A 1950s family hops into their FJ Holden and goes for a drive. A road safety film which highlights the need for good hand signals when driving.

Made by the Commonwealth Film Unit. Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

'Fast woman, tough guy. Mix them together and you have all the ingredients for ... a double cross'. This educational film produced by the Commonwealth Film Unit is a road safety warning to motorists on the importance of observing the road signs. Produced with a nod to film noir, our hard-bitten detective hero Larry Kent (Ken Wayne), has seen it all before and he wants us to stay safe. The woman is driving an MG and the man is driving an FJ Holden. This short would have been shown before a feature in movie theatres around Australia.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Controlled driver experiments where subjects with a blood alcohol reading of 0.08 drive cars and they measure their reaction times, feature in this educational film. This film shows attitudes to drinking and driving in the late 1970s, when the blood alcohol legal limit in most Australian states was higher than today. Young people discuss social pressures and what they regard as their ‘safe’ level of alcohol intake. One man says candidly 'Whenever I'm drunk I don't give any thought to the people I might kill. I don't even give any thought to my own life, until I come so close that I almost have an accident and then I think what could have happened'.

In an instructive and non-sensational way, the film also presents information about alcohol and the body, road deaths using animation. It shows statistics that alcohol plays a part in approximately half of the deaths on Australia's roads.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

It can be tricky to know who's at fault in an accident but this first episode of the driver training film series Skills of Defensive Driving shows some common driving faults and allocates blame. Scenes were filmed in Frenchs Forest in Sydney. Narrator Peter Gwynne says wryly 'Don't be like the legendary Albert Day, who died defending his right-of-way.' Gwynne went on to act in TV classics such as Boney, Division 4, Homicide, and Flying Doctors. The catchy score is composed by Rory O’Donoghue who played Thin Arthur on The Aunty Jack Show (1972-75).

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Don't tailgate! This film from the Skills of Defensive Driving educational series advises drivers on the precautions to be taken when following another vehicle. Narrator Peter Gwynne says 'Most drivers, even some good ones, don't realise how much road is used to stop a car' and in the film they measure this using nifty experiments involving chalk. Gwynne went on to act in TV classics such as Boney, Division 4, Homicide, and Flying Doctors. This episode features beautiful vintage cars - a Cortina and a Torana.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Classic cars such as Holden panel vans, Volkswagen Golfs, Datsuns and Holden Kingswoods feature in this lesson in the precautions to be taken when driving in front of another vehicle. This is the third episode of the driver training film series Skills of Defensive Driving.

Narrator Peter Gwynne acts as a wise driving sage, saying 'Remember, the only road we can control is the section immediately ahead of us' and 'In every traffic situation the defensive driver knows he has a definite responsibility to the driver of the vehicle behind'.

The catchy score is composed by Rory O’Donoghue who played Thin Arthur on The Aunty Jack Show (1972-75).

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Conditions under which head on collisions occur and explanations on how to avoid them. Narrator Peter Gwynne says 'The rule is, keep to the left and you'll be OK but it's often difficult to observe this simple rule because there are many things that can distract a driver.'

Fourth in the driver training film series Skills of Defensive Driving. Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

We learn of the dangers in four way cross intersection accidents and how to avoid them. This is the fifth episode of the driver training film series Skills of Defensive Driving.

This episode features classic vintage car makes and models such as Morris Mini-Minor, Austin, Holden Kingswood, Mercedes, Chrysler, Valient, Mazda, Rover, Dodge, Datsun, Toyota Crown, Volkswagen Golf, Range Rover and panel vans.

The catchy score is composed by Rory O’Donoghue. Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

One of the most dangerous manoeuvres on the road is overtaking. The often high speeds involved and the potential of facing on coming traffic means this procedure needs to be done with extreme caution. This film show you how as well as tips on how to behave when being overtaken by others. Features beloved vintage cars makes and models including Cortina, Holden Kingswood and Morris Mini-Minor.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Tiredness, alcohol, distraction or mechanical failure can be the cause of the single vehicle crash, but the real cause can be a mystery. There are often no witnesses and unfortunately sometimes no survivors. That is why it pays to be aware of possible dangers that might result in this kind of accident and take precautions against them happening.

The narration tells us that single vehicle crashes account for one third of the deaths on Australian roads. Narrator Peter Gwynne cautions 'when roads are wet and slippery - slow down! The killer is often not speed itself, but rather, speed too fast for the conditions'. We see a spectacular crash involving a vintage FJ Holden. No CGI (computer generated imagery) here!

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

'The victims of motor car accidents are very often pedestrians. Sometimes they can be unpredictable but often they are innocent victims'. 

Episode 8 of this educational series reminds us that the road is there for sharing. No one user or type of vehicle is exempt from the requirement to take all precautions in order to avoid an accident when on the roads. Accident free driving for all vehicles sharing the road should be the aim of all persons, including pedestrians.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

'Freeways are designed for fast and safe motoring. By eliminating sharp curves, intersections and pedestrians it's possible to drive faster than you would on other roads, but higher speed give you less time to recover from mistakes.' This final episode in the Skills of Defensive Driving series discusses the different driving situations that can be encountered, including merging, entering freeway traffic and overtaking. 

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

This dramatised film features Noah Taylor in one of his first screen roles. A young boy played by Jeremy Shadlow is shown his short life in flashback as his survival hangs in the balance following a fatal accident after a joyride. His experiences are perhaps those of a typical adolescent experimenting with drugs and alcohol.

Out of Control was made in cooperation with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit of the Prince of Wales Hospital, and aims to show young people the dangers of drug use, especially alcohol and marijuana. Its message has a preventative bias by positively reinforcing young people’s rejection of offers of drugs.

This program was made specifically for 10 to 14 year olds. It presents a complex problem in a simple way. Key concepts include: no drug is safe; drugs can get you into dangerous situations; drugs can destroy relationships; decisions have consequences; and you are responsible for your own behaviour, no one else.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

This advertisement for road safety begins with a cricket match. As Keith Miller bats, the male narrator speaks about concentration as one of his keys to success, with his 'eyes front all the time, or you’re out’. This tip is then applied to road safety as the advertisement illustrates 'doing the right thing’ as a driver or pedestrian – noticing speed signs, slowing down at school zones, ignoring distractions, watching where you’re walking and carefully crossing the road. The narrator employs cricket analogies to reinforce the message. The ad ends with a direct address to camera by Miller who concludes that 'the eyes have it’. Summary by Poppy De Souza.

Shot with a big cowboy nod to the Western genre, this road safety film shows the danger of speeding on an unknown country road at night.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Learn how a car works in episode 1 of a 14 part series about road safety. This in-depth series starts at the basics of car maintenance ensuring your vehicle is road worthy and of the highest safety standard. In this episode we learn how a car works. As stated 'some knowledge of how a car works is a good basis for the intelligent use of its controls'. The car featured is a vintage XT Falcon. The narrator James Dibble was a news reader for ABC Television.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

It's important to check your car's road worthiness prior to driving and this film goes into detail about what to check. The car featured is a vintage XT Falcon. 

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

'In this film we're going to drive. We're going to treat the car carefully and drive the car safely while establishing good habits before we even start the engine.' This episode advises on the principles and techniques of starting the car, getting it moving and how to stop it. The car featured is a vintage XT Falcon. 

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Learn how to correctly steer the car as well as the correct methods of gear changing and braking. The car featured is a vintage XT Falcon with manual transmission with a gear shift on the steering column. 

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Once you have a sound knowledge of driving fundamentals: checking, starting, stopping, steering, gear changing and braking, with practice these things become almost automatic. This episode demonstrates starting uphill, reversing and parking manoeuvres. The car featured is a vintage XT Falcon. 

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Shows what to look for in driving, the effects of speed on vision and typical signs and hazards. The car featured is a vintage XT Falcon. 

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

The importance of having an order of procedures to address particular driving situations. This episode demonstrates systematic control of the car for safe handling in traffic. Features of the system taught are: deciding a course of travel ahead of time, mirrors and signal, brakes, gear and mirrors, evasive action if needed and acceleration. The car featured is a vintage XT Falcon. 

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

How to turn corners and overtake other vehicles safely. The car featured is a vintage XT Falcon. 

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

This short would have been shown before a feature in movie theatres around Australia.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.

Don't drink and drive! A jazz band gives extra appeal to this road safety trailer on the dangers of mixing drinking and driving. 

This short would have been shown before a feature in movie theatres around Australia.

Film Australia Collection © National Film and Sound Archive.