Much to the chagrin of my lovely bride, I am a bit addicted to vintage automotive cinema; therefore, we spend our evenings watching fewer sitcoms and reality shows than cheesy old educational videos. This is my choice, not hers. My latest infatuation has been with these early 1970s Australian drivers’ education videos on the “NFSA Australia” YouTube channel. There are nine videos in the “Skills of Defensive Driving” series alone, and it’s worth watching simply for car spotting enjoyment and overall cheesiness. If you’ve got some time to spare, have fun falling down this rabbit hole.
Wild nights at the Aaron65 household! 🙂 I found it interesting to view the world from the perspective of a non-enthusiast – the alternate universe Down Under is interesting in that all the cars look the same with the exception of the ones that really stand out, such as the Mini and the various VW’s and the MG (or perhaps that’s just because I’m familiar with them?). All the larger iron sort of blended together without the obvious little styling cues that one gets used to and familiar with to differentiate them. It must be the same over here or anywhere to the casual driver day to day.
Yeah, we’re a wild bunch. You’d think we’d grow out of it! 🙂
My takeaway was to never attempt a pass while pushing a Mini up a grade.
This reminds me of “Der 7. Sinn” or “The 7th Sense”, a German TV series of 5 minute spots on educating the German motorists. I actually learned quite a bit by watching them. Today you would not believe how sexist some episodes were. Enjoy:
https://youtu.be/xixym7vGUQ4
I found the RHD too confusing, so I mirrored the video in VLC to see it in LHD mode.
https://www.vlchelp.com/rotating-video-in-vlc-media-player/
Use ‘Flip horizontally’
too bad you can’t mirror image the voice-over as well. 😉
I love these NFSA Defensive Driving videos. They show how safe Australian driving can be if you’re careful.
I remember similar, but usually shorter films on British TV too, though when done the announcer would always say “That was a Public Information Film” just in case you mistook it for an advert or something….
I noticed quite a few of the Australian Fords and Holdens that have been covered on CC as well as the Matchbox and Corgi Juniors!
I too love watching old auto safety films .
Great car spotting .
-Nate
Lots of very familiar cars, Holdens Falcons I saw one Hillman Minx a nice base model six cylinder Falcon hardtop and many others that are now rare but used to be just traffic.
Not to mention the old (at the time) Cortina and Falcon that were ‘sacrificed’ in the making of the film
I have watched those videos too! I like the one about freeway driving. There are a lot of clues that it was filmed in Brisbane. You can then go to Google Maps and find it. Most of what is in the film still exists.
Lol, I’m glad I’m not the only NFSA addict. This time last year on my road trip to Motorclassica in Melbourne, my sister and I dropped into the Archive in Canberra. We are a pair of middle aged dags.
Interesting to hear what the Australian version of the 1970s safety educational film narrator voice and accent were like.
Also interesting to see traffic full of 1960s-’70s American(ish) cars with amber rear turn signals.
Why, it’s no wonder there are so many accidents there, what with everyone driving on the wrong side of the road! 😀
I fail to see how that plays a part. England also drives their vehicles on the left side of the road.
Fom 1973 – the white XA Ford Falcon 2-door would have been brand new then.