Genuine Question, Are We behind The World in Our Speed Limits?

[Deactivated] on 06/09/2021 - 19:06
Last edited 06/09/2021 - 20:06 by 1 other user

Where I live in NSW, most roads speed limits are 50km/h, and the fastest I can go on the highway is 110km/h. I went for a drive with a co-worker in a brand new 2021 car. It got to the 110 speed limit ridiculously fast, and was barely even trying to do it.

Around town the car was damn near falling asleep doing 50. Do you think speed limits might be increased one day, maybe not in towns but 110 seems pretty low on the highway. Although we do need to account for roos. I saw some cop cars in BMW's worth $150k, that can reach 100km/h in 3.9 seconds.

Just couldn't help but think this today. I did some looking and 130 seems more common around the world. Some say we could even go to 150

Automotive

Comments

    • pharkurnell on 07/09/2021 - 14:08
      +1

      except where theres road works and the speed limit changes 54 times in 4klms.

  • Viper8 on 07/09/2021 - 13:15
    +3

    It's interesting that you can drive on a coarse chip regional country road with no shoulders, no center median strip, no crash barriers, no wildlife fencing, no street lighting and sharp turns at 110km/h, yet on beautiful new freeways outside of cities, the speed limit is exactly the same. It would be far safer doing 130km/h on those freeways (whilst keeping trucks, buses etc. capped at 100) than doing 110 on the minor regional highways.
    Trouble is:
    1) Australian's, unlike Europeans and people in the UK, don't keep left, so you will get lots of rear enders due to the higher speed differences and frustrated drivers being blocked
    2) Australia doesn't have mandated annual or bi-annual car inspections like Germany, UK, Japan etc., so there's a lot of illegal/unsafe cars on the road with bald tyres, shot brakes etc.
    3) Australian's driver training and testing is entirely city focused at low speeds, and there is no defensive component whatsoever (unlike getting a motorbike license).

    • OzzyOzbourne on 07/09/2021 - 13:19

      What is it about refusing to keep left here? Is it an insult to people's ego or just laziness?

      • Viper8 on 07/09/2021 - 13:52
        +3

        Lack of driver training, lack of frequent active signage to keep left, extreme lack of enforcement by law.

  • pharkurnell on 07/09/2021 - 14:07
    +2

    We are behind the world in Driver training and education…

    People are only taught to pass their license these days, not how to drive or behave on the roads.

  • Drakesy on 07/09/2021 - 14:34
    +1

    In the CBD's where pedestrian interaction is likely it's a good thing to keep the speeds down at 30/40/50k's and i support this as it increases safety for ped's and cyclists.

    However on the highways i'm in two minds.
    Yes it'd be nice to have autobahn type speeds and yes America does permit higher speeds than signposted (average highway speeds of 85mph are common before police step in) but i also like the idea of a family not being cleaned up overtaking a caravan by a porsche driver doing 150km/h. Even kangaroos at higher speeds could be the difference between a glancing blow and a kangaroo going through the windshield.

    In areas such as the northern territory where there's little vegetation on the side of the roads and visibility is high due to straight stretches then yes, i feel we should be allowed up to 130-140km/h. But on areas with low vergeside visibility 110 is adequate.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/09/2021 - 14:38

    Its kind of scary driving 100km/h and passing someone. You dont realise until you do it, but Its crazy how much trust we have to put in the people going the other way.

    • bobbified on 07/09/2021 - 16:36
      +2

      hmm.. should you be driving if you're scared to pass someone at 100km/h? There's a lot of single-lane-in-each-direction roads in regional areas that are like this.

      • Viper8 on 07/09/2021 - 19:00
        +1

        Read what he said again. If you're not scared by the thought that the person coming the other way could, in the blink of an eye, end both of your lives for any number of reasons (fatigue, alcohol, other drugs, suicide, medical episode, distracted by kids, on their phone etc etc), and there's absolutely nothing you could do to prevent it, then you're a fool. It's a legitimate risk for which you don't have a defense. I'm not "scared", but I'm am aware of that possibility (rather than ignorant to it). More broadly it's called defensive driving, something any motorbike rider quickly learns one way or another.

        • bobbified on 07/09/2021 - 21:35
          +2

          I'm aware of that. I've lost track of the number of times I've had to dodge cars in all sorts of directions while on a motorbike.

          The best I can do is just be try and be prepared/ready for these situations. I'm not 'scared' of it though. I usually associate the word 'scared' with the word 'panic' - panicking while driving can be disastrous.

    • pharkurnell on 07/09/2021 - 16:55
      +2

      Not that I've ever done lots more than double that on the bike, but I hear passing isnt scary, I'm told it happens so fast your back in and away before you realize it… I hear.

  • owli on 07/09/2021 - 15:10

    30km/h limit all over like Paris, thanks

    • smux on 08/09/2021 - 09:28
      +1

      And just outside of Paris the highway speed limit quickly goes up to 130km/h (at least in the direction I was heading).

  • deneb on 07/09/2021 - 15:12
    +1

    I have no problem with 50 in the cbd and suburban roads, there are enough pedestrians to merit that sort of speed. As for national highways like hume, surely you can up the speed limit without must risk.

  • pjetson on 07/09/2021 - 15:13
    -1

    a brand new 2021 car. It got to the 110 speed limit ridiculously fast

    As fast as a Rimac Nevera electric car? 0-100 in 1.97 seconds, 0-300 in 9.3 seconds, 1900 horsepower, 400kmh top speed?

    https://www.rimac-automobili.com/nevera/

    • JimB on 07/09/2021 - 17:18

      Unfortunately it was only a Taycan Turbo S so a little slower at 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds.

    • Eeples on 08/09/2021 - 17:14

      Great trailer.

      Can't wait the for movie.

  • camr00 on 07/09/2021 - 16:16

    We may be behind in our speed limits, but to your question around how fast a car gets to 100, or how easily it drives at 50kph, is more a sign of how far engine design has come, and the desire for people to always want 'more'.

    My cars over the years have been anything from 70kw hatches (young and broke) to 400kw modified sedans (young and had money), and the sweet spot these days is about 140kw. It's enough to get you out of trouble on the highway, without being too much for round town driving (where only a fraction of that power is generally used).

    But car manufacturers dont make money selling cars which can have power outputs served by a modern 3 cylinder engine, they make money by putting a bigger engine in, and then bundling in the 'top spec' options for trim, features, head lights, etc, etc, etc.

    EV's dont make headlines for starting with an entry level car that has 300km of range and a 140kw engine, they sell because of 0-100 times drawing attention.

    Think of it like the megapixel wars from digital cameras. At some point in the future the power output will become less important.

    Where I live in NSW, most roads speed limits are 50km/h, and the fastest I can go on the highway is 110km/h. I went for a drive with a co-worker in a brand new 2021 car. It got to the 110 speed limit ridiculously fast, and was barely even trying to do it.

    Around town the car was damn near falling asleep doing 50. Do you think speed limits might be increased one day, maybe not in towns but 110 seems pretty low on the highway. Although we do need to account for roos. I saw some cop cars in BMW's worth $150k, that can reach 100km/h in 3.9 seconds.

    Just couldn't help but think this today. I did some looking and 130 seems more common around the world. Some say we could even go to 150

  • tonyjzx on 07/09/2021 - 17:15

    I think most police use either the 350kW Dodge 300 SRT Core which is a ridiculous and ridiculosly awesome car. The BMW 530d which is 200kW and this common as hell now on Syd roads what with lockdown monitoring and such… this thing is 0-100 in 5 secs and redbook will tell you its $125,000, of course they buy tax free and probably slap on $50k worth of equipment. The last car would be the 275kW Kia Stinger.

    While people may say these are overpowered, the spiel would be that the officers behind the wheel are 'vastly better trained' than the avg. ozbb npc in their Camry and they need fast cars to respond to emergencies.

    We cant have cops responsonding to terrorism or your methed out bogans in a 125kW Camry Hybrid can we?

    I think that sunsetting of NT unlimited speed on hwys is a clue…they are responding to natural community expectations and worldwide standards.

    Australia doesnt want to seem to be a Mad Max outlaw state.

    So we have the same 50km/110km/h type limits the rest of the Western world has, Germany notwithstanding.

    Cars being boring around 50km/h in town isnt a new thing. I remember my mates saying their VN 5.0 V8s with a massive 185kW or whatever were too fast.

    Sure, they had 450Nm though in a 1,500kg shell.

    • [Deactivated] on 10/09/2021 - 12:20
      -1

      200kw is not overpowered. It doesn't even feel fast.

      I think until you're in the low 4 second 0-100kmh range, cars these days don't feel that fast.

      • HelpMeiCantSee on 12/09/2021 - 08:18
        -1

        Agreed. 200kw is baseline of acceptability here. More is welcome, don’t have to use it all

        • Euphemistic on 12/09/2021 - 12:37

          I remember when a HSV had 180kw. Fair enough, everything else wasn’t very fast then, but a basic current hatchback has enough power for keeping up wit traffic and overtaking on the highway.

          200kw is plenty for even large cars. 100kw is plenty for smaller ones.

          • HelpMeiCantSee on 13/09/2021 - 08:19

            @Euphemistic: And 35hp is plenty for other people. Horses for courses.

            • Euphemistic on 13/09/2021 - 10:37

              @HelpMeiCantSee: It’s all relative. Most vehicles build in the last 20 years (and more) are capable of keeping up in traffic and overtaking on the highway easily. I’ve got a 15yo diesel ute with 120ish kw stock and it’s not slow in traffic.

              Would I like more power? Yes. Do we need it? No.

              • HelpMeiCantSee on 14/09/2021 - 11:05

                @Euphemistic: See I have 330hp and 800nm. In my mind that’s just barely enough. Depends on your circumstances.

                • tonyjzx on 14/09/2021 - 11:42
                  +1

                  @HelpMeiCantSee: You get used to what you drive. Mostly. I remember my first drives in cars like manual turbo 6 or v8s etc.

                  But then you drive the same car with 4 people on a hot day with air con and you wonder where all the power went.

                  lets be honest here. if you had a drive of the BMW 530d with its 600nm 200kW and 1,750kg then this would be more than sufficent speed for just about anyone. its more than fast enough for aus. hwp be it vic nsw or wa

                  the police technical unit must have found it to be fine if its replacing 300kW falcodores

                  if you can afford the power, you would do it

                • Euphemistic on 14/09/2021 - 19:19

                  @HelpMeiCantSee: You have what you WANT. Sounds like you WANT more. You don’t, nor does general traffic driving NEED that sort of power.

  • JimB on 07/09/2021 - 17:16
    +1

    If anything the speed you can get away with is falling.

    In Melbourne, it's ridiculous what you get fined doing these days with all the revenue raisers aka speed cameras.

    I have no issues getting pulled over by the cops for speeding as they use their discretion and won't fine you for going 5kmh over the limit unlike a speed camera.

    I love fast cars but it's just pointless these days if you want to keep your licence, hence why I'm looking at getting the new GR86 in a manual.. certainly not considered a fast car these days but at least it will be fun at legal speeds.

    Driving a 911 Turbo S in Melbourne would be like dating a supermodel who won't even give you a handjob.

    • LFO on 07/09/2021 - 17:52

      Driving a 911 Turbo S in Melbourne would be like dating a supermodel who won't even give you a handjob.

      That is why SUVs are so popular … something is something …

    • Techie4066 on 07/09/2021 - 18:16

      Driving a 911 Turbo S in Melbourne

      Reminds me of this

      • JimB on 07/09/2021 - 18:58

        I thought you were going to link it to https://youtu.be/q2pIm9l7BKw?t=37

        • Techie4066 on 07/09/2021 - 19:04

          Haha even better! I'm not the kind of person to remember all of these references unfortunately, but I do love TGT. Still yet to watch the latest series, oops.

  • LFO on 07/09/2021 - 17:51
    +1

    No!
    Current speed limits conveniently match the inability of most drivers to safely drive.
    Most drivers cannot even keep left … let alone faster speeds.

    Slowly lowly.

  • Serapis on 07/09/2021 - 18:32
    -1

    We are behind, we're not slow enough - from experience Japan was 40 kmph in metro areas, London was 20 mph and Iceland was 30 kmph.

    If you want to speed and have money, go to the track.

  • beefmaster on 07/09/2021 - 18:38

    We are not behind the world, but following the world. The 50km/h and 40km/h is Australia following Europe. Australia review the result in Europe and decided to adopt.

    You may argue Germany have the Autobahn but I doubt Australia will adopt.

  • CalmLemons on 07/09/2021 - 19:18
    +4

    We're terrible drivers here compared to Europe. Germany has a much higher bar to be able to pass the driving test.

    Literally, the standard here to pass your test is that you are not legally blind.

    The fact that so many people think they are 'good' drivers here speaks for itself.

    • tonyjzx on 08/09/2021 - 03:56
      -1

      The problem then is that it comes down to equity.

      While people tout Germany as a good example its actually one of those countries where money then becomes a deciding factor.

      If you may it too complicate and hence too expensive to get a license then only rich people will do it.

      I'm not too opposed to that - running a car is an expensive thing anyway however if you have a system that does not encourage public transport and yet also makes getting a license expensive then what do you want poor people to do???

      • CalmLemons on 08/09/2021 - 19:46
        +2

        Just because you're poor doesn't mean you cannot pass a driving test or drive poorly to a point they need to make an easier test for you…

        If you cannot drive well, you should not drive - regardless of your socioeconomic background…

        A license isn't expensive in europe, the test just has a higher skill bar. The hardest thing you need to do in a driving test here is a parallel park or a 3 point turn.

  • Vote for Pedro on 07/09/2021 - 19:21
    +1

    In populated areas like shopping strips even 50 is too fast. As for more than 110, lol have you seen our roads. Be glad it’s safe to go that fast.

    Also agree with terrible driving here compared to europe. On a narrow road, no one shits themselves and falls into a panic, they know how and when to move aside. Also i found european traffic signage quite good when you get ussed to it.

  • DiscoJango on 07/09/2021 - 19:23
    +2

    AU road rules were written in the 70's based on driving conditions for piece of shit ford falcons

  • SlartiBartFozz on 07/09/2021 - 19:26

    30kmh in some cities in the Philippines, Amsterdam has lots of low speed limit areas.
    Low speeds does not indicate anything bad, and is relevant to the safety of road users and those who live on/near the roads.
    High speeds like 110-130kmh are only justified on very high quality interstate roads with zero intersections and zero dwellings along them.

  • Cluster on 07/09/2021 - 19:28
    +1

    Some of our highways could support much faster speeds. If…

    1. There are two lanes each way, with a divider in the middle
    2. Fencing is constructed to prevent kangaroo impacts. Imagine hitting a kangaroo at 180km/h….

    Will this happen? Not likely. Our population density is too low and we have too many roads for the tax base to justify the outlay.

  • StalkingIbis on 07/09/2021 - 20:08

    The big danger is when motorists are going different speeds. E.g. one fast, one slower.

    If we increase the speed limit, do you reckon the slow drivers will speed up? Dont think so. Itll just increase the difference in speed and make things worse.

  • Ahbal on 07/09/2021 - 21:04
    +3

    Our avg driver skill is too low for that.

    Even with the speed limits real low as it is, people still struggle to drive properly.

    Most people shouldn't be driving in a first place, let alone driving such fast cars.

  • D3HUN on 07/09/2021 - 22:48

    The speed limit is not only about the cars, it is (mostly) about the roads.
    In Europe (esp in Germany and the likes), the roads are designed for the higher speed limits (eg. bends, climbs, etc. are limited). There are fences so that wildlife won't get on to the motorway.

    Also, trucks have a slower speed limit (110kmh vs 130kmh for cars) and limited to use the outside (slow) lanes.

    Drivers too - in Australia, I see a lot of drivers tailgating at 110kmh, with no consideration for safety whatsoever.

    • payless69 on 08/09/2021 - 07:31

      Not every Autobahn is fenced! Wildlife is scarce but nobody has protective bars. Recomended speed is 130 if not signed lower.
      Watch AutoTopNl on youtube!

  • DeepPocketsShortArms on 08/09/2021 - 06:44
    +3

    I really wouldn't want faster speed limits on Australia.
    I find the standard of driving in Australia incredibly low. I used to drive the M5, M7 in Sydney daily. Sometimes I felt like I'd be lucky to make it home alive.

    In the UK there are 2.8 deaths per 100,000 on the road, in Australia it's 5.1.

  • payless69 on 08/09/2021 - 07:25

    Get a Plaid and waste less than 2 s of your life going from naught to 100!

  • Butt Scratcher on 08/09/2021 - 09:14
    +1

    Having access to faster cars most certainly is a terrible argument for why we should have higher speed limits… I would argue that it is the quite the opposite

  • GrimCheaper on 08/09/2021 - 11:16
    +2

    So now that we have cars that reduce cabin noise and feel smoother, we should thefore go faster? If your blaming your nice car is the problem, then get an old datsun or some other old hatch back if that will make you go the speed limits. Seems like a nonsensical argument. Speed limit isn't the max speed before your car feels uncomfortable for you, it's to reduce the damage your car does if you happen to hit someone else…

  • Trioboy on 08/09/2021 - 11:39

    We can only travel within a 5k radius from home though.

  • uSH4NKa on 08/09/2021 - 11:44
    +1

    Speed limits are fine the way they are. I don't believe our infrastructure is set up for higher speeds and more importantly people cannot be trusted to do the right thing by driving safe in the first place.

  • ireadtermsofuse on 08/09/2021 - 15:16
    +5

    You paid for the whole speedometer so you should use it

  • sunnyc on 08/09/2021 - 15:18
    +2

    Don't forget nowadays, ozbargain is filled with karens with their opinions which matches their skills.

  • nobro25 on 08/09/2021 - 15:42
    +2

    Australia doesn't care about bad driver's. Speed limit enforcement is 99% for the use of revenue raising. Accidents happen 99% of the time at low speeds, start stop, merging etc. Then there's that once a month speeder than crash and die due to excessive speeding. That's like 1 out of 15 million driver's a month.

    • askbargain on 08/09/2021 - 16:04

      You're not fooling anyone with those stats.

      • Soldier on 08/09/2021 - 18:06

        He had me there for 1/99th of a second.

  • Eeples on 08/09/2021 - 17:10

    A problem in Australia is that drivers drive at different speeds on any given road.

    If the speed limit were increased it would make it even worse.

  • Soldier on 08/09/2021 - 18:05
    +1

    Speed limits have nothing to do with how fast the cars can reach the limit, and everything to do with human reaction times, errors in judgement and distractions.
    Fix these and you’ll have faster speed limits,

    Remove these with a self driving eco system.

  • seefu on 08/09/2021 - 18:20
    +1

    I don't see the speed limits being increased again. I'm from the Northern Territory and until April 2007, we had open speed limits on the main highways, that meant there was no speed limit. Now they're capped at 130km/h and every couple years some areas get lower and lower. People just aren't used to driving at high speeds and when they do, they get too tense and it causes more likely fatal accidents.

    I'm used to driving 130 and whenever I see a (usually) interstate car on the highway in the 130 zone, their speed is all over the place for starters, they'll go 130 for a bit then they're not paying as much attention and their speed will drop to 100 and then they'll speed up. All over the course of 10km. Now spread that out to our monstrous driving distances up here, that causes mental fatigue because you're not used to the higher speed and will therefore more likely to cause an accident.

    I've spent a lot of time on these major highways because I used to have to drive 200km to get to work and now drive 300km. And the stuff I've seen happen (I work as emergency response) scares me and as much as I want our open speed limits back, I know it'll be a bad idea because not everyone is on the same page.

    We used to have supercar meets at Alice Springs from all around Australia because of our open speed limits, they want to see what their cars can do. Years ago, when we were trialling our open speed limits again, Porsche actually brought one of their concept cars to test on our highway to see how well it goes at speed in the dry, Australian heat.

    • [Deactivated] on 10/09/2021 - 12:54
      +1

      It's stupid they reintroduced speed limits, because they turned it into a political sticking point. When they first brought in the 130kmh speed limit, there was strong opposition to it, and they opened up selected highways as derestricted. In the trial period there were no fatalities at all on the derestricted areas, showing that speed doesn't kill. But limits were reintroduced anyway when the Libs lost the election. A political move in the face of overwhelming evidence.

  • DingoBilly on 08/09/2021 - 18:54
    +1

    You could go to the outback where 160km/h+ is easily doable with little to no risk to others.

    But makes sense otherwise. Lots of shit drivers on road.

  • achew on 08/09/2021 - 20:52
    -1

    Nah, We need more speed cameras & timed traps. Not enough people can manage their speed consistently, let alone their cruise control.

    100% driverless is what is needed, not 100% higher speeds

    achew
    'scuse me

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 08/09/2021 - 21:34
    +1

    Having driven in Europe between 130-190km/hr in above-average cars, I definitely understand why our 110km/hr speeds on A-grade highways and motorways are slow. For me, going about 140km/hr would be about the level I would be comfortable with, as cars can pull up in front of you plus going past 160km/hr feels a little bit unsteady especially if there is a slight change in wind direction. It might feel different or much stable in a dedicated sports car though where they might feel more planted to the road etc.

  • 91rs on 08/09/2021 - 21:47
    +2

    We are worlds behind in our driver training and education that is for sure. Seeing many foreign licenses as Australian "equals" is also where so many bad drivers come from.
    I'd not trust most people driving in Australia at higher speed limits, hell you can't trust most at 60-80kph.
    Covid lockdowns have made it much worse with people (in VIC) with so much time off the roads they're even worse on the road now.

  • misu p on 09/09/2021 - 09:52
    -1

    I believe we should have 200kmh everywhere + get rid of stop lights, a thing that is actually very possible if we get rid of all the stupid drivers (that means all the drivers btw…). I am hoping self driving cars come soon and we can relegate the "I know how to drive drivers everybody else is bad" to the racing track where they can kill each other without bothering anybody else.

  • superuser on 09/09/2021 - 11:02

    I understand the safety reason, but driving at night 70km/h with 1 or 2 cars on road is ridiculously slow and stupid.
    With my skill i push to 100km/h and got ping by undercover cop with no antenna, sad life.

  • Anone on 09/09/2021 - 11:23
    +1

    'I am speed' ~Lightning McQueen

  • cucumber on 09/09/2021 - 13:27
    +1

    What's the rush? Live a little slower.

  • Narull on 09/09/2021 - 13:47

    I feel OP has to be a troll, surely no one is dumb enough to think 'cars can go faster, so we should be using that speed', along with his comments on 'falling asleep at 30kmph' it's gotta be a troll…or maybe someone very insecure I guess.

    • tonyjzx on 18/09/2021 - 15:13
      -1

      yep. a lot of complete dumbasses starting topics. OP has the issue where he cant read the room. Australia and most of the western and developed world is moving towards less cars, less speed, less congestion and making city centres with less cars or no cars… moving towards EV and even a zero car situation.

      How does that jive with higher speeds? And in a covid world? Look at how Australia is moving towards lower speeds and there's no consultation with public AND the public is largely ok with lower speeds.

  • MeesusEff on 09/09/2021 - 18:36
    +2

    People in Aussie drive like f'n idiots. a completely STRAIGHT freeway has multiple crashes and accidents everyday. When I lived in SE Asia, I barely saw a single accident on the roads and people drive there with basically no regards for speed limits. People here get too uptight about cutting in, which causes most of the accidents/road rage, whereas over there its 'just do it but dont hit my car'. Yet you still see the 'asian driver' stereotype rolling around. So yes I do think we are behind, but with all the idiots on the road it can't go any higher.

  • deme on 11/09/2021 - 11:48

    They are too slow imho

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