Royal Automobile Association
Encyclopedia
The Royal Automobile Association of South Australia, also known simply as RAA, is a South Australia
n automobile club providing a range of member services including: 24-hour emergency breakdown, vehicle inspection, motoring advocacy, road safety, legal services, technical advice, travel services, security, tour planning, accommodation booking and also a subsidiary insurance
company.
RAA services operate on a break-even basis and the organisation looks to generate a profit through its commercial and investment activities.
RAA began as The Automobile and Motor Cycling Club of South Australia in 1903, but by 1904 had amended its name by deleting the words ‘Motor Cycling’. In 1911 the club was reconstituted as an Association, and in 1928 received its Royal patronage. However, it was not until 1959 that the association changed its logo from AA of SA to RAA.
The head office of the Royal Automobile Association is located at the north-eastern corner of the South Road
- Richmond Road intersection, in the Adelaide suburb of Mile End South
. Originally, the head office was located in Hindmarsh Square
within the Adelaide
central business district
. RAA has branch offices located throughout the Adelaide metropolitan area, as well as in South Australian regional centres.
and AANT.
RAA patrols respond to over 600,000 calls for emergency roadside assistance each year, with over 90% of problems fixed at the roadside. The primary aim of the patrol is to get vehicles going again. If that is not possible, RAA will organise for the vehicles to be towed.
RAA Premium & Plus members are entitled to an unlimited number of calls for roadside assistance and Standard members are allowed eight calls per year.
On 30 September 1903 a small group of South Australian motoring enthusiasts established a social motoring club, calling itself the Automobile and Motor Cycling Club.
These pioneers embarked on weekend drives in the Adelaide Hills
, hill climbs and reliability trial
s; forming motorsport
in South Australia. At the time there were no garages and drivers (or Good Samaritans) had to fix any problems on their own.
As motorists were reigned in for the first time with regulations, RAA started a role as the 'motorists' watchdog' which has continued to this day. That, though, had a sting in its tale, for a growing gulf between the sports-minded members and those concerned with more serious matters caused a split around 1910 which brought the RAA close to a premature demise.
What followed as a determination to concentrate on practical help for members, and the Automobile Club (as the RAA was called then) became an Association. RAA opposed speed limits (still as low as 4 mph in places by the 1920s), and the revenue-raising tactics of police speed traps. This prompted a response among South Australians which saw an increase in membership possibly without equal in the world - a growth of 1,379 per cent in the decade from 1920.
Proliferating speeding prosecutions led to the introduction of free legal defence for members (the first formal service) as early as 1911. Other member benefits included a list of country hotels and the production of the State's first detailed road map. In 1913 it also began direction signposting.
Early in the 1920s the Association was restructured to become a fully-fledged service organisation. Staffing levels grew from zero early in 1920 to about three dozen by the end of the decade. By then Road Service, Technical, Touring and Legal services were established and the RAA Motor Insurance Policy was in place.
In 1928 the Association was granted the prefix 'Royal' by King George V, a sign of recognition from England
and the State Government
(which had to approve the application first) with which it was still having bitter battles. This acknowledgement the Association's role in guiding the State into a radically new era, and of its work (particularly that of its members) during World War I
in tirelessly providing transport for wounded and sick soldiers returning from the battlefields of Europe.
and moved in during 1928, shortly before the 20,000th member was enrolled.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the RAA formed and operated the Civil Defence Transport Auxiliary, surveyed and mapped the State's roads for the military authorities, provided research into alternative fuels and supported the cause in other ways. The period of austerity and hard times were caused by increasingly tough petrol rationing and unprecedented inflation.
By 1947 the motoring organisations knew that rationing was no longer necessary and campaigned ceaselessly to have it removed. Prime Minister Ben Chifley
refused, and to a backdrop of RAA accusations that petrol was being used as a political weapon, Chifley was defeated in an election at the end of 1949. The in-coming Government quickly removed rationing.
Since the early 1920s RAA called for a single Road Traffic Act to replace about a dozen different Acts and hundreds of regulations. The RAA was a participant on the committee which put together the Act, which came into force in 1937.
The early 1950s saw a massive increase in car ownership and spiralling RAA membership, soaring past 75,000. Road service changed with the familiar motor cycle outfits were replaced by vans, the Guides became Patrols and were using two-way radio, operating 24 hours a day out of new premises in North Adelaide
.
By the RAA’s Golden Jubilee
in 1950 there were 140 staff, supported by seven country offices and 99 road service depots. Service figures for 1953 showed 66,000 road service jobs, almost 40,000 touring enquiries, 12,000 vehicle inspections and 84,000 technical enquiries, 1,300 legal enquiries and almost a thousand court defences, and 20,000 insurance policies.
In 1959 the Association changed its logo from the Automobile Association of SA to RAA. .
Through its member services – such as emergency road service and touring – the Association has become an established South Australian icon
.
If this was the State's most potent period of motoring growth, though, by the 1970s it was balanced by less buoyant issues. There were fears that the world was running out of crude oil, growing concerns about pollution and differing opinions on the development of freeways; and, indeed, on the future of the motor car.
Under a backdrop of ever-increasing taxes and charges the RAA fought to improve petrol-selling hours in Adelaide; lobbied for the city's first major off-street parking; and battled to get the Eyre Highway
sealed. It succeeded with all three, and kept an eye on other new features like parking meters, speed radar, seat belts and breathalysers.
Member services continued to evolve and improve. The RAA Travel Service, Driver Training, Travellers Shop and Finance Service all began in this period, while an in-house Legal Department began the advisory service previously handled by the solicitors.
The Touring Department planned caravan parks and initiated the 'star' grading accommodation classification scheme which is still used and published its first touring guide books. Late in the 1950s the RAA employed its first cartographer and began drawing in-house the regional maps from which today's maps take their lineage.
A notable casualty of the 1970s was RAA's role of providing much of the State's road signposting, a task it had handled for over half a century. In these inflationary times the cost was escalating alarmingly, and the last straw was the prospect of metric conversion
when distances changed from miles to kilometres.
RAA rode on that wave of expansion and social development. It had a mighty impact, in fact, for in this quarter century its membership almost quadrupled to 357,000, and cemented RAA's position as one of the State's most influential organisations.
. This more competitive era saw the Association expand its own services and combat competition in areas like emergency road service.
The most important advance in membership benefits since the start of the service era was the introduction in 1987 of RAA PLUS, whose benefits proved so popular with South Australians that almost 30 percent of members now choose the PLUS option.
RAA was the first motoring organisation in the world to introduce a battery replacement service and the first in Australia to produce a computer CD with touring information—the TravelGuide CD-ROM
. During the 1980s the Mapping Department moved from pen-and-ink drawing to an improved process known as scribing and then to computer mapping. Brand-new operations included the Approved Repair Service and RAA Security Services.
Emergency road service was based at three different locations since 1979 and, like most operations, became heavily dependent on computer technology. Together with Technical Services it was a prime consideration when a new property at Mile End was constructed which has since become the Association's Headquarters. Today the Richmond Rd facility now includes a branch office, Child Safety Centre and Vehicle Inspection Centre.
Growing concern over car theft led to initiatives like RAA's steering wheel lock and the full metal jacket to make cars more difficult to steal, and a vehicle etching scheme to deter professional thieves. This ongoing campaign culminated in the Association organising a Vehicle Theft Summit during 2000. Similarly, the quest to lower the toll of dead and injured on the roads resulted in the RAA Road Safety Summit during the same year.
The Association's quest for improved roads played a part in achieving the sealing of the Stuart Highway
and the creation of the new Crafers Highway and Southern Expressway
.
With membership soaring past half a million, RAA reached a point where its standing in South Australia and its resources allowed it to put back into the community some of the support which the community has for so long given the Association.
It contributed 100 baby capsules, for example, to an infant restraint hire scheme; it has sponsored alternative energy initiatives including the annual Pedal Prix
and solar powered vehicles; it introduced RAA Family Car of the Year, which has since been incorporated into the national awards for Australia's Best Cars; and it participates in the ANCAP
crash testing program in search of safer motoring.
By the start of 2010, total membership just tipped 580,000, having steadily increased as the State grew.
Since RAA’s 100-year anniversary in 2003, the organisation has continued along a path of continued improvement and modernisation. This was reflected in the occupation of the third and final stage of the new headquarters at Mile End in 2004. While in 2009 the city branch returned to our historical and sentimental home at 41 Hindmarsh Square, with the site having been extensively redeveloped into a green, environmentally friendly complex.
In 2007 RAA’s second longest serving Chief Executive, John Fotheringham, retired after 19 years in the role, with Ian Stone appointed as his successor.
The start of 2010 has seen improvements made to the website
www.raa.com.au, transforming into an interactive tool rather than a site for information – all aimed at benefitting members. The Association has also refreshed the RAA brand, now looking towards the future.
In terms of advocacy
, in 2010 RAA launched a new policy, Mobility for Life, which embraces the use of all forms of transport, at all stages of life. RAA Security Services was rebranded Secure Services as demand increased for Personal Alert Systems among retirees, which are worn as a pendent and activated in the event of an emergency to summon help. This reflected a changing RAA offering services beyond motoring.
Despite all of these developments, some things remain unchanged. For the most part, cars still use petrol and an internal combustion engine
. Motorists are still querying their repair bills. They're still complaining about motoring taxes, still clamouring for maps. Their cars are still breaking down.
.
, Elizabeth
, Modbury
, Marion
, Morphett Vale, West Lakes .
, Clare
, Kadina, Mt Barker
, Mt Gambier, Murray Bridge, Naracoorte, Port Augusta
, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Renmark, Tanunda, Victor Harbor, Whyalla, Broken Hill (NSW)
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n automobile club providing a range of member services including: 24-hour emergency breakdown, vehicle inspection, motoring advocacy, road safety, legal services, technical advice, travel services, security, tour planning, accommodation booking and also a subsidiary insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
company.
RAA services operate on a break-even basis and the organisation looks to generate a profit through its commercial and investment activities.
RAA began as The Automobile and Motor Cycling Club of South Australia in 1903, but by 1904 had amended its name by deleting the words ‘Motor Cycling’. In 1911 the club was reconstituted as an Association, and in 1928 received its Royal patronage. However, it was not until 1959 that the association changed its logo from AA of SA to RAA.
The head office of the Royal Automobile Association is located at the north-eastern corner of the South Road
South Road, Adelaide
South Road is a major north–south conduit in Adelaide, South Australia. Also known as Main South Road, it is Adelaide's most important arterial road.- Route :...
- Richmond Road intersection, in the Adelaide suburb of Mile End South
Mile End South, South Australia
Mile End South is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, in the City of West Torrens. The name, denoting an area south of Mile End, was in use as early as 1913, but was only formally adopted by the state's nomenclature committee in 1944....
. Originally, the head office was located in Hindmarsh Square
Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide
Hindmarsh Square is a public square in Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the centre of the north-eastern quarter of the city, and surrounds the intersection of Grenfell and Pulteney Streets, near the eastern end of the Rundle Mall. Pirie Street forms the southern boundary of the square...
within the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. RAA has branch offices located throughout the Adelaide metropolitan area, as well as in South Australian regional centres.
Road Service
RAA offers several membership types, including Premium, Plus, Standard and Fleet Membership. RAA benefits are not restricted to South Australia. Members have access to affiliate organisations interstate and overseas including RACV, RACQ, RACWA, RACT, NRMANRMA
NRMA refers to either of two historically related Australian companies:*The National Roads and Motorists' Association, known as NRMA Motoring and Services, is a member-owned mutual organisation offering , motoring advice and other services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital...
and AANT.
RAA patrols respond to over 600,000 calls for emergency roadside assistance each year, with over 90% of problems fixed at the roadside. The primary aim of the patrol is to get vehicles going again. If that is not possible, RAA will organise for the vehicles to be towed.
RAA Premium & Plus members are entitled to an unlimited number of calls for roadside assistance and Standard members are allowed eight calls per year.
History: (1903 to 1928)
This history is an abridged version of Stuart Nicol's book "Rebel on Wheels - One Hundred Years of the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia 1903-2003".On 30 September 1903 a small group of South Australian motoring enthusiasts established a social motoring club, calling itself the Automobile and Motor Cycling Club.
These pioneers embarked on weekend drives in the Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 29,000 and is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.- History :The...
, hill climbs and reliability trial
Reliability trial
A reliability trial is an organised bicycle ride which challenges a cyclist to complete a course, passing through designated control points, within a preset time limit. In the United Kingdom, such events are often held in the wintry opening months of the year and are used by club cyclists as...
s; forming motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
in South Australia. At the time there were no garages and drivers (or Good Samaritans) had to fix any problems on their own.
As motorists were reigned in for the first time with regulations, RAA started a role as the 'motorists' watchdog' which has continued to this day. That, though, had a sting in its tale, for a growing gulf between the sports-minded members and those concerned with more serious matters caused a split around 1910 which brought the RAA close to a premature demise.
What followed as a determination to concentrate on practical help for members, and the Automobile Club (as the RAA was called then) became an Association. RAA opposed speed limits (still as low as 4 mph in places by the 1920s), and the revenue-raising tactics of police speed traps. This prompted a response among South Australians which saw an increase in membership possibly without equal in the world - a growth of 1,379 per cent in the decade from 1920.
Proliferating speeding prosecutions led to the introduction of free legal defence for members (the first formal service) as early as 1911. Other member benefits included a list of country hotels and the production of the State's first detailed road map. In 1913 it also began direction signposting.
Early in the 1920s the Association was restructured to become a fully-fledged service organisation. Staffing levels grew from zero early in 1920 to about three dozen by the end of the decade. By then Road Service, Technical, Touring and Legal services were established and the RAA Motor Insurance Policy was in place.
In 1928 the Association was granted the prefix 'Royal' by King George V, a sign of recognition from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the State Government
State government
A state government is the government of a subnational entity in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government...
(which had to approve the application first) with which it was still having bitter battles. This acknowledgement the Association's role in guiding the State into a radically new era, and of its work (particularly that of its members) during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in tirelessly providing transport for wounded and sick soldiers returning from the battlefields of Europe.
Difficult Years: 1929 to 1963
RAA bought its first freehold office at 49 Hindmarsh Square, AdelaideHindmarsh Square, Adelaide
Hindmarsh Square is a public square in Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the centre of the north-eastern quarter of the city, and surrounds the intersection of Grenfell and Pulteney Streets, near the eastern end of the Rundle Mall. Pirie Street forms the southern boundary of the square...
and moved in during 1928, shortly before the 20,000th member was enrolled.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the RAA formed and operated the Civil Defence Transport Auxiliary, surveyed and mapped the State's roads for the military authorities, provided research into alternative fuels and supported the cause in other ways. The period of austerity and hard times were caused by increasingly tough petrol rationing and unprecedented inflation.
By 1947 the motoring organisations knew that rationing was no longer necessary and campaigned ceaselessly to have it removed. Prime Minister Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
refused, and to a backdrop of RAA accusations that petrol was being used as a political weapon, Chifley was defeated in an election at the end of 1949. The in-coming Government quickly removed rationing.
Since the early 1920s RAA called for a single Road Traffic Act to replace about a dozen different Acts and hundreds of regulations. The RAA was a participant on the committee which put together the Act, which came into force in 1937.
The early 1950s saw a massive increase in car ownership and spiralling RAA membership, soaring past 75,000. Road service changed with the familiar motor cycle outfits were replaced by vans, the Guides became Patrols and were using two-way radio, operating 24 hours a day out of new premises in North Adelaide
North Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.-History:...
.
By the RAA’s Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
in 1950 there were 140 staff, supported by seven country offices and 99 road service depots. Service figures for 1953 showed 66,000 road service jobs, almost 40,000 touring enquiries, 12,000 vehicle inspections and 84,000 technical enquiries, 1,300 legal enquiries and almost a thousand court defences, and 20,000 insurance policies.
In 1959 the Association changed its logo from the Automobile Association of SA to RAA. .
Through its member services – such as emergency road service and touring – the Association has become an established South Australian icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
.
A Social Revolution: 1954 to 1978
As motoring and membership grew, the RAA moved into larger headquarters, built new Technical premises, began its office and vehicle inspection centres in the suburbs, established staffed offices in major country areas and started its march into the computer age.If this was the State's most potent period of motoring growth, though, by the 1970s it was balanced by less buoyant issues. There were fears that the world was running out of crude oil, growing concerns about pollution and differing opinions on the development of freeways; and, indeed, on the future of the motor car.
Under a backdrop of ever-increasing taxes and charges the RAA fought to improve petrol-selling hours in Adelaide; lobbied for the city's first major off-street parking; and battled to get the Eyre Highway
Eyre Highway
The Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highway 1/A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who was the first to...
sealed. It succeeded with all three, and kept an eye on other new features like parking meters, speed radar, seat belts and breathalysers.
Member services continued to evolve and improve. The RAA Travel Service, Driver Training, Travellers Shop and Finance Service all began in this period, while an in-house Legal Department began the advisory service previously handled by the solicitors.
The Touring Department planned caravan parks and initiated the 'star' grading accommodation classification scheme which is still used and published its first touring guide books. Late in the 1950s the RAA employed its first cartographer and began drawing in-house the regional maps from which today's maps take their lineage.
A notable casualty of the 1970s was RAA's role of providing much of the State's road signposting, a task it had handled for over half a century. In these inflationary times the cost was escalating alarmingly, and the last straw was the prospect of metric conversion
Metrication
Metrication refers to the introduction and use of the SI metric system, the international standard for physical measurements. This has involved a long process of independent and systematic conversions of countries from various local systems of weights and measures. Metrication began in France in...
when distances changed from miles to kilometres.
RAA rode on that wave of expansion and social development. It had a mighty impact, in fact, for in this quarter century its membership almost quadrupled to 357,000, and cemented RAA's position as one of the State's most influential organisations.
Years of Innovation: 1979 to 2010
As the Eighties began South Australia had an uncertain economy which at times slid into recessionRecession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
. This more competitive era saw the Association expand its own services and combat competition in areas like emergency road service.
The most important advance in membership benefits since the start of the service era was the introduction in 1987 of RAA PLUS, whose benefits proved so popular with South Australians that almost 30 percent of members now choose the PLUS option.
RAA was the first motoring organisation in the world to introduce a battery replacement service and the first in Australia to produce a computer CD with touring information—the TravelGuide CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
. During the 1980s the Mapping Department moved from pen-and-ink drawing to an improved process known as scribing and then to computer mapping. Brand-new operations included the Approved Repair Service and RAA Security Services.
Emergency road service was based at three different locations since 1979 and, like most operations, became heavily dependent on computer technology. Together with Technical Services it was a prime consideration when a new property at Mile End was constructed which has since become the Association's Headquarters. Today the Richmond Rd facility now includes a branch office, Child Safety Centre and Vehicle Inspection Centre.
Growing concern over car theft led to initiatives like RAA's steering wheel lock and the full metal jacket to make cars more difficult to steal, and a vehicle etching scheme to deter professional thieves. This ongoing campaign culminated in the Association organising a Vehicle Theft Summit during 2000. Similarly, the quest to lower the toll of dead and injured on the roads resulted in the RAA Road Safety Summit during the same year.
The Association's quest for improved roads played a part in achieving the sealing of the Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway
The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...
and the creation of the new Crafers Highway and Southern Expressway
Southern Expressway
The Southern Expressway is the world's longest reversible one way freeway. Originally proposed as 'Noarlunga Freeway', it was built as a corridor to relieve heavy traffic from the major arterial, Main South Road, in Adelaide's south. The expressway was built in two stages — the first...
.
With membership soaring past half a million, RAA reached a point where its standing in South Australia and its resources allowed it to put back into the community some of the support which the community has for so long given the Association.
It contributed 100 baby capsules, for example, to an infant restraint hire scheme; it has sponsored alternative energy initiatives including the annual Pedal Prix
Pedal prix
The Australian HPV Super Series is an annual championship held in South Australia. The series exclusively features HPV's racing around enclosed circuits for 6 to 24 hours. It is the largest event of its kind in the world, attracting teams from around Australia and the World...
and solar powered vehicles; it introduced RAA Family Car of the Year, which has since been incorporated into the national awards for Australia's Best Cars; and it participates in the ANCAP
Australasian New Car Assessment Program
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program is an automobile organisation operated by the governments and motoring organisations of Australia and New Zealand to give consumers coherent results on the protection given by vehicles in front and side impact collisions...
crash testing program in search of safer motoring.
By the start of 2010, total membership just tipped 580,000, having steadily increased as the State grew.
Since RAA’s 100-year anniversary in 2003, the organisation has continued along a path of continued improvement and modernisation. This was reflected in the occupation of the third and final stage of the new headquarters at Mile End in 2004. While in 2009 the city branch returned to our historical and sentimental home at 41 Hindmarsh Square, with the site having been extensively redeveloped into a green, environmentally friendly complex.
In 2007 RAA’s second longest serving Chief Executive, John Fotheringham, retired after 19 years in the role, with Ian Stone appointed as his successor.
The start of 2010 has seen improvements made to the website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
www.raa.com.au, transforming into an interactive tool rather than a site for information – all aimed at benefitting members. The Association has also refreshed the RAA brand, now looking towards the future.
In terms of advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
, in 2010 RAA launched a new policy, Mobility for Life, which embraces the use of all forms of transport, at all stages of life. RAA Security Services was rebranded Secure Services as demand increased for Personal Alert Systems among retirees, which are worn as a pendent and activated in the event of an emergency to summon help. This reflected a changing RAA offering services beyond motoring.
Despite all of these developments, some things remain unchanged. For the most part, cars still use petrol and an internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
. Motorists are still querying their repair bills. They're still complaining about motoring taxes, still clamouring for maps. Their cars are still breaking down.
Sponsorships
As part of RAA’s commitment to the South Australian community, RAA undertakes a number of road safety, youth, environmental and community-based sponsorships. Some of the current major sponsorship activities include the Julian Burton Burns Trust, Operation Flinders, Clipsal 500 Adelaide and the Australian International Pedal PrixPedal prix
The Australian HPV Super Series is an annual championship held in South Australia. The series exclusively features HPV's racing around enclosed circuits for 6 to 24 hours. It is the largest event of its kind in the world, attracting teams from around Australia and the World...
.
Offices (Metropolitan area)
RAA has branches in Adelaide CBD, Mile EndMile End
Mile End is an area within the East End of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross...
, Elizabeth
Elizabeth, South Australia
Elizabeth is a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Playford.-History:Elizabeth was established in 1955 as part of a planned satellite town by the South Australian Housing Trust on rural land between the older towns of Salisbury and...
, Modbury
Modbury
Modbury is a town and parish in the South Hams region of the English county of Devon. It is situated on the A379 road, which links it to Plymouth and Kingsbridge...
, Marion
Marion, South Australia
Marion is a suburb located in the City of Marion in Adelaide around 10 km south-west from the CBD. Founded as a rural village in 1838 on the banks of the Sturt River, Marion was found to have rich soil and the population expanded rapidly...
, Morphett Vale, West Lakes .
Offices (Regional centres)
RAA has offices in BerriBerri, South Australia
Berri is a town in the Riverland region of South Australia. It is 238 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia. It is primarily an agricultural and viticultural town on the north bank of the Murray River...
, Clare
Clare, South Australia
The town of Clare is located in South Australia in the Mid North region, 136 km north of Adelaide. It gives its name to the Clare Valley wine and tourist region.-History:One of the first settlers in the area was John Horrocks, in 1839...
, Kadina, Mt Barker
Mount Barker, South Australia
Mount Barker is an expanding city, home to 10 258 residents that is 33 kilometres up the South Eastern Freeway, east of Adelaide, in South Australia. It is the seat of the District Council of Mount Barker, is the largest town in the Adelaide Hills, and is one of the fastest growing areas in the...
, Mt Gambier, Murray Bridge, Naracoorte, Port Augusta
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Renmark, Tanunda, Victor Harbor, Whyalla, Broken Hill (NSW)