Open Road Speed Limits? Time for a change?

[Ideo]

130 on the New England Hwy....are you serious?

What factors at play make sense?

Im incredibly curious.

Disclaimer: I have travelled the NE Hwy for 30 odd years between Tamworth and Newcastle on a regular basis.

Car safety increasing over time - dramatically, improvement in road standards including better awareness of things like camber etc.

That said, the New England is not a good example of 130 - What I meant was I do those kind of kms a year on those kind of roads, so very little in the city. The 130 speed limit increase should be applied to dual carriageways and motorways. A modest increase to 110 would be perfectly appropriate on the New England, provided that better overtaking lanes were provided - and drivers were fined if they sped up whilst they were being overtaken which happens more and more.

This would bring it in line with European standards. Compared to the UK out traffic density is low and road quality high. Yet we have much lower speed limits.

 

[depreciator]

I head out of town reasonably often - north, west and south. I'm happy sitting on 110kph. I'm never in a screaming hurry to get somewhere 20 minutes quicker and I find 110 a relaxing speed. I can look around and see stuff. I used to travel much more quickly when I was younger and riding bikes and no doubt showing off, but now 110 is fine with me.

 

[geoffw]

I head out of town reasonably often - north, west and south. I'm happy sitting on 110kph. I'm never in a screaming hurry to get somewhere 20 minutes quicker and I find 110 a relaxing speed. I can look around and see stuff. I used to travel much more quickly when I was younger and riding bikes and no doubt showing off, but now 110 is fine with me.

Agreed.

30 years ago, it would take 4+ hours to drive between Sydney and Canberra- the highway had long stretches of single lane road, and once you hit Liverpool it was city driving all the way in. 3 hours is a luxury now.

 

[Ideo]

Agreed.

30 years ago, it would take 4+ hours to drive between Sydney and Canberra- the highway had long stretches of single lane road, and once you hit Liverpool it was city driving all the way in. 3 hours is a luxury now.

I'm glad that logic isn't applied to other areas of life as well.

 

[The Fence]

In the 30 odd years of travelling the same route multiple times a year it still takes around 3.5hrs whether Im cruising on 95 or in a hurry and doing overs.

Rushing has only amounted to being caught back up at a set of lights by the person you passed an hour ago.

Of course, motorways and freeways with minimal towns/built up areas to slow you down make for better average times and hence the 110 limits.

The older I get the slower I like to go knowing I'll be there just a few minutes behind (if not infront) of the speedsters.

The look on a speedsters face, stuck behind a truck as you cruise by at the lights after they have overtaken you several times is priceless.

 

[Ausprop]

The look on a speedsters face, stuck behind a truck as you cruise by at the lights after they have overtaken you several times is priceless.

this is passive road rage - the unfortunate consequence being more speeding and risk taking. Out of frustration the speedster will likely commit an unsafe overtaking and kill themselves and others. It's an unfortunate part of australian psyche, a form of road based tall poppy syndrome... "haha look at them, that'll show em, cut ya down to size mate."

 

[Mooze]

Majority of drivers are not completely in control at 110kph on the pac highway - no way should it be made 130. Too many people can't even be bothered to use an indicator to change lanes (or turn their heads to check for other cars) - also as mentioned previously the issues with wildlife and livestock around those suggested routes makes it hazardous at best (from a 31year old turbo landcruiser with massive steel bull bar driver).

The roads would need to be upgraded to have dividers entire way, fencing on all sides, amendment of rules surrounding road kill - similar to areas of Europe where you kill it you remove it, and increased formal driver training (and driver trainer training as most don't know their right hand lane from their left). And overall an attitude adjustment - people need to acknowledge they are driving a lethal weapon.

 

[mrsdawnrazor]

A bit like the guys in the outside lane doing the speed limit as if it is their job to police everyone else on the road by not moving over and letting them past. If they did that in Europe you would have a beemer up your ar*e lights on full beam until you moved.

 

[HotRod]

As someone that deals with road safety engineering I can only see this working with appropriately designed highways such as dual lane highways.

Even though a highway today might be posted for 110km/h it is in fact designed for a higher design speed of 120 to 130km/h as a margin for error, so it is technically possible.

Current road safety standards aim to eliminate hazards in the road clear-zone namely fixed objects and non-recoverable slopes.

Current single lane highways have no margin for error for the head-on crash.

This is bad enough at 110km/h, imagine 130km/h, that's about 40% extra energy to dissipate in a head on collision! Almost guaranteed to be a fatal crash.

Studies have also shown, that in a micro-sleep a car trevelling at 110km/h will veer less off the road than a vehicle travelling at 130km/h. So 110km/h is more easily recoverable.

So many variables to consider.

Also, increase the speed to 130km/h and all the "safe" drivers will say they can do 150km/h.

 

[The Fence]

this is passive road rage - the unfortunate consequence being more speeding and risk taking. Out of frustration the speedster will likely commit an unsafe overtaking and kill themselves and others. It's an unfortunate part of australian psyche, a form of road based tall poppy syndrome... "haha look at them, that'll show em, cut ya down to size mate."

Are you saying Im engaging in passive road rage, or the speeder?

Im certainly just doing the limits allowed by law and not engaging in anything but trying to get from A to B safely.

Just the obher day I had to get right off the road as an oncoming speester was overtaking on double lines. Lucky I was alert to it and not speeding above the limit) towards them. Just idiots.

Seemingly many idiots do speed.

 

[Ideo]

A bit like the guys in the outside lane doing the speed limit as if it is their job to police everyone else on the road by not moving over and letting them past. If they did that in Europe you would have a beemer up your ar*e lights on full beam until you moved.

Those kind of drivers cause far more issues than the guys doing 5 or 10 over the limit.

 

[The Fence]

Totally agree, the right lane thing is a must do to get right before any speed changes.

Imagine the hatted volvo driver poking along in the right lane at 80klms in a 130klm zone...

On the side....has anyone noticed an increase in the following of drivers swerving all over the road and slowing down to near walk pace and suddenly taking off again..? Obviously on the phone/texting with neary a bother about anyone else.

 

[geoffw]

Totally agree, the right lane thing is a must do to get right before any speed changes.

Imagine the hatted volvo driver poking along in the right lane at 80klms in a 130klm zone...

So I'm sitting on the limit (110), I go into the right lane to overtake somebody doing 100- then somebody doing 150 comes up behind me and sits on my tail.

Or the hatted Volvo driver is overtaking somebody doing 70 ...

 

[depreciator]

I've got another confession. Not only am I happy to travel at 110kph, I also take the odd detour into towns that have been bypassed. I note recently that the latest town to be bypassed north of Sydney is Bulahdelah. I'll be dropping in there Friday week perhaps for something to eat or some fuel. Recently bypassed towns are always interesting. At first they are defiant and pretend nothing has happened, then the next visit there are lots of 'for sale' signs up and shops closed, then later some towns find a second life and kick on.

 

[Ideo]

So I'm sitting on the limit (110), I go into the right lane to overtake somebody doing 100- then somebody doing 150 comes up behind me and sits on my tail.

Or the hatted Volvo driver is overtaking somebody doing 70 ...

As long as they pull back in and don't do the I'm doing 70.5 and they are doing 70 shuffle then I always leave plenty of room.

 

[The Fence]

So I'm sitting on the limit (110), I go into the right lane to overtake somebody doing 100- then somebody doing 150 comes up behind me and sits on my tail.

Or the hatted Volvo driver is overtaking somebody doing 70 ...

Currently, in above scenario you are obeying the law and the person doing 150 is NOT !

Like Ideo said, once passed, back to the left please.

But your eg does raise issues with making the speed limits faster as more lanes will be needed to cater for everyone, espcially the hatted ones

 

[Ideo]

France - 130km/h
Austria - 130km/h
Bulgaria - 140km/h
Denmark - 130km/h
Italy - 150km/h
The Netherlands - 130km/h
Poland - 140km/h
Germany - Unlimited, on selected roads

 

[The Fence]

Ok that's Europe, this is Australya mate.

Why the hurry for the sake of a few minutes but far far more risk...?

 

[Ideo]

Ok that's Europe, this is Australya mate.

Why the hurry for the sake of a few minutes but far far more risk...?

So a country with lower population, lower density and greater distances means lower speed limits because...

Actually, no, don't answer that. We need better driver training first. Then look at increasing the speed limits.

In regards to fatalies per 100,000 vehicles, Australia sits roughly mid table in that list - below the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark but above Bulgaria. Whoo! Go Australia. We have a lower fatality rate than Bulgaria!

 

[BayView]

I voted change it up to 120kmh.

On an open road, it is a negligible change and affects no-one.

When we lived in the USA, the normal speed on the freeways was 80 miles per hour...that's miles - not kilometres. And, this is on 5 lanes in each direction freeways with zillions of cars.

No-one seemed to have a problem with that, and I didn't notice too much of a difference in the carnage over there due to the extra speed.

Of course, the results of a crash may possibly be worse, but....

Here in Aus, they keep on harping on about how speed kills.

I don't agree with this.

It is drivers not paying attention, and not obeying the driving conditions, that get killed, and others killed.

Dangerous cars are also a very big problem - we see some horrific condition cars and tyres.

And of course; drunk and stoned drivers, and those who fall asleep at the wheel - who may be traveling relatively slow.

What I do agree with is controlling speeding in very close proximity to built up areas where there are lots of pedestrians....schools particularly. My belief is that all school crossings should have flashing lights AND speed humps either side of the crossing (I brought this up here on SS some time ago and got flamed; too much of an inconvenience on the drivers and cars. yagoddabeefugginkiddinmee - what's more important; a kid's life or your bloody 30 second slow down and possible wear and tear on the shockers?)

In these areas the speed is such a problem, and many times the driver cannot see and/or stop if someone walks in front of them.

But, do you see speed cameras in these areas? hardly ever.

No; they are in areas where it is extremely easy for a motorist to go over the speed limit....bottom of hills, 4 lane roads that are dead straight, with 60kmh speed limit, and so on. It's total BS.

It doesn't mean the driver is actually driving at unsafe speeds, or driving dangerously; just in a stupidly zoned area that deems them to be a speeder and dangerous....