Keep Your Wheels On

The pedals are meant to give drivers ultimate control. But when the accelerator in the car David was a passenger in jammed flat to the floor, control was the last thing that they had! In this episode, he shares how a jammed pedal led to a terrifying crash into another vehicle and then a concrete wall, and Rusty and Lisa are also joined by Racing Driver David Reynolds, who explains how a slip on the pedals or an obstacle in the footwell can result in huge problems.

Fast food. Fast cars. And a reaction speed that wasn’t fast enough. Scott shares how a simple drive to Maccas with mates resulted in two cars being written off when one hit the other from behind. And James Stewart, Director at Driving Solutions joins Rusty and Lisa to deep dive on stopping distances, and the part that peer pressure and ‘keeping up with your mates’ can play in road crashes.

After multiple phone calls to his wife went straight to voicemail, Kym went to the police station with a knot in his stomach where he was told that his wife, two daughters, and young family friend had all been killed in a head on collision. In this episode Kym recounts this painful memory, and Russell White from Driver Safety Australia joins Rusty and Lisa to discuss how minor lapses in concentration or control can and often do have devastating consequences. joins Rusty and Lisa to deep dive on stopping distances, and the part that peer pressure and ‘keeping up with your mates’ can play in road crashes.

In the world of truck driving road trauma is an all to prevalent theme, and while often the car driver is at fault, Rod has seen first-hand the impact that these incidents can have on truck drivers too. He recounts memories of friends who have lost their lives deciding not to hit a car, and some of the many incidents that he sees daily. Matt Wood of Volvo Group Australia also joins Rusty and Lisa to recall his time behind the wheel, and why safety for truck and car drivers alike is of utmost importance.

Kendall would describe herself an unlucky driver. With a crash record nearly as long as the list of cars she’s been through, she recalls one foggy night that added yet another to her collection of written off cars. Rusty and Lisa talk the risks of poor visibility with Rally Driver Harry Bates who firmly believes that cutting-edge vision technology has been critical to his success in racing.

As a Clinical Nurse Consultant in the emergency department, Megan is no stranger to the trauma that she encounters daily. In this episode, she opens up about the lasting impact that trauma cases can have on a range of people that reaches well beyond direct friends and family of the victim. From first responders and medical staff to those tasked with cleaning up after surgeries. Glenn Weir, Assistant Commissioner of the Road Policing Command with Victoria Police joins Rusty and Lisa again too, this time to share stories from throughout his career.

Will driving your own car for work void your insurance? Can you refuse to drive something bigger than you are used to? We answer these questions and many more in this episode of Keep Your Wheels On. Driver Trainer Murray shares how every year he sees incidents and sometimes even fatalities with young tradespeople driving vehicles beyond their means, and Graeme Moat of Tafe NSW joins Rusty and Lisa to unpack what to consider when the vehicle becomes the mobile office.

Samantha crashed her car following three days without any sleep. Left with some minor injuries she was put into the back of an ambulance, but it is what happened next that makes her story one that forever changed her life. Rusty and Lisa are joined by previous senior constable and current Member for Berwick, Brad Battin, to discuss the impacts of fatigued driving, the need for greater education around its risks, and reflect on Samantha’s story.

Luke wasn’t the best driver. A fact that was most likely not discovered because of a loophole that resulted in him obtaining his licence while avoiding most of the testing. But that lack of training finally caught up with him when he rolled his car while driving with a passenger on a dirt road. Alongside former Supercars driver Greg Murphy, Rusty and Lisa unpack where Luke went wrong, why there is more to being a safe driver than just ‘passing the test’, and why ABS brakes are a must have for your car.

The Illustrated History of Greg Murphy

Armed with a large bank loan Angela purchased her dream car. But when a traumatic crash resulted in her writing that car off Angela found herself in $70,000 debt after deciding to drive uninsured. Tim Bennett – Insurance Expert and Finder’s lead publisher for insurance joins Rusty and Lisa to hear Angela’s story, discuss the insurance options available to young drivers, and how simple decisions can have longstanding consequences.

With more than a million registered heavy vehicle units in Australia every road user will likely come across some type of truck no matter where they are driving, but with over 80% of crashes involving trucks not the fault of the truck driver, car drivers still have a lot to learn about sharing the road with larger vehicles. In this episode, truck driver Craig shares his experiences behind the wheel, and Casuarina Smith, or @truckingwithcj as her more than 100k fans on her socials know her, joins Rusty and Lisa to share why educating drivers on the importance of respecting larger vehicles is so close to her heart.

Dinesh wasn’t driving recklessly when his crash happened and recalls being under the speed limit when his car hit a patch of something slippery in the wet weather. In this episode he recalls the terrifying moment of not being able to feel his legs and the realisation that he was paralysed. Russell White, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Road Safety Foundation joins Rusty and Lisa to talk aquaplaning, and why the weather doesn’t need to be extreme to change how a vehicle operates.

There had to be an episode of the series where this happened, right? Sam shares how a poorly attached wheel quite literally came off the car he was driving at 100kph. To unpack why you shouldn’t ignore a ‘grinding sound’, actor, director, writer, and comedian Shane Jacobson joins Rusty and Lisa to talk all things vehicle maintenance. Why a grumpy mechanic could be a good mechanic, to why you shouldn’t ‘poop in the kitchen’, it all gets covered in this episode of Keep Your Wheels On.

In high school Eli was a promising sportsman with a flair for acting. Today he reminisces how much he misses sport and being able to exert himself after a car crash left him with an acquired brain injury. Speaker, writer, and podcaster Scott B Harris joins Rusty and Lisa on this episode having also suffered an acquired brain injury in a motocross crash, to unpack why making good decisions is so important, how delicate the brain is, and how split second decisions can have lifelong ramifications.

Before going to jail Zac crashed every car that he had ever owned, but it was a crash with 5 passengers while he was blind drunk and heading to out to buy more alcohol that finally led to him turning his life around. In an emotional episode, Rusty and Lisa are joined by Glenn Weir, Assistant Commissioner of the Road Policing Command with Victoria Police who shares the frightening fact that Zac’s story of impaired driving is one that is all too common.