" confronted by grouchy "Karen"

"Speed camera crusader" cops highly dubious fine

Woman cops eye-watering fine for being just 6km/h over speed limit

"I've been saving them heaps": Teen speed camera crusader hailed a hero

Police slammed for speed trap outside flooded town

Why does my internet connection feel slow and jumpy, even when my internet speed is high?

Aussie states and territories planning 30km/h speed limits

Bunnings' big offer to help speed up vaccine rollout

Why speeding fines have gone through the roof

Road rules change that has seen speeding fines triple

"Ridiculous speed": Mum's crucial decision that saved her baby's life

Our Partners

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Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

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"What a joke": Backlash over new strict speed limit

Surprising move after top cop busted for speeding

War in Ukraine affected wellbeing worldwide, but people’s speed of recovery depended on their personality

Driver's shock after copping $2.2 million speeding ticket

What can you do to speed up your metabolism?

American influencer shocked to discover speed cameras are real

Traffic cop shares best ever excuses for being caught speeding

Speeding car plunges down cliff at Kiama Blowhole

Ferrari owner loses licence AND car for record-breaking speeding

Teenage "speed camera warrior" confronted by grouchy "Karen"

"Speed camera crusader" cops highly dubious fine

Woman cops eye-watering fine for being just 6km/h over speed limit

"I've been saving them heaps": ﻿Teen speed camera crusader hailed a hero

Police slammed for speed trap outside flooded town

Why does my internet connection feel slow and jumpy, even when my internet speed is high?

Aussie states and territories planning 30km/h speed limits

Bunnings' big offer to help speed up vaccine rollout

Why speeding fines have gone through the roof

Road rules change that has seen speeding fines triple

"Ridiculous speed": Mum's crucial decision that saved her baby's life

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"I've been saving them heaps": Teen speed camera crusader hailed a hero