Overdrive David Brown
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- Technology
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Overdrive: Cars, Transport and Culture.
A weekly radio program featuring motoring & transport news from Australia & around the world, road tests, feature interviews & quirky stories.
David Brown is a respected motoring broadcaster heard online and across Australia on commercial, public and community radio.
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Overdrive: Driver behaviour at traffic lights; Chevy Impala; 1948 Wolseley TV star; Chevy Silverado
G’Day and welcome to Overdrive a program that samples as much as it can of the delight of cars and transport
I’m David Brown
Interview
Recently there was an article in a major media outlet on whether the amount of yellow light time at traffic lights is enough.
The article had some one-dimensional comments so we thought we would here from an export and in doing so raised issues of real behaviour change, a lack of corporate memory in government departments and can a technical expert survive if he has a testy attitude.
We are then joined by Brian Smith and discuss
Social Media Posts
Some listener feedback on our social media posts:
• The Chevrolet Impala from the early 1960s – An icon and large design
• The 1948 Wolseley that has been in the one family since 1952.
Driving a huge ute
And the driving experience of a very big ute. Chevrolet Silverado. What’s it like to drive and is it a perfect car for towing or simply an environmental disaster.
Some highlights from the program
03:40
The technical research behind changing the length of yellow time at traffic lights in NSW. In the late 1960s, the first section of the Sydney to Newcastle Freeway was constructed between Berowra and the Hawkesbury River, but the Hawkesbury River Bridge was still the old bridge, only two lanes wide.
The merging of the traffic needed lights at the bottom of a steep hill. The three second yellow timing was not enough especially for trucks.
06:05
The technical person who led the research was a bit feisty, but was technically right and had a very strong sense of morality and duty in spending public money. Could such a person survive in the public service of today.
11:09
Was there an all-red period in the signal operations and what does that mean for driver behaviour
13:01
The suggestion of increasing the yellow time is like chasing your tail to solve one issues but creating many others.
20:45
There is a desperate need to do more than look at academic research. We need to have some corporate memory of what has been done in the past so we understand the present and so that we do re-work the same issues over and over again.
22:10
How do we detect traffic and make sense of what we think is happening? Some of the technology has been around for a long time but modern possibilities have yet to prove cost effective.
33:58
Feedback from listeners and social media. A 1948 Wolseley that has been in the one family since 1952. Was part of a television documentary about General Macarthur
36:02
Feedback about some pictures of the Chevy Impala. Brians favouite toy car when he was a child
39:18
The Chevrolet Silverado Pickup. David got to drive the new one while Brian hates the very thought of it.
For more information
Web Site: Driven Media: drivenmedia.com.au
Podcasts
iTunes: Cars Transport Culture
Spotify: Cars Transport Culture
Facebook
Cars Transport Culture
Instagram
Cars Transport Culture
Our YouTube site
Cars Transport Culture
Originally broadcast 16 March 2024 -
Overdrive: Kia Picanto and Chevrolet Silverado - Sublime to the ridiculous but which is which?
G’Day and welcome to Overdrive a program that samples as much as it can of the delights of cars and transport
I’m David Brown
This week we go from the very small to the very large – is it the sublime to the ridiculous –and if so which is which. It all depends on your approach
Road test
A road test of the smallest mainstream car in our market the Kia Picanto
Interviews
And in the middle of that we went to the launch of the Latest version of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Heavy duty pick up truck.
I can’t talk about driving just year (there is an embargo on that till a couple of week’s time) but I spoke to the Lead Engineer on the Silverado line, out here from Detroit, and the General Manager of General Motors in Australia and New Zealand about the nature and role of these vehicles
For more information
Web Site: Driven Media: drivenmedia.com.au
Podcasts
iTunes: Cars Transport Culture
Spotify: Cars Transport Culture
Facebook
Cars Transport Culture
Instagram
Cars Transport Culture
Our YouTube site
Cars Transport Culture
Originally broadcast 9 March 2024 -
Overdrive: To Bathurst for V8 Supercars, Chat to Ford Electric Supervan race driver and Thrifty VP
G’day and welcome to overdrive a radio and podcast program that tests cars and the locations who can drive them to
I’m David Brown
This week we reflect on our road trip to Bathurst
Road test
A road test of the Mazda 3
Interview
And when we get their we look at a bit of history then attend the first round of the V8 super car series.
Taking the opportunity to interview with the Vice President of Thrifty rent-a-car Asian Pacific on the state of the industry and the state of marketing through motor racing by being the major sponsor of the first round of the Super car series.
And finally, an interview with the international racing driver who was driving the 2000 Hp electric Ford Transit van on its fast laps around the Mt Panorama circuit.
For more information
Web Site: Driven Media: drivenmedia.com.au
Podcasts
iTunes: Cars Transport Culture
Spotify: Cars Transport Culture
Facebook
Cars Transport Culture
Instagram
Cars Transport Culture
Our YouTube site
Cars Transport Culture
Originally broadcast 2 March 2024 -
Overdrive: Mazda 2 – Long live urban focused, small sedans; Effective pedestrian & cycling education
G’Day and welcome to Overdrive, a program that seeks simplicity amongst the complexities when talking about cars and transport.
I’m David Brown
Road test
Mazda 2 – a quite small sedan – look at some history of when nippy little sedans were trendy. There practicality should not be lost.
Interview
We talk to an expert in bicycle and pedestrian planning on being engage with the real problems.
For more information
Web Site: Driven Media: drivenmedia.com.au
Podcasts
iTunes: Cars Transport Culture
Spotify: Cars Transport Culture
Facebook
Cars Transport Culture
Instagram
Cars Transport Culture
Our YouTube site
Cars Transport Culture
Originally broadcast 24 February 2024 -
Overdrive: Hyundai Kona N-line: Edited version of comments on Superbowl car ads
G’Day and welcome to Overdrive a program that samples as much as it can of the pleasure of cars and transport
I’m David Brown
Road test
Hyundai Kona N-Line – performance in a small SUV
Interview
To get a 30 second spot during the Superbowl telecast cost the equivalent of AUD $10 million. Brian Smith and I run a critical eye over those car ads that tried their hand in this outrageously expensive opportunity
For more information
Web Site: Driven Media: drivenmedia.com.au
Podcasts
iTunes: Cars Transport Culture
Spotify: Cars Transport Culture
Facebook
Cars Transport Culture
Instagram
Cars Transport Culture
Our YouTube site
Cars Transport Culture
Originally broadcast 17 February 2024 -
Overdrive: Mazda CX-90 a lounge on wheels; Why do birds crap on newly washed cars?
G’Day and welcome to Overdrive a program that samples as much as it can of the thrill of cars and transport
I’m David Brown
Road test
Mazda CX-90 – replacing the CX9 – it is more of a lounge car than an express
Interview
At our home station here for Overdrive, the most popular programme is the breakfast show presented by Bruce Potter. He's very kindly gives a preview the day before each Overdrive program goes to air, to what we're going to be talking about. And his listeners are now asking questions.
Bruce joins us to answer the one about why birds crap on cars that have just been washed.
For more information
Web Site: Driven Media: drivenmedia.com.au
Podcasts
iTunes: Cars Transport Culture
Spotify: Cars Transport Culture
Facebook
Cars Transport Culture
Instagram
Cars Transport Culture
Our YouTube site
Cars Transport Culture
Originally broadcast 20 February 2024