130km/h speed limits

I strongly agree with these thoughts:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 3toes https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...016/08/768.jpg
The standard of the road is not the reason speed limits are so low in Australia. My experience in the difference is not in the standard of the roads in Australia and UK / Europe. i do not see any real difference in the overall standard of roads. Can show you plenty of examples of very poor designed / maintained roads over here.

One difference is that over here people look out for other drivers and are courteous to each other. Applies to both car and truck drivers. This kind of behaviour just does not happen in Australia.

Think this comes from the police working on the be kind to other drivers message for decades rather than enforcing speed limits with draconian levels of zeal. As was said to me by a friend who is in the police over here you save more lives if you create the correct attitude to the subject. You can then use less resources to work on catching the true problems who are driving with excessive speed.
I believe you are correct. There is a big attitude problem in Australia. Of course, there are plenty of decent drivers here, but it doesn't take many of the others to spoil the mix for everyone. The two that come to mind are the stupid, who are totally unaware that their driving is causing grief to other road users, and the aggressive, who treat everyone else on the road as if they are inconvenient obstacles who shouldn't be on the same road because they don't possess their super driving skills. I believe that low speed limits contribute to people spending inordinate amounts of time in the fast lane. They are too afraid of getting pinged to put their foot down to pass and move over, so you have a type of tortoise race going on where one person is overtaking another by going 2kph faster. It's agonizing to watch sometimes. :)

---

I survived three years in Bangkok's truly terrible traffic without once being involved in a road rage situation. Back in Brissie., so many people are either hopeless drivers or get on the horn and carry on over things which would be ignored in Bangkok and other countries. Get real people and chill out.

Incidentally, installing variable speed signs, as are used on English motorways, means the speed limit can be adjusted to the prevailing conditions. So, if all is good, raise it to 130, but if the traffic is heavy or its raining, cut it to 80. Makes sense to me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PAT303

Funny how the people in charge think 130 is going to cause death and destruction on our roads yet seem more than happy to let grey nomads wobble along at 80 in grossly overloaded toyota's towing vans with no experience other than having the money to buy them. Pat

---

What make you think that the young drivers are the only one qualified for towing a van?
With my wife we lived and tour on a motor home for 2 years stopping in many camping grounds and on 1993 we was 8 month touring on a motorbike towing a trailer with our camping gear.
We met hundreds of "grey nomads" on that 3 years on the road and I can telling you that the majority been towing vans for more than10 years in any kind of roads. Some of them are ex truck drivers and I can bet that they have clocked more kilometers than you.

From NRMA: though the national speed limit for towing combinations of less than 4.5 tonnes is the posted speed limit, except in WA (100km/h for trailers over 750GVM), some vehicle manufacturers apply a speed restriction to their vehicles under certain conditions. If these are ignored, your insurance and warranty may be waived. We recommend you travel at 80 km/h and under. It's better safe than sorry.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sam_d

A new 5 seat 2013 Defender 110 should be able to reach speeds of between approx 380 - 470km/h depending on whether it is empty or fully loaded and dropped from a sufficient height.

In a free fall situation (after being dropped from a plane for example) the efficacy of the brakes may be compromised somewhat.

:)

---

Bahahahaha - that's what I'm doing wrong - not using sufficient height!

My faith in the Defender brand is now restored! :D

Only marginally on-topic video follows in 3...2...1...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMxXHY1f8Xk]SKYDIVING IN A CAR .. - YouTube[/ame]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mikehzz

I believe you are correct. There is a big attitude problem in Australia. Of course, there are plenty of decent drivers here, but it doesn't take many of the others to spoil the mix for everyone. The two that come to mind are the stupid, who are totally unaware that their driving is causing grief to other road users, and the aggressive, who treat everyone else on the road as if they are inconvenient obstacles who shouldn't be on the same road because they don't possess their super driving skills. I believe that low speed limits contribute to people spending inordinate amounts of time in the fast lane. They are too afraid of getting pinged to put their foot down to pass and move over, so you have a type of tortoise race going on where one person is overtaking another by going 2kph faster. It's agonizing to watch sometimes. :)

---

Absolutely,,, we drive LR's,, its our road, not theirs :D;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by debruiser

I always considered the speed limit as a MAXIMUM speed aloud on the road and as you have stated - drive to the conditions. But then my driving teacher said "you can't be under that speed by much or you'll get booked". And I've actually had young (p platers) girls tell me that I should go faster because I was only doing the speed limit and your supposed to go 10km/hr over it! Using that theory if they increase the speed limit to 130 do we have to do 140? Tell you what I've overtaken someone at that speed in the D90 and I'm not keen on holding it there EVER! I'm sure it's safe, i'm sure the car can do it all day long, but there is no way you'll catch me doing it. And plus I can't afford to pay the fuel bill.

Come to think of it! I drove from Mackay to Brisbane a few months back.... I found that when I increased speed from 100 to 110 (there is a section between here and rocky) my fuel consumption went UP big time, so much so that I drove at 100 on the way home and on every subsequent trip to rocky.

I believe that during WWII the good old USofA had a fuel shortage. I heard that they lowered speed limits to a meer 80km/h, apparently the country saved some crazy amount of fuel.

2003 I purchased a Ford Focus brand new.... my pride and joy at the time (i was 21 and bought it cash!) Reading the owners manual it stated that tyre life will DOUBLE if you drive at 80km/hr over 100km/hr. DOUBLE the tyre life from 80-100!!!! That's huge! I didn't drive that slow for 50000kms to check. If my tyre life will drop that far just getting to 100km/hr then what will happen when I go to 130?????

Between fuel and tyres I dont think I want to go that fast. I might stick to my Series..... and drive at 80 :)

---

I'm with you on this. Up the ante by just a few K's, and the fuel bill definitely goes up,,,
And besides all these points that have been raised,, I bought a Defender to slow down,, not go faster,, :cool:

People don't "have" to do the speed limit, but it sure helps with traffic flow and fuel economy if they keep up to the general populous,,,

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by frantic

Mick 70 mph is 112 kph:eek:
So using your assertion are you any less dead at an impact speed of 110(69mph) or 130?
And those dang statistics always seem to wreck a theory, you know the one where road fatalities INCREASED in the NT after speed limits where introduced!

---

What? Remove the speed limit as we're all going to die anyway?
They tested it at 70mph. With the results returned, what is the point of testing it any faster?
Personally, I don't care what other drivers do as long as they don't involve me in their accidents.

It's interesting this thread should appear not long after these threads.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-ch...ng-scarey.html
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-ch...ng-scarey.html
No. Not a conspiracy theory, a reminder.

Oh, by the way, there was a speed limit in the NT. It was as fast as was safe to do so. (It was phrased differently but I'm sure you get the idea.)
The theory was, if you had an accident, you were clearly travelling at an unsafe speed and therefore were obviously speeding.

The problem is, once you introduce a speed limit, people tend to travel at that speed even if the conditions make it unsafe to do so.

The Tasmanian government tried to tackle this misperception with the slogan "It's a limit. Not a challenge."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ATH

When we first came to Oz in the early 70s ...................
Shocking cars all with drum brakes and you sat there and hoped you'd stop eventually

---

My 1969 HT had disc brakes. It was a factory option.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Many of us are old enough to remember the Derestriction signs in the southern states too.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Where the general speed limit of 60 MPH didn't apply. Usually on country gravel roads.

---

In Vic, the derestriction sign meant the state limit applied.
The state limit was 100km/h unless otherwise signposted. For a while, some selected freeways were signposted at 110km/h.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MR LR jnr.

I get less fatigued doing 120/130 than sitting on 100. Especially driving in open areas where not much changes, the increased rate of change in environment makes your mind percieve more, thus making it more active, resulting in increased alertness.

How many Nascar drivers go to sleep as opposed to old blokes in Falcons?

Physics...

---

There is an old bloke who steered falcoons who sticks it up the Nascar mob:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p
Andrew

As that German motoring expert declared, - referring to speed and the road toll, in Victoria I think... -

"... roads are the equal of any in Germany. Your drivers are not."

Having driven in all states - not NT - I have no argument with him.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Many of us are old enough to remember the Derestriction signs in the southern states too.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Where the general speed limit of 60 MPH didn't apply. Usually on country gravel roads.

---

That is a sign still used in WA.Many think it means no speed limit.It means the speed limit is 110kmh max,but the road isnt rated to 110kmh so DRIVE TO CONDITIONS.
Andrew