They did it on the Hume, which is a pretty bloody good road. Obviously it couldn't be applied everywhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by bob10
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They did it on the Hume, which is a pretty bloody good road. Obviously it couldn't be applied everywhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by bob10
Ah, I thought that was from a separate article, sounded like a newspaper excerpt.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh
But Universities will do the same, how else would they get funded :p
It even says that the results were indistinguishable between fast and slow, that screams 'doctored' to me. I can't prove it, and obviously any difference in velocity of objects will result in a crash upon impact. But on a good road (Like the Hume), with a good driver (the type who should actually have a licence), there should be no issues.
Well, that sums it up then.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eevo
The premise to raise speed limits (to 130) is only there as a 'puff' for motoring journalists, and to stir up some stupid petition.
If you think about a trip on any road suitable for a speed limit increase, and ONLY increase the speed, what difference will it make? Bugger all, because you will still have morons refusing to keep left, morons treating like a racetrack, and morons making three lane changes in one go because they've just realised their exit has arrived.
I'd also suggest an increase will support more fixed speed, and mobile speed cameras, because the catch up speed required for Police enforcement will be that much higher (and riskier). 130 might as well be 140-145 because not many Police will bother chasing a <10 or <20 Exceed Speed Limit offence when the catch-up is going to be 220+ and bigger fish are usually on their way.
We don't have a culture of a professional (or safe) attitude to driving because we allow our children to be taught to drive by parents who were taught to drive by their parents - some exceptions, but not many - and when they do get a licence it becomes a right, not a privilege.
After a holiday drive we all have anecdotes of the lunacy we've seen, but spend some time with the poor bugger who does that for a living (Heavy Vehicles) and imagine contending with that.... The lunatics get to go another 20kph, and the speed restricted vehicles (professional drivers) get a front row seat.
A raised speed limit alone will sell a few magazines and do very little to reduce travel times, at the expense of many other factors.
Matt.
I hate to say this,,, but the "Hume" is NOT a "good" road. Well at least not from Melb to Albury anyway. There are several sections within this where this road is positively dangerous at 110, let alone how it would be at 130.Quote:
Originally Posted by MR LR jnr.
The new part of it is good, I've driven on it at 130, in a Navara, and they have some pretty ****ty dynamics... No problems.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chops
You often hear fatalities on the Hume reported on the radio.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chops
There is one section, I think it was around Longwood, where my little car used to bounce all over the place. The concrete posts for the bridge rails were rather close to the road there too.
That proves nothing except that you were lucky. People have survived a parachute failure after jumping out of a plane; using your logic, that makes jumping out of planes sans 'chute safe.Quote:
Originally Posted by MR LR jnr.
Well the car wasn't jumping all over the place, or doing anything out of the ordinary, it felt exactly the same as at 110. So using your logic, everyone doing 110 is also just 'lucky'. Had it been bouncing or swaying then obviously. Seems like you're really stretching to prove that the engineers that designed the road were wrong... Have you driven it Ian?Quote:
Originally Posted by V8Ian
The Hume between Sydney and Melbourne where ever it is dual carriageway is as good as any motorway in Europe. I've driven it a lot and I've driven most of the English and European ones. In fact, some of the famous German ones were pretty ordinary and showing their age big time. I don't believe that a lot of people will automatically go 20kph over the 130 if the limit was raised because you really have to flog a lot of cars to do that. Back in the unrestricted days, dad used to sit on 80-85mph (130ish) because he was comfortable with it. He could have chosen to do 100mph (160ish) but he didn't. I remember going to the NT when it was unrestricted and pushing my wifes VW up to 200kph just to see what it was like but I ended up sitting on around 130 for most of the trip as it was pretty comfortable for me and the car and the fuel use was under control. I did exactly the same in Germany. There is no way I am in favour of a 130 limit on single lane highways unless they are way out west like the Sturt near Hay.
PS Driving at 130 from Alice to the SA border and then dropping to 110 on the SA side....it totally feels like you could get out and run faster.