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Smile for the camera!: Man caught trashing Bunnings van

A vandal has been caught red-handed interfering with the windscreen wiper of a parked Bunnings vehicle over the weekend. The act was caught on the car’s dashboard camera on Sunday, and shared to the Facebook page Dash Cam Owners Australia on Tuesday. The video shows a man approach the car from the passenger side before starting to tamper with the wiper, bending it back onto itself and then twisting it around. The man was dressed in a brown New York Yankees cap, grey shirt, blue board shorts and thongs. He then left the scene, walking in the opposite direction. The incident took place while the car was parked on Victoria Avenue in the Sydney suburb of Concord West. The video garnered over 70,000 views in less than four hours, as well as hundreds of comments. Many commenters were happy the culprit was caught, with one person writing, “Smile for the camera you angry little man! I hope he’s been identified,” while another wondered what prompted the attack, asking, “Makes you wonder why people actually do this. Crazy. I wonder if he is known to the dashcam owner? Seems like it’s revenge for something possibly?” Others wondered whether it was part of a vendetta against the hardware store, with someone suggesting, “Vandalism to a Bunnings van? Probably worked for Mitre10,” while another wondered if the man wasn’t just hungry, writing, “Hangry for a Bunnings snag! Maybe they should do a snag van like Mr Whippy.” Another commenter pointed out that the attack wasn’t particularly effective, writing, “If you’re gonna be a vandal, at least be an intelligent one and do that to the driver’s side wiper. All he achieved there is made it ever so slightly more difficult to see out the extreme left of the windscreen, and some minor inconvenience by needing to replace it.” Image: Dash Cam Owners Australia

Travel Trouble

Solar curtailment is emerging as a new challenge to overcome as Australia dashes for rooftop solar

Almost <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/australia-reaches-3-million-households-with-rooftop-solar-20211108-p59721.html">a third</a> of Australia’s estimated <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/au/bed/number-of-households/31/">ten million households</a> now have solar on the roof. But as the nation moving fastest to produce energy on our homes, we are also encountering teething problems, such as “curtailment” of output. This issue will be one we have to overcome as ever more Australians install solar. Our grids were designed primarily for large fossil fuel power stations transmitting electricity in one direction, while solar households both consume and export power. That means in some conditions, household solar may contribute to spikes in voltage levels outside of the acceptable range, especially as voltage levels are typically already high. To counter this, your solar system can stop exporting to the grid or even shut down temporarily if voltage levels are too high. This is called “curtailment”. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436513/original/file-20211209-21-qfm0ve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436513/original/file-20211209-21-qfm0ve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Solar technicians installing panels" /></a> The rush for solar shows no signs of slowing – but curtailment could be a stumbling block. Shutterstock <h2>So what’s the issue?</h2> The average solar household lose less than 1% of its power production to curtailment – and even less for those with home batteries. While that sounds minor, an unlucky few households are losing as much as 20%. Why the drastic difference? It depends on factors like the house’s location, the local electricity network equipment, home wiring, the number of solar systems in the area, and the size of a solar system and inverter settings, which can vary depending on the date of installation. These findings are from <a href="https://www.racefor2030.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CANVAS-Succinct-Final-Report_11.11.21.pdf">our scoping study</a> in South Australia, conducted in partnership with AGL, SA Power Networks and Solar Analytics as part of the <a href="https://www.racefor2030.com.au/">RACE for 2030</a> research centre. We analysed two out of three modes of automatic curtailment, with further research underway to assess the third mode, which may account for greater overall curtailment. This issue is set to get bigger, as more and more solar systems are installed and export to the grid at the same time. Given the different ways solar households experience curtailment, this research also raises issues of fairness. Our research interviewed and ran focus groups with South Australians who have solar. We found most participants didn’t know about curtailment and hadn’t experienced it or noticed it. But when we described curtailment, most people found it off-putting and questioned whether rooftop solar owners should be made to absorb any losses, given the contribution of rooftop solar to the renewable energy transition. Not only that, our participants told us they believed the issue could slow down the adoption of solar and potentially undermine faith in the system. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436514/original/file-20211209-19-azcfvo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436514/original/file-20211209-19-azcfvo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Power pylons" /></a> Australia’s rapid renewable transition means challenges to overcome for the grid. Shutterstock <h2>Is this a problem for solar uptake?</h2> The issue of curtailment means people may not get everything they expect out of their solar system. But this may not be a deal breaker, given <a href="https://ecss.energyconsumersaustralia.com.au/behaviour-survey-oct-2021/purchase-intentions/">earlier research</a> and our study both show that people hope to benefit in many different ways from installing a solar system. For instance, some want to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to a cleaner grid. Others want to be less reliant on electricity providers and enjoy producing and using their own energy. And some just want cheaper electricity, and don’t mind whether they get these savings through selling their power or just buying less of what they need from the grid. The good news is that as the solar sector matures, new ways are emerging of maximising value from our solar, including: <ul> <li>home energy management systems letting us time the use of appliances such as <a href="https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2021/09/06/unsw-study-channelling-rooftop-pv-into-water-heating-is-a-residential-super-saver/">hot water tanks</a> for daytime periods, when solar generates most power</li> <li>batteries letting us store power for use in the home when it is needed, such as in the evening</li> <li><a href="https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2017/09/virtual-power-plant/">virtual power plants</a> enabling households to be paid for allowing their solar and battery systems to help stabilise the electricity grid.</li> </ul> While attractive in their own right, these options can also reduce how much your solar system is curtailed, and have the potential to help tackle challenges at a grid scale. Other changes to electricity and grid access and pricing could also help us better manage curtailment. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-15/sa-power-networks-to-control-solar-exports-in-adelaide-trial/100070068">Flexible export limits</a> being trialled in South Australia and elsewhere would mean households could export electricity to the grid when it is needed, while occasionally being prevented from doing so when the network does not have capacity. Flexible export limits also mean households can install larger solar systems regardless of their location within the network. They could stop curtailment affecting solar households in unexpected and uneven ways. Other responses include <a href="https://discover.agl.com.au/solar/helping-to-maximise-your-solar-savings/">programs to reward households</a> for having their export curtailed, recognising it as a service to the market and the network. There is no single solution to the issue of curtailment. But the different solutions described above may contribute to the successful integration of more rooftop solar energy and pave the way for a more renewable grid. Now is the time to talk about the future of solar in Australia, and the ways we can value it, use it and manage it when abundant.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172152/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sophie-adams-1203744">Sophie Adams</a>, Research Fellow, School of Humanities and Languages, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/baran-yildiz-1259582">Baran Yildiz</a>, Senior Research Associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/naomi-stringer-1296976">Naomi Stringer</a>, Research Associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shanil-samarakoon-1295900">Shanil Samarakoon</a>, Lecturer, Centre for Social Impact, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/solar-curtailment-is-emerging-as-a-new-challenge-to-overcome-as-australia-dashes-for-rooftop-solar-172152">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Home Hints & Tips

Dash cam shows dramatic arrest of Cleo's alleged abductor

The dramatic moment a man from Western Australia was arrested over allegedly kidnapping Cleo Smith has been captured on a taxi dash cam. Terence Darrell Kelly was arrested on Tuesday night, roughly one hour before detectives found Cleo locked inside a Carnarvon home. CCTV and dash cam footage from a nearby taxi has shown the moment the 36-year-old man was pulled over by police, before being pinned to the ground and arrested. In a statement released late on Thursday, police said Mr Kelly had been <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/i-m-coming-for-you-suspect-charged-in-cleo-s-alleged-abduction" target="_blank">charged with “various offences”</a>, including one count of forcibly taking a child under the age of 16. Terence was pulled over by police just 4km from the house Cleo was later discovered in. “The cops were chasing that car initially and they were all surrounding that car on the side of the curb and we saw one of the detectives on top of the guy, pinning him down,” a witness told <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/news/wa/dashcam-shows-dramatic-moment-cleo-smiths-alleged-abductor-terence-darrell-kelly-was-arrested-by-wa-police-c-4439685" target="_blank">7NEWS</a> of the arrest. When questioned about the missing 4-year-old, Terence told police he had no idea what they were talking about. Police moved quickly when Terence was identified as a suspect on Tuesday night, and found Cleo alive and well moments later. Cleo had been missing for 18 days, after she was allegedly taken from her family's tent at the Blowholes campsite near Carnarvon. Homicide detective Cameron Blaine, who was among Cleo’s rescuers, said she appeared to be holding up well. Image credits: Facebook / 7News

News

Mother sacks babysitter over disturbing nanny cam footage

A mother has not been able to hold back her disgust after sacking her nanny. The mum said that she was shocked to discover that the nanny she hired to look after her 10-month-old son and five-year-old daughter had secretly been breastfeeding the son. The nanny started attempting to nurse the baby after the mother had confided in her about her issues with breastfeeding. “During a conversation that we had recently (maybe two weeks ago), I mentioned that I don’t produce much milk which forces me to rely on donor milk to feed my son,” the mum confessed <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/hnm9j2/wibta_if_i_fired_my_nanny_for_breastfeeding_my_son/" target="_blank" class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtflink">in the Reddit post</a>. “She was very sympathetic and inquisitive about the situation, and I was happy to answer all of her questions while simultaneously thinking nothing of it.” It was only after the mother checked the nanny cams that were set up in the house that she made the discovery. “I have nanny cameras set up in the living room and in my bedroom that my husband and I can access at anytime when we’re not home, but I never feel compelled to check for the simple fact that I trust my nanny,” she explained. “However, I was having a rough day yesterday and wanted to see what the little ones were up to so I decided to pop in. My nanny was sitting on my bed, rocking my son, and attempting to breastfeed him. “I almost felt sick, it just seemed so inappropriate. I decided to wait until I got home to confront her about it, and when I asked she was incredibly apologetic. She said she wanted to help me because of my milk production issues and never meant any harm.” The mother initially accepted the apology, but became suspicious and went through old footage. To her horror, she discovered that the nanny breastfeeding her son wasn't a one-off occurrence. “She unplugs the camera in my bedroom when she goes to put him down for naps and plugs it back in when she leaves,” she added. “After reviewing our recordings this wasn’t the first time she attempted to breastfeed my son, among a few other questionable things (closing my daughter in the pantry, leaving my son in the backyard unattended, etc).” If that's not bad enough, the mother also discovered that some treasured baby items were missing. “A couple of my son’s first outfits (first onesie, first Halloween costume) were gone as well as a small blanket that belonged to my daughter, and a box of old baby clothes I was going to donate,” she added. “These were returned to me by [the nanny’s] father minus the blanket because she can’t find it.” The mother said she’s been left "heartbroken" by the incident. “We’ve decided to let her go, obviously, and I’m going to be taking a few weeks of leave to take my kids in for check-ups,” she added. “My husband and I are horrified and heartbroken that we facilitated a situation in which our children’s safety was put at risk.”

Family & Pets

Blue Acceleration: our dash for ocean resources mirrors what we’ve already done to the land

Humans are leaving a heavy footprint on the Earth, but when did we become the main driver of change in the planet’s ecosystems? Many scientists point to the 1950s, when all kinds of socioeconomic trends began accelerating. Since then, <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/09/the-countries-with-the-biggest-populations-from-1950-to-2060/">the world population has tripled</a>. Fertiliser and water use expanded as <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-earth-feed-11-billion-people-four-reasons-to-fear-a-malthusian-future-43347">more food was grown than ever before</a>. The construction of motorways sped up to accommodate rising car ownership while international flights took off to satisfy a growing taste for tourism. The scale of human demands on Earth grew beyond historic proportions. This post-war period became known as the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/anthropocene-began-in-1965-according-to-signs-left-in-the-worlds-loneliest-tree-91993">Great Acceleration</a>”, and many believe it gave birth to the Anthropocene – the geological epoch during which human activity surpassed natural forces as the biggest influence on the functioning of Earth’s living systems. But researchers studying the ocean are currently feeling a sense of déjà vu. Over the past three decades, patterns seen on land 70 years ago have been occurring in the ocean. We’re living through a “<a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(19)30275-1">Blue Acceleration</a>”, and it will have significant consequences for life on the blue planet. Why is the Blue Acceleration happening now? As land-based resources have declined, hopes and expectations have increasingly turned to the ocean as a new engine of human development. Take deep sea mining. The international seabed and its mineral riches have excited commercial interest in recent years due to soaring commodity prices. According to the <a href="https://data.imf.org/commodityprices">International Monetary Fund</a>, the price of gold is up 454% since 2000, silver is up 317% and lead 493%. Around 1.4 million square kilometres of the seabed has been leased since 2001 by the International Seabed Authority for exploratory mining activities. In some industries, technological advances have driven these trends. Virtually all offshore windfarms were installed <a href="https://www.irena.org/Statistics">in the last 20 years</a>. The marine biotechnology sector scarcely existed at the end of the 20th century, and over <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/6/eaar5237">99% of genetic sequences from marine organisms</a> found in patents were registered since 2000. During the 1990s, as the Blue Acceleration got underway, <a href="https://www.infoplease.com/world/population-statistics/total-population-world-decade-1950-2050">the world population reached 6 billion</a>. Today there are around <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/">7.8 billion people</a>. Population growth in water-scarce areas like the Middle East, Australia and South Africa has caused a <a href="https://www.desaldata.com/">three-fold growth in volumes of desalinated seawater</a> generated since 2000. It has also meant a nearly <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.SHP.GOOD.TU">four-fold increase</a> in the volume of goods transported around the world by shipping since 2000. Why does the Blue Acceleration matter? The ocean was once thought – even among prominent scientists – to be too vast to be changed by human activity. That view has been replaced by the uncomfortable recognition that not only can humans change the ocean, but also that the current trajectory of human demands on the ocean simply isn’t sustainable. Consider the coast of Norway. The region is home to a multi-million dollar ocean-based oil and gas industry, aquaculture, popular cruises, busy shipping routes and fisheries. All of these interests are vying for the same ocean space, and their demands are growing. A five-fold increase in the number of salmon grown by aquaculture is expected by 2050, while the region’s tourism industry is predicted to welcome a five-fold increase in visitors by 2030. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.offshorewind.biz/2019/06/19/norway-ponders-3-5gw-offshore-wind-move/">vast offshore wind farms</a> have been proposed off the southern tip of Norway. The ocean is vast, but it’s not limitless. This saturation of ocean space is not unique to Norway, and a densely populated ocean space runs the risk of conflict across industries. Escapee salmon from aquaculture have <a href="https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/food-fisheries-and-agriculture/fishing-and-aquaculture/1/farmed-salmon/fish-healthsalmon-lice/id607091/">spread sea lice in wild populations</a>, creating tensions with Norwegian fisheries. An industrial accident in the oil and gas industry could cause significant damage to local seafood and tourism as well as the seafood export market. More fundamentally, the burden on ocean ecosystems is growing, and we simply don’t know as much about these ecosystems as we would like. An ecologist once quipped that fisheries management is the same as forestry management. Instead of trees you’re counting fish, except you can’t see the fish, and they move. Exploitation of the ocean has tended to precede exploration. One iconic example is <a href="https://theconversation.com/sea-pangolin-the-first-ever-species-endangered-by-potential-deep-sea-mining-120624">the scaly-foot snail</a>. This deep sea mollusc was discovered in 1999 and was on the IUCN Red List of endangered species by 2019. Why? As far as scientists can tell, the species is only found in three hydrothermal vent systems more than 2,400 metres below the Indian Ocean, covering less than 0.02 square kilometres. Today, two of the three vent systems fall within exploratory mining leases. What next? Billionaires dreaming of space colonies can dream a little closer to home. Even as the Blue Acceleration consumes more of the ocean’s resources, this vast area is every bit as mysterious as outer space. The surfaces of Mars and the Moon have been mapped in <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/mapping-our-planet-one-ocean-time">higher resolution than the seafloor</a>. Life in the ocean has existed for two billion years longer than on land and an estimated <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001127">91% of marine species have not been described by science</a>. Their genetic adaptations could help scientists develop the <a href="https://theconversation.com/nature-is-a-rich-source-of-medicine-if-we-can-protect-it-107471">antibiotics and medicines of tomorrow</a>, but they may disappear long before that’s possible. The timing is right for guiding the Blue Acceleration towards more sustainable and equitable trajectories. The <a href="https://en.unesco.org/ocean-decade">UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development</a> is about to begin, a new <a href="https://www.un.org/bbnj/">international treaty on ocean biodiversity</a> is in its final stages of negotiation, and in June 2020, governments, businesses, academics and civil society will assemble for the <a href="https://oceanconference.un.org/">UN Ocean Conference</a> in Lisbon. Yet many simple questions remain. Who is driving the Blue Acceleration? Who is benefiting from it? And who is being left out or forgotten? These are all urgent questions, but perhaps the most important and hardest to answer of all is how to create connections and engagement across all these groups. Otherwise, the drivers of the Blue Acceleration will be like the fish in the ecologist’s analogy: constantly moving, invisible and impossible to manage – before it is too late. Written by Robert Blasiak. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/blue-acceleration-our-dash-for-ocean-resources-mirrors-what-weve-already-done-to-the-land-130264">The Conversation.</a>

Cruising

Meet Duchess Meghan’s dashing new press secretary

There’s a new man in the Duchess of Sussex’s life but it’s not what you think. After being spotted grabbing lunch, people soon noticed that Duchess Meghan was not alone. Instead, she was joined by her new press secretary Christian Jones who sent the internet into a frenzy with his dashing good looks. The royal was seen heading out of an Italian restaurant in London’s Notting Hill with dark-haired Mr Jones by her side, and fans of the former actress could not be more delighted by her choice of staff. People took to Twitter to swoon over the press secretary as they just couldn’t get enough. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> We need to talk about Meghan Markle's new press secretary. <a href="https://t.co/MdLRG6l06r">pic.twitter.com/MdLRG6l06r</a> — Elizabeth Cotignola 🍁 (@LaDiavolina) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaDiavolina/status/1086729839770562561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 January 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> What a hottie! — P zapata (@Pzapata16) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pzapata16/status/1086819201237553153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 January 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> Press secretary is cute! — Gigi (@Ginalichi2) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ginalichi2/status/1086375461339435010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 January 2019</a></blockquote> Others pointed out that Prince Harry may have some competition on his hands. “Careful Harry, Meghan has a new younger handsome man around now,” wrote one person online. “He looks like that guy from Toronto she used to date, #princeharry better watch out!!” another said. But despite his good looks, Prince Harry has nothing to worry about, as he represents both Harry and Meghan along with Prince William and wife Duchess Kate. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3Qp2lFpij/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3Qp2lFpij/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Duchess Meghan was seen dining Friday night with her and Prince Harry’s new deputy director of communications, Christian Jones. 🤰🏽🍽🇬🇧 #hrhtheduchessofsussex #duchessofsussex #duchessmeghan #meghanmarkle #royalbaby #royalfamily #theroyals #christianjones #london #england</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/sebochnak/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Susan Bochnak</a> (@sebochnak) on Jan 20, 2019 at 8:41am PST </div> </blockquote> Mr Jones’ official title is Deputy Communications Secretary and he has a lengthy and impressive CV to boot. The young press secretary has worked extensively for the British government, first as the Chief Press Officer at the Treasury from 2014-2016, and then as a speechwriter for the Department for Exiting the European Union. And alongside his wealth of experience, he also knows how to look the part. So, it’s obvious why people around the world have taken to him.

News

Car almost flips onto roof as another vehicle merges into its lane

Merging into another lane in peak hour traffic can sometimes be a difficult task, and one video taking on a busy road in Sydney has shown us exactly how not to do it. The footage, which was captured on a busy Sydney road and posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DashCamOwnersAustralia/" target="_blank">Dash Cam Owners Australia</a> is as perplexing as it is worrying, and both drivers involved in the incident were quick to point the finger of blame at the other party. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDashCamOwnersAustralia%2Fvideos%2F1731624303563869%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Hundreds of commenters have had their say on the incident. “Whether indicator on or not, you can not merge until it is 100 per cent clear to do, so merging driver must ensure it is safe to merge. Even a 10 year old kid knows that,” one man wrote. Amazingly, the woman in the vehicle involved came across the video and commented on the post. “This is going to help so much with the insurance process,' she wrote. “I was the one the lady hit and she even has the nerve to blame me like it was my fault! She said ‘I indicated and you had enough space for me to merge in front of you.’ She didn't even stop or come back just continued driving like nothing happened.” Road rules in New South Wales state that merging motorists must give way to vehicles in the lane they are tyring to move into. “Before changing lane, signal in plenty of time and check for other vehicles by looking in your mirrors and your blind spot,” the rule book states. What are your thoughts? Who do you think is in the wrong? Image credit: Facebook / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DashCamOwnersAustralia/" target="_blank">Dash Cam Owners Australia</a>

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Smile for the camera!: Man caught trashing Bunnings van

Solar curtailment is emerging as a new challenge to overcome as Australia dashes for rooftop solar

Dash cam shows dramatic arrest of Cleo's alleged abductor

Mother sacks babysitter over disturbing nanny cam footage

Blue Acceleration: our dash for ocean resources mirrors what we’ve already done to the land

Meet Duchess Meghan’s dashing new press secretary

Car almost flips onto roof as another vehicle merges into its lane