New Aussie road markings aimed at giving drivers a 'sense of warning'
As authorities grapple with reducing the number of injuries and deaths on Aussie roads, a trial of a new type of three-dimensional road markings has been expanded in Australia's south, prompting a warning to drivers.
Known as 'dragon's teeth', the aim of the road markings is to alert drivers to a change in the road, such as a reduction in the speed limit. The road markings are being trialled in Adelaide as part of a study led by the University of Adelaide's Automotive Safety Research, alongside the Department of Transport.
Making them appear 3D, the triangular blue and white markings may "attract more attention" from drivers and encourage them to slow down as they enter a lower-speed zone, leading road safety scientist at the University of Adelaide Mario Mongiardini told Yahoo News.
They were installed at Magill Road, Magill, and Seaview Road, Henley Beach, in January, and last week two new locations have been added — Beach Road, Christies Beach and Prospect Road, Prospect.
If successful, the markings could be used in high-pedestrian areas across the country, because they can be implemented "cheaply and quickly" by authorities.
Researcher Mongiardini explained to Yahoo this type of road treatment is called a "perceptual countermeasure" because it aims to change the perception of road users.
"The 3D marking is an evolution of an existing treatment which consists of white triangles only," he said. "The idea was to convert them to look 3D to attract more attention, something drivers cannot miss."
The goal was to create a "sense of warning" as drivers move from a 60km/h or 50km/h zone to a reduced 40km/h pedestrian zone.
Due to its relatively low cost and easy installation, which takes just two hours, it is an attractive measure for authorities. "This treatment, compared to other treatments, is definitely way cheaper and quicker," Mongiardini said.
However, he warns that this treatment "is not meant to be installed everywhere", only where it is really needed, where pedestrians could be at risk.
"The idea is to use them only in specific situations, like on a straight road where a speed limit changes, but drivers don't realise that the environment ahead is changing," he explained. It's used as a "heads up".
⚠️ Major road rule change from this week with drivers facing $1,600 fines
🐉 Why 'dragon teeth' are appearing on roads
🛑 Meaning behind little-known roadside marker popping up 'a lot'
Results of the trial are due to be collected and analysed later this year, with researchers hoping to see a reduction in speed, even of just four or five kms.
"Speed is the key factor in 99 per cent of crashes," Dr Chris Stokes, another researcher at the University of Adelaide, previously told Yahoo. "The faster you hit an object, the harder the impact is going to be."
"Even a reduction by four or five km is quite a lot," Mongiardini said. "It means that after the treatment has been installed, drivers start to respect the speed limit and be more aware of the environment. We don't expect dramatic changes in speed."
If the trial proves to be "effective at mitigating travel speed", Aussies could see it on a road near them soon.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Feeney dominates Darwin to hit four straight race wins
Broc Feeney has continued his dominance at Hidden Valley Raceway, winning back-to-back races from pole in Darwin to extend his lead at the top of the Supercars standings. The Triple Eight speedster seems unstoppable at the moment. With his third and fourth consecutive race wins on Saturday, his championship gap over teammate Will Brown has opened up to 143 points. In a controlled performance in the day's second race, Feeney held onto the lead from the jump, setting a new Darwin lap record of one minute 7.523 seconds in the process. After pitting last, the 22-year-old used his fresh supersoft tyres to speed away from Anton De Pasquale in the final laps and hold onto a one second lead. De Pasquale's second-place finish was his first podium of the season and Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen picked up his first career podium in third. But Grove could be in for a team penalty after one of his crew members dropped a tyre in pit lane, sparking a post-race investigation from the stewards. De Pasquale and Allen both slipped behind Brodie Kostecki and Matt Payne after pitting later, but jumped back into the top three with fresher tyres. Cam Waters, who started in third, lacked pace and slipped back through the pack before an off on turn one with two laps to go sent him back to 10th. Brown recovered 10 places to finish in seventh after starting in 17th. Feeney's two wins continued his love affair with Hidden Valley, including winning both races in 2024 and another the year earlier. He earlier held off Tickford's Waters to win race 17 as carnage unfolded behind. It took just one turn for the first big shunt of the race to bring out the safety car. Wheel contact from James Golding fired Jaxon Evans into the barrier at the exit of turn one at high speed, dislodging his front wheel and ruling his car out of the rest of the day's action. RACING IN THE TOP END WITH EARLY DRAMA!!!Follow along this weekend from our NEW Live Insights here 👉 #Supercars — Supercars (@supercars) June 21, 2025 There was more drama straight off the restart, with Jack Le Brocq shunting hard into the wall amid cramped conditions on pit straight and parting ways with his front tyre. Seconds later, a tangle between Nick Percat and Richie Stanaway left the PremiAir Racing man with heavy damage, while Ryan Wood's Ford Mustang suffered engine failure and was left immobile. Brown also had a disappointing race race 17, finishing in eighth Feeney leads the race for the Darwin Triple Crown trophy on 160 points, with another 140 points up for grabs in Sunday's 200km race. Unlike previous seasons where the Crown was only awarded to a driver who won a clean sweep, whoever amasses the most points over the course of the weekend will claim the prize. RACE 17 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 3. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) 4. Bryce Fullwood (Brad Jones Racing) 5. James Courtney (Blanchard Racing Team) RACE 18 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Anton De Pasquale (Team 18) 3. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) 4. Andre Heimgartner (Brad Jones Racing) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 3. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) 4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 5. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United)
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Quiet town beating the rest of Australia in big national race: 'Saving $6000 annually'
As Australia pushes to cut carbon emissions and reduce household bills, electrification has emerged as a key focus — from the cars we drive to the way we power our homes. But while rooftop solar is booming, the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and fully electric homes remains modest. Nationally, just 2.7 per cent of vehicles on Australian roads are electric, according to the Electric Vehicle Council. While over 10 per cent of new cars sold are now electric, that figure still trails the UK (17 per cent), Germany (19 per cent) and Norway (over 80 per cent). At the household level, gas is still widely used, and many homes are poorly equipped to make the switch. Advocates argue the future of EVs in Australia looks bright, but in a quiet corner of Victoria's Bass Coast, one community has already quietly surged ahead, offering a glimpse of what a fully electrified future could look like. At The Cape, a purpose-built sustainable estate in Cape Paterson, more than 30 per cent of households now own an electric vehicle. Every home is powered without gas, using rooftop solar and passive solar design principles, and achieves an average eight-star NatHERS energy rating — well above the national average of 6.2 stars for new builds. "More than 30 per cent of households have an EV," Director and resident Brendan Condon told Yahoo News Australia. "Homes are 100 per cent electric with no gas connections, powered by rooftop solar, and designed using passive solar principles. This community-wide commitment to electrification, from the grid to the garage, makes [us] a national front-runner and an insight into the future of a fully electrified Australia." The estate comprises 230 residential lots, with about 140 homes completed and over 250 residents. More than 95 per cent of EV charging is done at home, helping cut costs and reduce strain on the wider grid, particularly in a regional area where public charging infrastructure remains limited. "Even in regional areas, most trips are local or to nearby centres like Wonthaggi and Inverloch, which are well within EV range," Condon said. "A round trip to Melbourne is under 300 kilometres, which is easily achievable by numerous long-range EVs now on the market." The Cape also challenges the notion that electric living is the preserve of wealthy inner-city enclaves. While upfront costs are still a barrier, residents claim long-term savings. Condon says homes that pair solar with energy-efficient design and an EV can save upwards of $6,000 annually. Once fully built, the community is projected to save more than $1 million a year. "These are 'super bill-busting' homes," he said. "That money stays in household budgets and bank accounts, which is significant in the current cost-of-living crisis." Experts agree that electrifying homes and vehicles is essential to meeting emissions targets. The Climate Council estimates that switching to solar and electric could save households $3,000 to $5,000 a year and cut domestic emissions by up to 42 per cent. It also supports energy independence and grid resilience by decentralising power generation. Still, challenges remain. Critics point to the cost of EVs and the difficulty of retrofitting older homes. There are also concerns about supply chains, mineral dependency for batteries, and whether the national grid is ready for widespread electrification without major upgrades. Empty Bunnings shelves sparks major change theory Plea to electric car owners ahead of expected 'hottest summer on record' Driver spots Tesla in shocking highway act: 'Licence revoked' But Condon believes communities like his show what's possible when sustainability is designed from the ground up. With the federal government introducing a New Vehicle Efficiency Standard in 2025 and aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, more neighbourhoods may follow suit. "[We're] a real-world blueprint," he said. "It shows how communities can decouple from expensive fossil fuels and thrive — creating zero-emissions, climate-resilient neighbourhoods that aren't just imagined, but built." Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Lithium in Australia: the future of the ‘white gold' rush
The global lithium market is undergoing a period of flux. Following years of solid growth, prices have plummeted from their 2022 peak amid slowing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and an oversupply from global producers. Overall, the cost of lithium hydroxide fell by around three quarters between 2023 and 2024, and has continued to fall in 2025. Australia, the world's largest producer of lithium ore (accounting for 46% of the global total in 2024), felt this decline more sharply than most, forcing several mining operations to pause amid deteriorating market conditions. However, a rebound may be on the horizon. Analysts expect a resurgence in 2025, fuelled by renewed growth in EV adoption and clean energy storage. Although lithium prices remain difficult to predict, Australian miners are once more betting big on the metal. With an abundance of active lithium mines and reserves, Australia is well placed to be at the forefront of this lithium opportunity. However, as demand grows, questions have been raised as to how this burgeoning market can remain sustainable and how waste streams can be safely managed. Strengthening domestic recycling capabilities, developing greener processing methods and building closed-loop supply chains could be key to ensuring that growth in lithium production does not come at the expense of the environment. By 2040, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects demand for lithium to be more than 40-times current levels if the world is to meet its Paris Agreement goals. As such, despite the current market volatility, optimism about the future of lithium remains strong. In this context, Australia has positioned itself to be a leading global supplier. In 2024, the federal government extended a A$230m ($149.81m) loan to Liontown Resources, which began production at its Kathleen Valley mine last July. The mine is expected to produce around 500,000 tonnes (t) of spodumene concentrate annually. Spodumene is Australia's main source of lithium. Meanwhile, Perth-based Pilbara Minerals plans to boost lithium ore production at Pilgangoora by 50% over the next year through its P1000 project. Crucially, there has been an uptick in interest to build out not only the extraction side of the lithium supply chain but also refineries. For instance, in Western Australia, Covalent Lithium is constructing its own lithium refinery, while Albemarle is operating another refinery in the region. The motivation behind the shift in focus stems from efforts to diversify critical minerals supply chains and move away from China's continued dominance. According to the IEA, China currently accounts for 70% of global lithium refining. 'At the moment in Australia, we are doing the mining and integration aspects of lithium-ion [Li-ion] batteries really well,' says Neeraj Sharma, chemistry professor at the University of New South Wales, and founder of the Australian battery society. 'Our grid is years ahead when it comes to battery storage. It is the middle part of the supply chain that we need to grow – the processing and cell manufacturing aspects.' Similarly, Serkan Saydam, chair of mining engineering at UNSW Sydney, believes the main gap in Australia's lithium supply chain lies in the processing and refining element. 'While Australia excels in lithium extraction, it currently lacks sufficient domestic processing and refining capacity, leading to reliance on overseas facilities,' says Saydam. Indeed, in 2022–23 Australia exported 98% of its spodumene concentrate for processing. Both Sharma and Saydam identify developing lithium processing capability as necessary not only for Australia's national security and economic growth but also for sustainable industry development. Saydam says developing low-emission processing infrastructure is essential 'not only for economic gain but also for minimising environmental impacts through tighter regulatory oversight'. Building out this part of the supply chain could also, Sharma believes, help establish a more robust battery recycling industry in Australia. 'If we know what is going into the batteries from a processing perspective, it will better equip us to know how to recycle them at the end of life,' he tells Mining Technology. 'We are seeing a lot of interest from the mining and start-up sectors to move towards this, but right now, without the right electrode processing or refinement in-country, it is harder to create the recycling processes needed in-country.' According to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, only around 10% of Li-ion battery waste is currently recycled in Australia. However, Sharma predicts that as large-scale battery demand grows, so too will the recycling rates. 'I think recycling rates for things like EV batteries will be close to 100%,' he says. 'Just by the nature of the fact that these batteries are large, people won't want to have them hanging around.' The difficulty, he says, lies in scalability and the fact that battery chemistry is still evolving. 'Currently there are not enough Li-ion batteries to recycle efficiently,' says Sharma, adding that battery chemistry is constantly evolving, meaning recyclers are collecting batteries that 'have a mix of so many different chemicals'. Some battery chemistries are emerging as dominant, however, and Sharma suggests that the next few years will see the emergence of a 'more homogenous' battery waste stream that will be easier to organise and recycle. '[Once] you have more batteries available to recycle, then you have the scale to be able to do so effectively,' he adds. 'Once you start to standardise the battery chemistry, you can then start to think about really minimising the steps of recycling.' Some progress is being made. There is also an historical precedent, with the lead-acid battery industry providing a model Australia can learn from. In January 2022, the Battery Stewardship Council introduced a levy scheme in partnership with manufacturers, lifting the recovery rate of small batteries from less than 8% to more than 16% within six months. The Australian Government also recently announced its National Battery Strategy, laying out ways to support its domestic battery industry as it grows. As Australia works to close the loop, embedding sustainability throughout the supply chain will be crucial. With environmental, social and governance standards becoming more stringent, shareholders and consumers alike will be paying close attention. Saydam warns that Australia's mines will have to integrate more sustainable practices into operations to not only meet future lithium demand but also become a 'key player' in the global transition to a low-carbon economy. 'Investment in innovation – such as direct lithium extraction and low-carbon refining technologies – is vital to reduce the environmental footprint and support a circular economy,' Saydam says. 'The industry must navigate global market volatility and advocate for clear national policies that support sustainable growth. 'Addressing these challenges holistically will be key to ensuring that Australia can scale its lithium production in a responsible and globally competitive manner,' he adds. Australia has already begun to develop local refining capacity and domestic battery recycling initiatives. Still, significant hurdles remain in meeting the fast-rising global demand. Optimising lithium extraction and processing will require a coordinated blend of legislative reform, technological advancement and strategic investment, according to Saydam. 'Legislative frameworks need to be strengthened to encourage sustainable and efficient practices,' he says. 'This includes creating clear, stable policies that incentivise domestic value-adding activities such as refining and battery material production, rather than solely exporting raw materials. 'Regulatory settings should also enforce strict environmental standards to ensure water use, waste management and emissions are responsibly managed, while fast-tracking approvals for sustainable technology deployment,' Saydam continues. Enhancing community and Indigenous engagement, investing in workforce upskilling, and encouraging collaboration between academia, industry and government were also highlighted as key to long-term success. As Saydam concludes: 'In essence, the long-term success of Australia's lithium industry depends on a holistic approach that integrates sustainability, innovation and strategic positioning in the global value chain.' "Lithium in Australia: the future of the 'white gold' rush" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
