Open Road Speed Limits? Time for a change?

[BayView]

I'm guessing a lot of you "Want to go faster Blokes" are probably young males, and in the group with the highest crash statistics? Am I right???

I'm 52, and advocate for faster speeds on open roads in suitably qualified areas and roads.

Of course; there are some open roads which are dangerous and higher speeds shouldn't be allowed (people will still do the higher speeds by choice if they think they can get away with it, and already do).

Like you TC; I rarely speed...the odd creep up to 105, or 115 when it's a 110 zone, and that's about it.

 

[BayView]

One thing that illustrates driver carelessness/commonsense/lack of eduction is the quite frequent huge pile-ups we hear about on USA roads where dozens of cars are involved.

Nearly every time it is in thick fog and/or rain, where conditions are more dangerous.

I have been in such conditions over there, and observed that the overall flow of traffic speed did not drop down by anywhere near enough for the conditions in my opinion. An accident of biblical proportions waiting to happen..

It happens here too, by the way; still see loads of folk tailgating drivers on freeways etc - the bloke in the outside lane who is overtaking, still doing 105km's, and has another total deehedd right up his backside because he wants to break the speed limit by even more than the bloke in front of him... when it has been raining/is raining/fog, probably on bald tyres just for good measure.

 

[The Fence]

No-one here is talking about blanket limit increases, but rather increase of speed limits on appropriate roads to reduce fatigue by reducing travel times.

Could have fooled me, Ideo is arguing for increase on a known black spot and slagging the speed limit as revenue raising with no consideration to safety.

I have also said I agree on the good roads but with more driver training etc.

I still dont think everyone needs to go faster, but that's just me. Sorry for that.

 

[Ideo]

Could have fooled me, Ideo is arguing for increase on a known black spot and slagging the speed limit as revenue raising with no consideration to safety.

I have also said I agree on the good roads but with more driver training etc.

I still dont think everyone needs to go faster, but that's just me. Sorry for that.

If you think that section of road is highly dangerous, then please just hand in your licence.

I drove it every day for years. At both 110 and 90. Unless it is foggy, in which case people should slow down without the need for signs, it is perfectly safe to do at 110.

If it is dangerous, then why do the police sit in the one straight section, where no accidents occur, rather than in those bends, both above and below the straight? Surely a presence in the section of the road that could be considered dangerous makes far more sense than on a straight, downhill section of road.

 

[The Fence]

I dont say it's unsafe in good conditions.

It's the fog and rain and heavier traffic is when it's dangerous.

I have driven that track extensively too and reckon it's about right now

Either way, you like it faster and I like it the way it is but Im not going to descend into slanging match like you seem to enjoy.

I have had my lic for 35 years, never been booked for speeding, only hit one roo because Im cautious and aware of the possibility of them jumping out and dont drive in a daze thinking im safe in my small flimsy metal shell and everything around me is fine because Im a great driver.

It's the other driver that is unpredictable.

 

[Ideo]

I dont say it's unsafe in good conditions.

It's the fog and rain and heavier traffic is when it's dangerous.

I have driven that track extensively too and reckon it's about right now

Either way, you like it faster and I like it the way it is but Im not going to descend into slanging match like you seem to enjoy.

I have had my lic for 35 years, never been booked for speeding, only hit one roo because Im cautious and aware of the possibility of them jumping out and dont drive in a daze thinking im safe in my small flimsy metal shell and everything around me is fine because Im a great driver.

It's the other driver that is unpredictable.

Ah yes, you state that I have no consideration for safety, and you imply that I don't care about other people, but I'm the one descending into a slanging match. Of course. Silly me.

 

[Strannik]

I'm dumbfounded that someone can say they don't see that speed is related to the death toll? It's just all so basic.

i'm dumbfounded that so many people can't distinguish between cause and effect.

the cause of the fatal accidents very rarely is speed. the effect of speed is that people die.

eliminate the cause and you don't need to worry about the effects.

 

[BayView]

I still dont think everyone needs to go faster, but that's just me. Sorry for that.

Slightly different tack;

What I'd like to see happen more often is booze bus stations where they also have Vic Roads and the Sheriff present. (they have done a few of these in recent months down our way).

They're great because they get to round up the drink/drive knuckleheads, and all the dangerous and unroadworthy, unregistered etc shoitboxes, and all the outstanding warrants and fines.

The cops get the drunks, Vicroads gets the shoitboxes, and the Sherriff gets to arrest the losers who have outstandings against them and impound the cars.

 

[HiEquity]

i'm dumbfounded that so many people can't distinguish between cause and effect.

the cause of the fatal accidents very rarely is speed. the effect of speed is that people die.

eliminate the cause and you don't need to worry about the effects.

Once we have eliminated all the causes like kangaroos and other wildlife, rubbish vehicles, bad drivers, poor visibility, etc etc etc from our roads, then I'm happy to increase speed limits. But until that day... limiting speed will result in fewer deaths and crippling injuries than increasing speed limits.

 

[The Fence]

Well said Hi Eq couldnt agree more.

Logical sensible reasoning.

 

[Ideo]

I propose the return to this

Until we have eliminated every conceivable danger from the road

 

[The Fence]

Oh dear me.

 

[The Fence]

Who has said that reducing the current speed limits saves lives?

I voted to leave as is and reckon that increasing the limits increases deaths.

I dont recall anyone saying to reduce the current limits.

Oh....I see Mark B, retracted the post.

 

[MarkB]

Oh....I see Mark B, retracted the post.

I should have edited, not deleted, I wasn't happy with how I expressed myself. My position hasn't changed.

Who has said that reducing the current speed limits saves lives?

I think that when the statement / argument is made that speeding increases the severity of accidents -> more people die...

...that the same statement / argument also suggests that reducing speed will decrease the severity of accidents -> less people die.

(NB - the laws of physics would say that is the case also)


I was simply pointing out that when you have people making comments like this -

Once we have eliminated all the causes like kangaroos and other wildlife, rubbish vehicles, bad drivers, poor visibility, etc etc etc from our roads, then I'm happy to increase speed limits. But until that day... limiting speed will result in fewer deaths and crippling injuries than increasing speed limits.

[emphasis added]

To me it seems a little odd that only 1 person has indicted they would like to see speed limits decrease....

How does one reconcile their apparent concern for safety with their unwillingness to see speed limits reduced?

 

[depreciator]

'Limiting' is not the same thing as reducing.
I will be on the F3 next Friday heading north out of Sydney to Forster. I will feel much more comfortable travelling at 110 than I would at 130. The fact that the trip will take perhaps 30 minutes longer at 110 than it might at 130 is incidental to me.
It will be school holidays and there will be a bit of traffic on the road. I might be completely wrong, but I like to think that if some knucklehead in front of me does something dopey, I will have a better chance of dealing with it if I'm travelling at 110 than I would at 130.

 

[dan c]

Road fatalities for Australia, per billion km travelled

• 1976 35.5
• 1982 25.6
• 1988 18.8
• 1995 12.1
• 2003 8.0
• 2011 5.8

Road deaths per billion km travelled are 1/7th of what they were 37 years ago.

Is this because speed limits have decreased dramatically ion the last 37 years? No. It's because cars are safer, and (some) roads are better (new freeways, overtaking lanes etc)

For those concerned with saving lives, you'd be better off talking to you local politician about improving road conditions, and mandating safety features in cars, rather than petitioning to hold speed limits to artificially low levels.

 

[HiEquity]

For those concerned with saving lives, you'd be better off talking to you local politician about improving road conditions, and mandating safety features in cars, rather than petitioning to hold speed limits to artificially low levels.

I'm not petitioning to do anything. I don't want speed limits at artificially low levels - I prefer open road speed limits to be at reasonable levels in light of the realities of kangaroos, single lanes (etc etc) so I'm very happy for them to be left as they are. Speed limits are one of the suite of factors that has got the road toll down to the level it currently is at and I look forward to them continuing to contribute to getting the road toll down even further, together with the other initiatives already mentioned on this thread, including better enforcement of the existing speed limits.

 

[gottabespotless]

I have just read this entire thread and there are some interesting opinions. I am married to an emergency services worker who has attended more serious, fatal car accidents than you could (sadly) poke a stick at. I just asked him, in his experience, what is the most common cause/s of accidents. He rambled on for quite a few minutes but what I got was basically this;

People who THOUGHT they could drive better than they actually could (not driving to their abilities whether they be an inexperienced young person or an old person with slow reaction times, reflexes) and not driving to the conditions (too fast) - 'conditions' of the road, weather, traffic, etc. Also drivers not concentrating. Interestingly, he said that the accidents he has attended are rarely caused by a car with defects, although there have been 'some' where bald tyres played a part. Not sure how that sits with the official stats but it's his mere observation.

Pretty much takes in everything everyone has said. I asked would better driver training be a good thing? He replied 'yes' but that some people can get a sense of 'over confidence' once they've completed them - especially young blokes.

It seems that maturity and common sense can also keep the road toll down.

 

[The Fence]

artifically low levels eh...????

GottaBspotless hits nail smack bang on head and drives it home !

I can concur with a couple copper mates as well. they say the same thing.
People at the coal face so to speak.

Im done.

 

[geoffw]

Road fatalities for Australia, per billion km travelled

• 1976 35.5
• 1982 25.6
• 1988 18.8
• 1995 12.1
• 2003 8.0
• 2011 5.8

Road deaths per billion km travelled are 1/7th of what they were 37 years ago.

Is this because speed limits have decreased dramatically ion the last 37 years? No. It's because cars are safer, and (some) roads are better (new freeways, overtaking lanes etc)

For those concerned with saving lives, you'd be better off talking to you local politician about improving road conditions, and mandating safety features in cars, rather than petitioning to hold speed limits to artificially low levels.

The road toll peaked in 1970. Upper speed limits, outside of built up areas, were only imposed in Australia in the 1970s- depending on state. There was a prima facie limit before that- my experience than was that people didn't worry about it much.

Speed is one cause of accidents. Yes, there are others. Much has been done to try to address these, and this has succeeded to a great extent. But it could, and probably will, be better.