Thread: 130km/h speed limits

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

You often hear fatalities on the Hume reported on the radio.
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.

Tallarook, just near the "On ramp", 12 deaths in 10 years, at the exact same spot, not to mention the non fatal,,, and our daughter,, one very lucky girl indeed.

Originally Posted by mikehzz

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.

If the roads overseas are anything like the southern part of the Hume, they are mad for doing those speeds. I've done high speeds in a well prepared D1, and for quite a bit of the time, your driving on the edge at 130. If they increase the limit, people will go faster, its a fact of life, they'll come unstuck.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Many times, last time was late last year and I accumulated over $3000 in fines for average speed in excess of 100 but below 110.
130 is vastly different to 110 when it goes pear shaped such as a flat tyre, obstruction, animal or one of the thousands of unexpected events that could crop up. Over half of drivers' abilities are lacking at 100kph, another 30% is a recipe for carnage and disaster.

A flat can send an inexperienced driver overboard at 80,,,, at 130, they'll be history. And there's quite a few animals along the southern section of the Hume, you see dead roos' every couple of miles, don't know much of what's North.

Originally Posted by MR LR jnr.

Watch out we got a badass over here :flipoff2:

We are in the 21st century now, cars are easily capable of those speeds, people aren't driving old boats anymore.

Not everyone has to drive at 130, a lot of people do anyway, but the road, and the cars are good enough, a lot of the drivers that tackles those speeds on such a long road would be good enough as well. The idiot's don't even feel comfortable at 110, why would they speed up?

Because a lot of people will feel they have to,, it may be peer pressure, or some form of anxiety, but they will.
And then the reality of the fact is, that if not everybody is doing the same/similar speed, that alone will cause excess problems too,, as in over taking etc. This will be a problem with trucks too, as if the speed limit goes up, will the truck limit go up too?

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Because they're too stupid to realise they're an idiot.
I agree with much you say, some cars, some roads, some drivers are able to safely travel at 130, but too many drivers lack the judgment.
Speed limits are not like high jump, where you keep raising the bar til it turns to crap.

Well Ian, they do want to raise the bar, and I'm guessing it wont just turn to crap,, it'll be death for some.


Overall, I have mixed feelings about raising the speed limit, but my main concern is human nature, and the fact that most people just "don't care" about others on the road. Most drivers seem to be self centred engrossed in their own little world, with no empathy towards anyone else. Add to that their naïve belief that they "know" how to handle a car in any situation.
130,,,, I hope not in my lifetime. If you want to get there in a hurry,,, catch a plane.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

In both 2003 and 2008 most of fatal crashes occurred on roads where the posted speed limit was 100 kilometres per hour (km/h) and above (42% in 2008), followed by roads with a speed limit of up to 60 km/h (35%).

yep and of those how many were excessive speed? ie, doing 110 or 130 doesnt matter when your drunk, tired, not wearing a seatbelt etc.

you have confused correlation with causation.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Characteristics of fatal crashes

I fail to see the point of this type of information, obviously a higher speed will have higher fatalities in accidents, that's just physics.

Originally Posted by Chops

Overall, I have mixed feelings about raising the speed limit, but my main concern is human nature, and the fact that most people just "don't care" about others on the road. Most drivers seem to be self centred engrossed in their own little world, with no empathy towards anyone else. Add to that their naïve belief that they "know" how to handle a car in any situation.
130,,,, I hope not in my lifetime. If you want to get there in a hurry,,, catch a plane.

I agree completely, there is a reason people don't care though, no courtesy or appreciation is shown when people do, I've given up on letting other people in etc, unless they can merge properly or I have to, but i don't slow down for morons with their foot on the brake and the blinker on, all to often they wait for you to go past anyway, it's all about keeping a steady flow, no one knows how to merge.

Will

Originally Posted by Eevo

so you want to nanny state us and hold everyone back because of the few people who lack judgement.
Yep, if that's what it takes. There are too many "experts" who've only driven from Sydney to Wagga.
why not test drives and take away the licence of people who lack judgement?
remove the bad drivers from the road.
Ideally, yes again but it ain't going to happen any time soon. There simply aren't enough busses for that many under 25s.

The biggest problem on the roads is attitude, arrogance, aggression and over confidence.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

The biggest problem on the roads is attitude, arrogance, aggression and over confidence.

Don't forget that in addition to this, ALL drivers think their skills and behaviour behind the wheel are "better than average".

Originally Posted by V8Ian

The biggest problem on the roads is attitude, arrogance, aggression and over confidence.

Yes, but the Sydney to Wagga stretch is the main part they want to upgrade to 130!

Just posting statistics.
Paul Keating had his famous "J" curve. Maybe there is one here?