Poms smarter than us - increase speed limits

[Vulture]

LINK (http://www.carsales.com.au/news/2011/medium-passenger/poms-to-increase-highway-speed-limit-27038)

We are truly decades behind most European countries in at least one thing: our attitude towards speed limits. Our safetycrats would go apoplectic at what is being proposed in the UK

[Podge]

Wont somebody PLEASE think of the children

[VX2VESS]

and reduce congestion...

at least until some accident. but still have that now but only more congested without one. Increased speed does thin out congestion

[Vulture]

Wont somebody PLEASE think of the children

Haha, exactly. You can just hear the motherhood statements flowing out of the vested interests and those who have no real understanding of road safety.

[HEKYEH]

Key point right here....

"I want to make sure that our motorway speed limit reflects the reality of modern vehicles and driving conditions, not those of 50 years ago."

As Mark Skaife has said also, NEW cars are a lot safer today than they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. However, Australia still has FAR TOO MANY old bomby cars compared to our European counterparts.

Get the bombs off the roads, improve driver training, and then we can increase the speed limits.

Until any of that happens....I don't see Australia increasing speed limits.

[Stewge]

Key point right here....

"I want to make sure that our motorway speed limit reflects the reality of modern vehicles and driving conditions, not those of 50 years ago."

As Mark Skaife has said also, NEW cars are a lot safer today than they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. However, Australia still has FAR TOO MANY old bomby cars compared to our European counterparts.

Get the bombs off the roads, improve driver training, and then we can increase the speed limits.

Until any of that happens....I don't see Australia increasing speed limits.

Another thing to point out is, compared to Europe, Australian roads are CRAP. We have crap drivers in crap cars driving on crap roads.

[73.RSR]

I don't think the poms are smarter than us, just smarter than the Australian government..........
But then again a bag of horse manure looks intelligent when compared to our government.

[feistl]

Another thing to point out is, compared to Europe, Australian roads are CRAP. We have crap drivers in crap cars driving on crap roads.

Europe is pretty big, as is Australia... Cant really make that comparison. Eastlink in melbourne is actually a world class freeway... It was designed for traffic flow of 130kp/h yet its limited to 100kp/h.

In fact most roads in Victoria are very very good quality, which is ironic because we have the lowest speed limits of all states and we enforce these to the Nth degree.

In fact your highest chance of death/injury in victroia is running into a speed camera :rofl:

[XUV]

They should start with the Hume and toll ways ,( would cut 2 hrs off a melb - Syd trip )
as they're all over engineered for our current speeds ,
oh and all roads around Hay seem to have a high speed rating .

And if they put in a 130kph , they should put in a 12 month loss of license if you're doing 135kph ,
none of this bracket 5-10kph , 10-15kph crap .

Just down the line if you're doing 135kph in a 100 , 110 or 130 zone then bye-bye license .

But when the current governments edit on speeding is to demonise it , there's no chance .

And just on the english speed limits ,
didn't they have an open limit , 'til some journo wanker took a pic of himself doing 140mph in a jag ??

[jsme]

Most of QLD roads wouldnt be able to support 130km/h. Warrego west of Toowoomba for example. That's a goat track.

[HEKYEH]

Most of QLD roads wouldnt be able to support 130km/h. Warrego west of Toowoomba for example. That's a goat track.

Well you would only change the speed limit on roads that are suitable to do so.....That's the whole point.

[VYBerlinaV8]

What we need is to be smarter about how speed limits are applied. One way to select effective speed limits is to set the limit at the speed that the 85th percentile of drivers would choose to drive at. This way, the limit caters to the majority but without letting a few crazies go nuts.

130km/h on major freeways makes perfect sense to me. I've just come back from the US where cruising speeds of 130-140km/h are common (even the though the limit is 110, the cops just don't worry provided you're being sensible).

[Vulture]

Another thing to point out is, compared to Europe, Australian roads are CRAP. We have crap drivers in crap cars driving on crap roads.

I disagree, we have many roads that are the equal of those in Europe. Speed limits should go up on these. Obviously, they wouldn't on the goat tracks.

[VX2VESS]

I disagree, we have many roads that are the equal of those in Europe. Speed limits should go up on these. Obviously, they wouldn't on the goat tracks.

Trouble is the goat tracks are increasing. they collect more money from all the various taxes and fines related to cars, fuel taxes, but spend stuff all on local roads. never seen roads looking worse than they do today.

As far as surface conditions of the roads.........

[Stewge]

I disagree, we have many roads that are the equal of those in Europe. Speed limits should go up on these. Obviously, they wouldn't on the goat tracks.

Get more than 50K out of a major city and you'll start seeing what I mean. In Ballarat (largest city 1.5 hours west of Melbourne) damn near every road is terrible. Not talking about goat tracks, but main roads which may see a several hundred (possibly thousands on a couple of them) cars across it in a day.

Even the freeway heading into Melbourne is terrible right up until you hit the new anthony's cutting bypass at Bacchus Marsh which is only good because it's brand new. From there on it's not brilliant either.

Admittedly, given Australia's size it's not practical to have pristine roads everywhere, but even main roads such as Geelong->Ballarat are starting to suffer.

[XUV]

Most of QLD roads wouldnt be able to support 130km/h. Warrego west of Toowoomba for example. That's a goat track.

Isn't Queensland rebuilding all the flood effected roads ?
And seeing you're going to be borrowing to do it , it'd be a good time for an upgrade .

or are they going to go back to the 9 foot strip of bitchy .....

But the biggest road destroyer is trucks .

A good railway up the eastcoast , with freight drop-off hubs at major inland towns ,
would cut the trucks and extend the road life .

[jsme]

Well you would only change the speed limit on roads that are suitable to do so.....That's the whole point.

... yeah, I got that from reading the article, thanks.

[jsme]

Isn't Queensland rebuilding all the flood effected roads ?
And seeing you're going to be borrowing to do it , it'd be a good time for an upgrade .

or are they going to go back to the 9 foot strip of bitchy .....

But the biggest road destroyer is trucks .

A good railway up the eastcoast , with freight drop-off hubs at major inland towns ,
would cut the trucks and extend the road life .

Dont know, but at one stage 75% of the state was flooded I beleive. Would cost a lot of money to completely upgrade instead of repairing existing road.

[calais190]

Key point right here....

"I want to make sure that our motorway speed limit reflects the reality of modern vehicles and driving conditions, not those of 50 years ago."

As Mark Skaife has said also, NEW cars are a lot safer today than they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. However, Australia still has FAR TOO MANY old bomby cars compared to our European counterparts.

Get the bombs off the roads, improve driver training, and then we can increase the speed limits.

Until any of that happens....I don't see Australia increasing speed limits.

+1. I agree entirely.

Number 1 priority should be education. Increase the cost for getting your licence initially and use it to provide adequate and comprehensive driver training!

[SAMCRO]

Key point right here....

"I want to make sure that our motorway speed limit reflects the reality of modern vehicles and driving conditions, not those of 50 years ago."

As Mark Skaife has said also, NEW cars are a lot safer today than they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. However, Australia still has FAR TOO MANY old bomby cars compared to our European counterparts.

Get the bombs off the roads, improve driver training, and then we can increase the speed limits.

Until any of that happens....I don't see Australia increasing speed limits.


Stupid law allows any car to get on the road. Why not make a RWC compulsory with every rego renewal, just like in europe...! that way if it's not safe you can't register the shitbox..

Licencing wise, Australia has to be the dumbest country in the whole universe. Why offer multilingual service when going for a licence test. Mate if you can't read the test then sure as hell you can't read the signs on the roads...!!! When you get your licence you should get your finger prints taken so that if you ever committed a crime or in case you commit one in future, the police would not spend moths looking for their suspects... I came here and i busted my chops and if I could learn to speak, write and swear then anyone can..!! It's disrespectful that people won't learn english in first place. English is a first language here and if you don't like it....well maybe you should not bloody be here...!!!!

And yes I think I have the right to say such thing, coz I'm a bloody wog too haha :rofl::rofl:

[SAMCRO]

oh something else lol

Why let parents teach all their bad habit to the kids??

There should only be one type of driver training, trough the driving school and qualified instructors and not through lazy and frustrated parents who half the time don't even pay attention to what their kid is doing behind the wheel...

[silvervyss]

Licencing wise, Australia has to be the dumbest country in the whole universe. Why offer multilingual service when going for a licence test. Mate if you can't read the test then sure as hell you can't read the signs on the roads...!!! When you get your licence you should get your finger prints taken so that if you ever committed a crime or in case you commit one in future, the police would not spend moths looking for their suspects... I came here and i busted my chops and if I could learn to speak, write and swear then anyone can..!! It's disrespectful that people won't learn english in first place. English is a first language here and if you don't like it....well maybe you should not bloody be here...!!!!

And yes I think I have the right to say such thing, coz I'm a bloody wog too haha :rofl::rofl:

I think they should vote you into parliament and make you Minister of Transport. What the f@&k has speaking proper English got to do with raising speed limits. Never mind the idiots that are are drunk or high on drugs, driving unroadworthy cars, hoons or our shitty roads.

[89'King]

if they change the speed limit to 80mph they'll only have to break the law by 8mph to see some serious sh!t

http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/kingy_89/doc_brown-full-11.jpg

[planetdavo]

Haha, exactly. You can just hear the motherhood statements flowing out of the vested interests and those who have no real understanding of road safety.

I thought it was ACA when this type of topic came up again...:hide:
To have what you would like happen would require a serious attitude change from both drivers and the government.
Considering how many people can't seem to find even their indicator stalks these days, it indicates all is not well in the currently licenced community.
Unless most of the "vested interests" within the community that just see it as an excuse to drive faster get reeled in it wont happen here.

[SAMCRO]

I think they should vote you into parliament and make you Minister of Transport. What the f@&k has speaking proper English got to do with raising speed limits. Never mind the idiots that are are drunk or high on drugs, driving unroadworthy cars, hoons or our shitty roads.


WOW WOW WOW!!

Exactly my point!!! Read the whole post!!! Unless you can't read or speak proper english either!!!!

If you can't read the sign, how the F@#k do you know what the f@#k is going on ahead of you!!!??????

Common sense!!! Common sense!!!!

Back the F@#K OFF!!!!

I was expressing my opinion!!! I was NOT having a go at any one on this forum, unlike you!!!

That is why I signed up, to share my opinion and to learn a thing or two, not to be called names by ppl like you!!!

Cheers :flip3::flip3::flip3:

[smokey777]

Isn't Queensland rebuilding all the flood effected roads ?
And seeing you're going to be borrowing to do it , it'd be a good time for an upgrade .

or are they going to go back to the 9 foot strip of bitchy .....

But the biggest road destroyer is trucks .

A good railway up the eastcoast , with freight drop-off hubs at major inland towns ,
would cut the trucks and extend the road life .

qld roads were crap well before the floods.. also australians as a whole are not 'mature' enough imo for higher speed limits :hide:

[dazzrael]

qld roads were crap well before the floods.. also australians as a whole are not 'mature' enough imo for higher speed limits :hide:

they had open speed limits in the northern territory for YEARS until a few years ago, its still 130 max now, and you dont read about colossal accidents caused by speed there! i agree with you on qld roads though, they have been shite for ever!

[smokey777]

ya true mate, but i think if there was those type of road limits closer to cities there would be alot more problems. i travel the M1 everyday and there are so many morons its unbelievable.

on another note i found the best roads ive come across were in WA when i drove over there.