UK motorways to be 80mph (130km/h) 2013

[Bam]

Originally Posted by turbodewd

Without a doubt the roads between Melbourne-Canberra-Sydney are very good in parts and would easily support 120kmh. I mean cars are far far safer than 30 years ago when the speed limits were the same.

Wind the clock back another 10 years (40 years ago) and we had no speed limits on country roads. We were happily driving around in XA Falcons back then with no ABS, no airbags, poorer tyres and poorer suspension. 140 km/h was a good touring speed, ie. a good balance between trip times and fuel consumption. It was just under the speed when the secondaries stayed open in a Falcon V8 carby.

Aussies are a weak bunch of bast ards that allowed the nanny state lobbyists to gradually wrap us in cotton wool over the years. We basically don't understand that a certain percentage of motorist are going to die, and that's life. No ANZAC guts left here. Just weakness.

Fortunately, there are still no speed limits in the air (except supersonic over populated areas) or at sea.

[chamb0]

Originally Posted by Bam

Wind the clock back another 10 years (40 years ago) and we had no speed limits on country roads. We were happily driving around in XA Falcons back then with no ABS, no airbags, poorer tyres and poorer suspension [...] Aussies are a weak bunch of bast ards that allowed the nanny state lobbyists to gradually wrap us in cotton wool over the years. We basically don't understand that a certain percentage of motorist are going to die, and that's life. No ANZAC guts left here. Just weakness.

Ah yes, invoke the ANZACs to make whatever point you like. Try hard enough and you can make the reference fit anything eh... Those glorious, good old days 40 years ago when just sitting behind the wheel of a non-ABS car was an act of Digger courage and fortitude which earned you the Military Cross and battle honours. The soft,weak ABS-driving airbag-equipped people these days who grieve for family, friends and children who have died on the roads just need to man up, get some ANZAC guts about them and stop being so un-Australian... Seriously though, whatever your thoughts on speed limits and car safety, what has our military heritage got to do with it?

As it happens I'm compiling a collection of ridiculous, irrelevant, self-serving and vacuous references to ANZACs that I've come across. It's one of my pet hates as it cheapens our history. Congratulations, you made the cut.

[kypez]

I just did a drive from Sydney to Alice Springs via Adelaide and back last week. I must admit I was blown away by the courtesy on the Stuart Highway. I'd say over 90% of all the cars I passed saw the driver give me a wave to say G'day. It was fantastic! Though the fuel consumption went through the roof when I got to the 130 zones (close to 15 litres/100) compared to 12 litres/100) at 110.

On topic on the road surfaces, after driving the whole drive (6229 kms all up), when I got back onto the Hume at Wagga, it was amazing how much smoother the road was compared to the 130kms/hr limited Stuart Hwy! I felt like I was floating on air! I think we could have 130 limit on the Hume and other such roads when away from the built up areas. For example, in Sydney, when you get past Campbelltown maybe we could have a 130 zone till 10 kms out of major towns or cities where it traffic can be expected to increase and thus reduce to a "safer" 110?!

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by kypez

On topic on the road surfaces, after driving the whole drive (6229 kms all up), when I got back onto the Hume at Wagga, it was amazing how much smoother the road was compared to the 130kms/hr limited Stuart Hwy! I felt like I was floating on air!

NT CLP who will reintroduce speed derestriction (//) to replace some 130km/h zones, have been complaining about the lack of maintenance on those highways since derestriction was removed 1 Jan 2007. At a time of economic concern domestically (taxable income in AUS 12 billion less than a year or three ago I read somewhere) and worldwide, they will have a lousy time obtaining funds.

I think we could have 130 limit on the Hume and other such roads when away from the built up areas. For example, in Sydney, when you get past Campbelltown maybe we could have a 130 zone till 10 kms out of major towns or cities where it traffic can be expected to increase and thus reduce to a "safer" 110?!

The NSW 'Hume' comprises duplicated lengths and full freeway class roads. The duplicated and some newer pavement sections are not to freeway class in that they have 'intersections', as opposed to newer freeway lengths that have the desired grade separation 'interchanges'.

Can't, or shouldn't raise the limit till we install GATELOCK at the U-Turn bays (we are doing this on the F3, and the project will take another 3-4 years), and install additional median barrier to restrict cross-over crash potential.

I expect we'll see 120 zones for non freeway though dual carriageway status roads, and hopefully 130km/h on full feeway lengths.

Roads mob would not be in favour of a 130km/h limit runing say 14 kilometres before having to drop to 120km/h for the lesser specification run, I'd expect therefore, for the Hume, for a decade or two - you'd get a 120km/h limit until intersections are removed, median barrier issues addressed, gatelock at the U-Turn bays installed.

Mittagong three-lane section will need to be 'fixed' as the left emergency shoulder is NOT to national standard for a length, its 1.6m wide and should be 2.5 to 3.0 metres. A fatal of note happened, see here:-
http://www.sarahgroup.org/the-crash/
(See 'Media Coverage' tab for some video links).

Whilst the family don't seem to be into litigation, I'd argue they could proceed to action on the basis of state negligence; proportional blame outcome.

I recall some 29 fatals where a car has stopped on a freeway emergency stopping lane in the last ten years only to be collected; BTRE circa 1996 put the cost to society of one road death at some 2 million dollars.

This is the young lady that died in the crash, a tribute from her family and friends, and of the passing of the towie who tried to assist:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJHetxEj3Ko

[Keepleft]

I guess in final preparation for 80mph, an upgrade to UK penalties:-

Motorists caught middle-lane hogging, tailgating or using the wrong lane on a round-about could soon be handed a £90 spot fine and three penalty points.

Middle-lane hogging is in relation to three-laned motorway stretches. Might do that here:-) See full story.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1xr19bWmu

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

I guess in final preparation for 80mph, an upgrade to UK penalties:-
Middle-lane hogging is in relation to three-laned motorway stretches. Might do that here:-) See full story.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1xr19bWmu

But - and I've pointed this out several times before - middle lane hogging is allowed by the Australian (and presumably thus all state) Road Rules which require you only to stay out of the right lane unless overtaking. You need to fix this first.

Presently appreciating the 130 km/h motorways in the Czech Republic. I asked someone giving me a lift why weren't the police onto the ones who were passing us as though we were standing still when we were already doing 130, as they would savagely in Australia. He replied that the Czech police couldn't afford the petrol. If only that could be the case in Australia!

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by new2ford

But - and I've pointed this out several times before - middle lane hogging is allowed by the Australian (and presumably thus all state) Road Rules which require you only to stay out of the right lane unless overtaking. You need to fix this first.

Presently appreciating the 130 km/h motorways in the Czech Republic. I asked someone giving me a lift why weren't the police onto the ones who were passing us as though we were standing still when we were already doing 130, as they would savagely in Australia. He replied that the Czech police couldn't afford the petrol. If only that could be the case in Australia!

HERALD SUN is a pay/registration required site - -
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/tru...-1226397621954

VICTORIA -

RIGHT-lane road hogs will be the target of a sweeping new police crackdown.

Under the blitz, selfish motorists caught refusing to move to the left will be punished with an on-the-spot $122 fine and the loss of two demerit points.

It is the first time Victoria Police's highway patrols will seek go-slow motorists – often dubbed "Sunday drivers" – *and enforce the law of failing to keep as far left as possible*.

The tough stance on these drivers will also pinpoint tailgaters as winter brings dangerous low light levels and wet conditions.

Despite the BOLD referencing in this story (since that would relate to two-lane roads for enforcement purposes and application), we are technically required, then on a three-lane stretch of freeway to be in the left-lane, though as you appreciate 90% of folk drive in the middle lane. The UK motorway code is the same as ours, except they also prohibit passing of slower traffic by use of the left motorway lane. WE could adopt that rule, putting even greater onus on keeping-left and not middle.

This Victorian move, will only focus on the right traffic lane for the offence, as most Aussie HWP staffers simply 'don't get it'.

Patience my man....

[Linkachu]

Aus Gov thinks the faster you go the more people die, speed cameras save lives and the justice system is not flawed.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Linkachu

Aus Gov thinks the faster you go the more people die, speed cameras save lives and the justice system is not flawed.

Every time I pass those 'slowing down won't kill you' TAC banners, I think a more honest, fitting slogan would be 'staying at home won't kill you'. If Australia is dead set on eliminating the road toll, everybody should just stay home. Problem solved. Well with GovCo spending big on National Broadband Network, instead of roads and infrastructure, maybe one day this Ad will be reality.

[MAD]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Every time I pass those 'slowing down won't kill you' TAC banners, I think a more honest, fitting slogan would be 'staying at home won't kill you'. If Australia is dead set on eliminating the road toll, everybody should just stay home. Problem solved. Well with GovCo spending big on National Broadband Network, instead of roads and infrastructure, maybe one day this Ad will be reality.

Hitting a car at 30km/h because you were doing 68, in a 60 zone, will kill you, but hitting a car at 30km/h because you were doing 68, in an 80 zone, won't.
Simple laws of physics apparently.

[GasoLane]

Oh dear, I can remember when that was first released!!

(there's not a lot I can remember from that era either)

[V8XTasy]

The fact is most people already drive at 130 or faster in the UK on the freeways and highways, yet fatalities there are half what they are in Australia, where we spend most of our time doing 80-100 or less. In the UK too, many roads are older, more narrow, more bendy, there are less traffic light controlled junctions and there's 70 million people squashed into an area the size of Victoria. Yet in the UK, I could happily drive 'fast' for several hours and never feel like I was close to an accident. In Australia however, driving 'slow', I would say I have to avoid having 3-4 accidents for every 1/2 hour of driving.
Baring in mind I've always thought the standard of driving in the UK was bad, but here it is really bad and that's the reason for so many accidents at such low speed limits. Add to this is the type of cars driven here, especially by young people and you have a recipe for disaster.
Until people learn how to drive properly (and it will take generations of new, correctly trained, drivers to get to that stage), then there will be lots of accidents at any speed. So quite rightly, if you are going to crash, which you will due to the poor level of driving, then it's best to crash at a low speed. It won't reduce the accidents, but will reduce the fatalities which I think is what the authorities are getting at. Although better driving would reduce both accidents and deaths and allow for higher speeds, but that's too difficult for governments and authorities to comprehend and it costs money rather than raising money. So strict enforcement of crazy low speed limits is the go.

[Xlsedandelivery]

It's time for an increase in limits on our Hwys.
We have had 100kph limits since a time when most cars on the road had king pins, drum brakes and no seat belts and were being driven on Hwy's that resemble today's country roads. We are now driving cars that have ABS, stability control, traction control, air bags etc on fairly good multi lane divided Hwy's

[Cabbage]

Having driven the Freeway between Melbourne and Sydney a number of times over the last 15 years and with the recent roadworks making it a dual carriage way each way, this section of freeway could easily cope with a higher speed limit. I haven't driven the Sydney to Brisbane section of the Freeway as much but if it was of similar standard ideally it would be a higher speed limit as well. My experience is during the times I have driven Sydney to Melbourne, its the fatigue that is the issue not the condition of the road or speed in itself. A higher speed limit would mean less time on the road and less fatigue.

[aussie muscle]

Add to that the mythbusters experiments found test subjects making more mistakes fatigued than with a 0.07 alcohol content (california is 0.08). we all know how bad it is to drink and drive, yet driving fatigued is worse.

[Ben73]

If they think people are too thick to choose a safe speed, then maybe they should use these signs on Freeways. I have only ever seen them In Sydney.
130 when not much is around. Then drop it down during rain and heavy traffic.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Ben73

If they think people are too thick to choose a safe speed, then maybe they should use these signs on Freeways. I have only ever seen them In Sydney.
130 when not much is around. Then drop it down during rain and heavy traffic.

That looks like a Brisneyland road, but variable speed signs have been in Vic for a few years as well.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

That looks like a Brisneyland road, but variable speed signs have been in Vic for a few years as well.

obviously old technology as we even have a couple in adelaide

having recently spent some time in brissie, and travelled up and down the pacific/logan/gateway motorways, i don't think the road condition matters too much when speed limits are being decided. its the people that use the roads they have to consider.

speed limit is 110 or 100 on the motorways and you get people doing anything from 70 to 120+. i'm a massive user of cruise control but found it virtually impossible up there for the most part.

if speeds get upped to 130, there will always be those that push the boundaries and make it 140 or more. the slow people will still be slow, so the disparity in speed will be huge. thats a big safety issue right there.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

That looks like a Brisneyland road, but variable speed signs have been in Vic for a few years as well.

Have you been on the Monash freeway? They completely resurfaced and repainted a good 5km stretch of it, its 4 lanes either direction and then they reduced the speed limit from 100km/h to 80, .

[GT-P Colesy]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Have you been on the Monash freeway? They completely resurfaced and repainted a good 5km stretch of it, its 4 lanes either direction and then they reduced the speed limit from 100km/h to 80, .

Witch is the same thing they did in Brisbane on the Gateway north of the bridge

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Ben73

If they think people are too thick to choose a safe speed

Sadly, i think you are right

[XRDeeze]

eventually it'd get boring driving at 130km/hr

[MWTB]

Honestly, with the number of ridiculously limited roads, I don't see this happening any time soon, if ever. As much as I would love it, it just doesn't seem plausible to me.

As mentioned before, the NT unlimited highways underwent a rise of fatalities after the limit was restricted due to fatigue because drivers were driving for longer and suffering more driver fatigue, leading to accidents. I'm awful at math so this is the part where I would give you the time saved traveling a journey over a large distance by traveling at 130km/k as opposed to 100km/h.

That said, there are some pretty crazy roads currently at 100km/h that really should not be, as highlighted in earlier posts. There is a road some eastern Melbourne residing members may be familiar with that I believe has a speed limit of 80km/h called Old Emerald road in Emerald. This road looks like one of those roads you'd see on that Most Dangerous Highways show. Its 1.5 cars wide, surfaced with gravel and pot holes and has a cliff face on one side and a massive drop on the other. Then we see roads like Warrandyte road going from Ringwood to Warrandyte, nice and wide and long with long easy curves with a limit of 60km/h.

At this point it really does seem like speed limits are just given a random number that someone decides upon due to location. Old Emerald road, massively treacherous and almost undriveable, yet remote and in the middle of nowhere so its 80 km/h, yet perfectly paved and safe Warrandyte road is 60 because its in Ringwood/Warrandyte and in a suburb where children might be, regardless of the semi-remote location of this particular road.

Putting low limits on roads that really should be higher, in my opinion, would cause more accidents than it saves due to people naturally feeling safe and slowly creeping up speed without meaning to, then checking their speedo and realising they're speeding. I know I often spend more time looking at the speedo in areas like this out of fear of getting a speeding fine.

In a day where cars come standard with ABS, disc brakes, air bags and all the other features the government wants us to have, I think it's ridiculous to have speed limits identical to, or LOWER than those 30 or 40 years ago where cars had drum brakes, no traction control/abs/etc, and wearing seatbelts was not a requirement.

Not to mention the condition of roads like Eastlink/the eastern freeway are impeccable and 100km/h feels incredibly slow. The Hume is another road that I believe could easily be 130km/h or more, apart from through towns obviously. I myself have traveled this speed and higher when coming back from playing gigs interstate and just wanting to get home (and before anyone chastises me for admitting to speeding; shut up, you cannot honestly say you have never exceeded the limit before so I don't want to hear it).

tl;dr I'd love a 130km/h limit on major highways, but I do feel that things are going to get worse a long time before those in power consider making them better.

[wrongwaynorris]

Every Australian should have their licenses revoked over the next ten years and be forced to actually pass a real driving test . At the end of it it would be an absolute miracle if 30% of people who currently hold a license would still have one . The other 70 % would be welcome to learn to drive and more aptly LOSE their attitude and try again .

[prydey]

Originally Posted by wrongwaynorris

Every Australian should have their licenses revoked over the next ten years and be forced to actually pass a real driving test . At the end of it it would be an absolute miracle if 30% of people who currently hold a license would still have one . The other 70 % would be welcome to learn to drive and more aptly LOSE their attitude and try again .

what sort of test did you undertake to get your licence?

[WPR1]

130 kph makes sense and will probably lower our road toll because people will be more alert. Bring it on!

[XRDeeze]

^ LOL. Good reply Sir.

[mik]

you can also add the unpredictability of Aussie drivers to the problems, people weaving/cutting across lanes, you are cruising happily down the freeway on cc, next thing person in the right lanes decides to take the off ramp 200 metres ahead and swerves across 3/4 lanes of traffic(if the traffic is actually flowing), , you can almost gaurantee with any trip from outer burbs of melb inbound or out bound you will see one or 2 examples of this .....every trip, erattic driving etc, etc.

[flappist]

QLD have recently mentioed 130 zones which set off the blue touch paper in RACQ, Police union and of course the southern nannies.

Lets see how this goes as our current Government are not all that interested in what minority group whingers have to say.

[MAGPIE]

So with a 80 mph limit they will just be legalising what they already do.