TEXAS (US) goes to 80MPH (130km/h) in daytime.

[Keepleft]

In 2001 the Federal Highways Administration US - updated what we'd call their road design guidlines, in this topic to enable long term engineering of interstates for speed ranges up to 80MPH - 130km/h.

Texas now expands the existing 80mph limit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/us...ed.html?ref=us

[csv8]

And the NT is going to bring in 110kmhr, no more unrestricted !!!!!
Australia is going the other way. Italy has upped the Autostrada to 160km/hr. So speed kills !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What we need is politicians who like cars and don't see motorist as defacto tax collectors. I have more chance of going to bonk Angelina Jolie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Casper]

Revenue.. the ONLY reason we have such pathetic speed limits.

[Jeeepers]

New cameras on the westgate freeway, have signs in the area saying they are turned on, and "Cameras Cut Crashes" Hmmmmm??

[Casper]

Originally Posted by ORSM T

New cameras on the westgate freeway, have signs in the area saying they are turned on, and "Cameras Cut Crashes" Hmmmmm??

at least they could be honest and put a few of these up

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by csv8

And the NT is going to bring in 110kmhr, no more unrestricted !!!!!
Australia is going the other way. Italy has upped the Autostrada to 160km/hr. So speed kills !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What we need is politicians who like cars and don't see motorist as defacto tax collectors. I have more chance of going to bonk Angelina Jolie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is one of the proposals, championed by the likes of NT's police commisioner, Harold Scruby et al.

NT government have been under Commonwealth pressure for some years to bring in an absolute maximum, and previous NT roads minister' on both sides have rightly opposed any such move as being uneccessary.

NT government have received much opposition to a speed limit to date, and so they are going to release a report of the proposals on the net very soon.

Those wishing to oppose the speed limit maximum must continue writing to NT politicians making it quite clear your opposition, and mentioning you consider the existing allowance sufficient, and take the responsibility that arrives under it seriously. Non NT residents are free to advocate same, 'as tourists', as are 'industry' for other reasons.

No decision has been made, yet; - but that it is looming close. Other options up for grabs are the demerit points system, license category harmonisation etc and so on, much of this will be reasonable.

Since health had forced the previous deputy PM and then Transport Minister (Anderson) from office, we have seen a more determined Commonwealth agency push for control over NT's evil allowance, though it is mostly championed by state public servants from VIC, SA, WA, QLD and NSW, with various academics drumming on in as well, all under the guise of 'harmonisation', I put it as 'nationalisation', some is fair and proper, some is not.

The jurisditions *must* maintain full and absolute control over applied speed limits, or derestriction, but within the international signage allowances as contracted and using the ATSB report recommendations of using VMS to allow so as needed and applicable.

Much yearly $$ to be made on continued 'research', its an industy that repeats itself and has done so over the last 30 off years, parroting yearly what it already knows, or thinks it does. Yet they miss much of the finer detail that goes to saving lives, detail used in OS jurisdictions.

The (//) - as applied to a length of road cannot be taken to mean 100km/h or 110km/h, but this would mean a high court ruling if you are booked for 'exceeding the speed limit' when you pass the sign, failing that, an appeal to the International Court of Justice.

Someone might like to make the effort to email the Texas change in speed limit to NT politicians email addy's, I have not the time right now.

[Green X]

AS long as we have all these bleeding harts and do gooders making policy and all these people out there when every time there is a crash they blame it on everything else except the driver We will continue to suffer under BullS**t speed limits and road rules.

All the policy is made by people who sit in officers and look at Lab test’s, why don’t they get out in the real world on a road, get in a car and take a drive from Perth to Exmouth in one day and find out how slow 110 actually is.

We need to start teaching people how to drive and not how to parse a test.

People also need to wake up to reality, if anybody seriously believes a death toll of 0 on Australian roads is an achievable target they are living in a fantasy world.

And Harold Scrubby and Grant Dorrington both need to take a long walk of a short jetty, they are both Compleat ********* tossers with no idea, It just goes to show how F**ked up the system is where 2 clowns like that can get into the positions they have.

cheers.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Green X

AS long as we have all these bleeding harts and do gooders making policy and all these people out there when every time there is a crash they blame it on everything else except the driver We will continue to suffer under BullS**t speed limits and road rules.

All the policy is made by people who sit in officers and look at Lab test’s, why don’t they get out in the real world on a road, get in a car and take a drive from Perth to Exmouth in one day and find out how slow 110 actually is.

We need to start teaching people how to drive and not how to parse a test.

People also need to wake up to reality, if anybody seriously believes a death toll of 0 on Australian roads is an achievable target they are living in a fantasy world.

And Harold Scrubby and Grant Dorrington both need to take a long walk of a short jetty, they are both Compleat ********* tossers with no idea, It just goes to show how F**ked up the system is where 2 clowns like that can get into the positions they have.

cheers.

Abuse and name calling will only strengthen their positions.
Constant public disputing backed up by proven evidence is the only weapon. The media listen to them because they are forceful and take a position that draws conflict.

If they are constantly shown to be lying or manipulating the facts they present then they will be ignored by both the media and politicians.


Every time any of these idiots get something published in the media and you can prove they are wrong write a letter to the editor or whatever showing this.

Now PROVING WRONG is not just your opinion or what your mates think. If you do that then YOU will be branded the crackpot and only strengthen their position.

Look what appears to be happening in NT.
Definetely 110km/h.
Definitely probably 110km/h
Probably definitely 110km/h
Probably 110km/h
We are looking into it and will publish our findings in the fullness of time.....

Translated... Holy snapping duckshyte, this could get us thrown out of office. Who was the idiot who suggested this? Make it go away without embarressing us.....

[needaXYGT]

the 100k speed limit is a load of crap.
we've had that speed limit for two long. back before the XE :S

[cupic]

The polis are here for the money speeding tickets generates
Europe ie germany as being 1 of them does have unrestrictive speed limits but in fair honestly there roads are 1st class and can match the speeds driven.Here in johnnie kingdom the roads are NOT even good enough for someone on training wheels to ride.Take a look at the next time they resurface roads and only last 2 mths before it go to ***** breaking up and being unsafe.
While I do support higher limits,but only on open roads,without there being thousands of speed cameras waiting around corners,making that unsafe as well.
eg Pacific hwy were speeds goes fron 50-60-80-50-60-100-50-40,
come on and camera or should I say multi-cameras are they to cane you at every speed change.

Open road @ least 130km as our counterparts in Texas

cheers


AND HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND

[Keepleft]

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/art...2329_1,00.html

[XR8GRL]

Originally Posted by Casper

Revenue.. the ONLY reason we have such pathetic speed limits.

But it's for our safety, they have our best interests at heart.



:

[BroncosXR8]

I have just returned from Italy, and therefor reckon i've got some good input to this argument. The speed limit on the autostrada is..... hang on what speed limit?
You know them Italians are CRAZY! In fact i didnt see one speed limit sign the whole two weeks I was there! And in contrast to Germany most of their roads are just the same if not worse than our pieces of blacktop - so there goes that argument. Now the road toll over there IS bad, however that is why the speed increased to help combat the toll, Im not sure on the per-capita statistic but they also have alot more people travelling on their roads aswell.
The thing I really noticed and wish Aussie drivers would take up, is most of the drivers have a very good situational awareness of what is happening around them and while they may gesticulate and yell obscenities at you the will still move out of your way if you are moving faster than they are.
Though the one that takes the cake and should be taken up everywhere is if vehicles are travelling in the "fast lane" and you want to get past just put your indicator on and THEY will move out of YOUR way, so now you dont have traffic swerving left and right trying to force there way past slower cars.
On a whole the Italians seem to move in concert to other vehicles around them not paying much attention to road rules at all, but more to the situation around them, In turn they pay attention!

After that very long winded and probably not so clear insight on Italian drivers I want to point out, after all that I think our speed limits are redicuously low and most probably contribute to our deathtoll.
Now if only most Italians wernt rude a*seholes I'd probably move there!

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by BroncosXR8

Now if only most Italians wernt rude a*seholes I'd probably move there!

This is because you kept to the autostrada middle-lane and not the right:-)

* Where right is referenced as the left lane here in AUS.

[Kobayashi]

I was in texas at the time they lowered the speed limit in some places. They didnt drop it for safety, the main reason was emissions.

And as most of the main roads in america are at LEAST 2 lanes (when i drove from philly to atlanta, 90% of it was 3 lanes) and the roads are much better quality then our shitty highways (at least here in SA, lol). I definately see more crashes here, then i do there, no matter what the speed.

I just love the states over there where speed cameras are illegal, because of an *invasion of privacy* issues after a senator was caught somewhere where he shouldnt have been with someone not his wife :p

[photn]

it feels like we are in school. if we cant stop dying on the road they slow us down. if we behave and stop dying and causeing accidents basically being good. they put them back up......geeessshhhh

[new2ford]

I would prefer dropping any speed limit absolutely across Australia outside built up areas and returning to the old 'prima facie' proving you're not driving dangerously over 100kph system. Such a sensible system it was (in conjunction with the speed advisory signs on bends). My reasoning - it gets people to think about what is a safe speed in the circumstances, which is what should govern safe driving.

A good example. I was driving back from the NSW south coast last night in heavy rain and fog and came up the Mt Ousley Rd to Bulli tops where there was an absolutely blind wall of fog. The speed limit was 110 but everybody was down to about 60-70. However this guy in some sort of Toyota ute with a big boat on a trailer (ye gods!) was hurtling into this stuff at about 90-100, still below the posted limit but imagine what would have happened to him and his rig - and some other poor soul - if he came unstuck.

It is this sort of moronic stupidity among Australian drivers (cf. European drivers) that has resulted in imposing of unrealistic speed limits - which then encourage people to drive up to them regardless of the conditions. Delimiting combined with driver eduction might actually take us down a better path.

[Keepleft]

Great observations New2Ford - I'm going to forward your post onto a local speed manager.

Can you recall the EXACT message showing on the VMS at the time, and if they had chosen to impose a lower speed limit??

How widespread was the fog on the F6, - Bulli only or further north??

Anyhow - this link is one of the new Texas speed limit signs, to US Fed standard, naturally. See also Wikipedia under Speed Limits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:T..._unveiling.JPG

Just a NSW specific note on the application of speed derestriction signs; I had proposed to our Roads Minsiter a few months back adopting a lower rural default, BUT allowing then for use of the (//) sign (and higher posted limits), applicable to a "length of road", AND in accordance with the signs meaning held in the Australian Standard and governing UN Convention.

Ministers office didn't say 'no', and rather asked that I discuss the matter further with a chap I know well.

We must rmember that road agency employees are often on 'performance based contracts'.

Now, I do know RTA would like, or could use the sign again one day. I would suggest on remote roads.

Your application as you highlight, here in NSW, was in effect a "prima facie" 80km/h speed limit. The legal problem arose that if you came under notice for say 'speed dangerous' or other when you chose the free option to exceed this, that you were automatically guilty of the offence. Not compatible with Australia's inherited legal system, and so it had to go.

I was in PNG at the time and so missed this very backward step. Police championed the speed limit default citing an inability to sufficiently control 'speed'.

In any case, another key legal reason was that the sign means in International law, as applied to contracting parties; "END OF ALL LOCAL PROHIBITIONS IMPOSED ON MOVING VEHICLES".

I have a NSW driver manual dated July 1978 showing full derestriction (//) - Prima Facie, and another July 1979 showing it to mean 100km/h. (Unless you appeal to high courts:-)

[Disco1986]

thats nice, ill try and remember that if im ever over thier

[mik]

you have to wonder if and when they drop speed limits up north how many more people will die from falling asleep at wheel and coming too greif.

[mik]

the higher speed limit in day time on decent roads is great, our road makers need to do a better job, you dont realise how really average our roads are until you drive a big high vehicle, sometimes you will find a straight bit of road and the camber will be changing constantly, ( i spose it keeps you on your toes ....or fatigues you), there appears to be no standard radius for the bends on our roads , also there appears to be no standards for lane size either.

[OzJavelin]

When I was in Texas in 2004 everyone was doing AT LEAST 80mph on freeways regardless of what they were signposted at. On 65mph zones we were struggling in a Neon, with big duallys roaring past us. The first time we saw a cop car we thought "great this will slow the traffic down" .. but the cop just drove by faster than everyone else. Coming from the "Victoria-the camera state", this is a real culture shock ....

BTW: I'm surprised that they actually raised the limit? The 55mph limit was introduced in the seventies to reduce fuel consumption. I'm surprised with the current situation they aren't back to that??

[ltd]

Was in Texas two weeks ago and can tell you that the most of the interstates there are 80mph. But, on alot of the state roads and US highways in texas the limit is 85mph. Add to that the texas troopers only really care if you are driving dangerously ie tailgating or undertaking vehicles, you can (and I have) sit on 100mph and they won't bat an eyelid. Just one reason why texas rocks - that, and they play a lot of Larry the cable Guy.

[ltd]

BTW, have driven over 50,000 miles in the states over the last ten years (there are merits to avoiding airports and just driving from LA); driven through 47 of the 50 states, (I missed Rhode Island, Kansas and Alaska), and have never been pulled over once. This is from comfortably sitting on 10-15mph higher than the signposted limit on the interstates. As I said above though, the police are concerned mainly with drivers' behaviour ie tailgating. Also, have seen plenty of people pulled over for undertaking.

FUN FACT
Did you know that the governator has just introduced a bill to stop people talking on cell phones in cars.
Californians are mightily peeved.

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by ltd

Was in Texas two weeks ago and can tell you that the most of the interstates there are 80mph. But, on alot of the state roads and US highways in texas the limit is 85mph. Add to that the texas troopers only really care if you are driving dangerously ie tailgating or undertaking vehicles, you can (and I have) sit on 100mph and they won't bat an eyelid. Just one reason why texas rocks - that, and they play a lot of Larry the cable Guy.

Well, its true folk tend to go faster, and yes police will go with the flow, but; the highest "sign posted" speed limit in the United States applicable to public roads is 80MPH, not 85MPH.

Most US states have at their speed management core a "reasonable and prudent" requirement of speed, in some respects it *could* be taken as a form of derestriction in our terms.

I am writing text for the Texas driver manual and NYS as I write this, which means I keep a very close eye on operational legislation in each.

OzJavelin wrote: BTW: I'm surprised that they actually raised the limit? The 55mph limit was introduced in the seventies to reduce fuel consumption. I'm surprised with the current situation they aren't back to that??

Rem, President Clinton recinded the 55MPH federally imposed limit back in 1995. The NHTSA then predicted an additional 6,400 deaths the year after, that of course didn't happen with results staying the same with a slight fall in some zones.

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

BTW: I'm surprised that they actually raised the limit? The 55mph limit was introduced in the seventies to reduce fuel consumption. I'm surprised with the current situation they aren't back to that??

Alot of cars in the 80's moved to 4 speed (auto) and 5 speed (manual) transmissions. The top gear was taller overall than the older 3 and 4 speed boxes which made highway cruising better for fuel consumption. Now we have some 6 speed autos and manuals with manufacturers choosing to put taller gearing on the top gear as they can keep the gear spacing resonable and still offer a wide range of gearing to enable good acceleration and low rpm highway cruising.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Great observations New2Ford - I'm going to forward your post onto a local speed manager.

Can you recall the EXACT message showing on the VMS at the time, and if they had chosen to impose a lower speed limit??

How widespread was the fog on the F6, - Bulli only or further north??

Keepleft I was surprised the VMS hadn't set a speed limit. It just said something like "Fog - slow down" (can't remember exact words). Heavy fog lightened nth of Bulli tops so it was localised but did extend back along Mt Ousley Rd. But it was certainly heavy enough (and wet enough on the Mt Ousley bends) not to hurtle along at 100 in a high COG truck with a boat on the back. On the other hand most drivers were being sensibly cautious and certainly not trying to do 110 just because they were allowed to. So there's some sense in the driving community.

[nobbystang]

I am amazed that with all the improvements made to cars over time that our speed restrictions haven't followed suit. Motor racing highlights that cars are getting safer with less injuries from crashes, but however accidents will still cause death as there will never be a fool proof way of preserving life shy of not racing.

I think this is just part of a conspiracy. The government has become reliant upon the revenue raised from speed cameras, just like they have from the fuel excise. NSW are the worst offenders as they pay the most GST, but don't get it all back so need to get revenue from other areas.

I might be deluded, but wasn't the fuel excise so high as to maintain and improve roads, not to bump up revenue because the Federal government only gives NSW back a percentage of GST raised. Now we have tollways cause our government can't afford to build new roads, in a time when there are more cars on the road than ever before, probably using more fuel than we ever had!!

If only they(Fed & State) could stop blaming each other and come up with a unified approach to improve our roads and raising our speed limits to reflect current conditions.

[nobbystang]

Just to lighten things up, this is the new ad for the GT500 Mustang, quite clever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ObUXS4KD7s