It's Time To Rethink Freeway Driving In Australia

Tailgating impatient dicks in their hotted-up wankmobiles, car loads of teenage bogans, drink drivers, ice and meth heads, steroid-stuffed agro gym junkies and other angry people, all with a licence to drive as fast as they want to on the same road as me and mine...no thanks. It's bad enough while they feel at least somewhat restrained by a limit. That's the problem, too many loose cannons in this country. And loose stock and wildlife.

I doubt the high number of road fatalities here happen because no one was driving fast enough. I'm up for an increase in speed in some areas, that 100+ km dead straight stretch south of Carnarvon comes to mind, but not an all out limitless speed. Trying to judge the speed of an oncoming car in the distance that could be doing anything between 100 and 300 km when I want to overtake a road train...not into that at all. So that leaves even upping the limit to upping it to something everyone should be doing, not just those who want to. Which is why 110 works I guess.

If you're that hell bent on driving fast either move to Germany or take up racing, on a track. Check out this pair of knobheads:

Average German Driver:




Average Aussie driver:

Yes, I do agree that good to great roads will make driving faster possible and safer. New cars also have new safety features that will cocoon drivers from a major accident, possibly avoid catastrophic injuries that may render the driver a life on wheelchair. So car manufacturers spruik their new wares with features that require a good brain to memorise all of them. ABS, KDSS, HDC...the list goes on. All these extra features are suppose to make you a better driver.

Not only are there safety features that will give us a sleepless night trying to remember them all, but these cars go faster as well. So we can go faster, but have no fear, we can also stop quicker. In an event of a nasty collision, we have designed collapsible front, re-inforced side impact zone if you have a roll-over, and enough airbags to suffocate you ! Yes, safer, faster, more controller. But there is one factor we failed to take into account, and it is the fact that we humans do not evolve fast enough to take advantage of all these features.

Carantoc mentioned that if 140 is too fast in my opinion, why then 110 isn't ? Well, like Ian_K explained, going that extra 30 means your net reaction time is reduced to the point that you are at risk of losing control. We humans are not equal. Racing drivers can zip along in 230 in a circuit I wouldn't dare on 80 ! Yes, they do have better cars. But I would suggest they are just different in terms of reaction time, reflexes, abilities, and of course, training. Another example is fighter pilots. They are a league on their own in terms of reflexes, hand-eye co-ordination, and definitely, NERVES

110 or 140, that is the question. I reckon 110 is possibly low for some good drivers. May be 140 is about right for them. But may I speculate that many of us believed we are the best drivers. Ask those boy racers in the souped up RX's. If you are to raise it to 140, what is stopping them to do 160 or even more ? That is how we are, We want to buck the systems and rules because we are different.

In a nutshell, I believe 110 is a compromise. Too slow for some good drivers, but fast enough to get you from A to B in one piece. Ultimately, human evolution and better techonology still can't beat the law of physics. Action and reaction are equal and opposite

All fair enough, but as usual, in Australia we make laws for the lowest common denominator or the rare case where people chose to drive old cars - instead of making laws coolly, rationally and democratically for everybody.

In Europe, they make laws for everybody and don't treat all the good drivers like criminals in waiting.

I think the real problem in Australia is our backward parochial and smart arse "we know better then everyone else" approach that comes from being too isolated and too irrelevant in the world.

I said "It's Time To Have A Rethink".

It seems even that concept is too hard for some to contemplate.

Exactly. Doing 50km/h in a densely populated area with pedestrians, pets, bicycles and parked cars about is far more dangerous to human safety than a modern car doing 130km/h on a virtually straight rural freeway with not a soul about.

It's not even worth doing an assessment to prove. It's common sense.

So all these countries are wrong and as per usual, a backward, parochial smart arse country like Australia is right?

So typical. No wonder no one takes notice of much that goes on here.

France - 130km/h
Austria - 130km/h
Bulgaria - 140km/h
Denmark - 130km/h
Italy - 150km/h
The Netherlands - 130km/h
Poland - 140km/h
Germany - Unlimited, on selected roads*

Australia - 110km/h since 1974.
That's ridiculous to have the same freeway speed limit since 1974 when everything, including driver testing and public awareness of safe driving has changed.

I mean far out, 99% of everyday stock cars had drum brakes, no ABS, weighed tonnes, no airbags, no crumple zones, no collision avoidance systems and had awful suspension and steering systems.

What ended up happening in NT when they removed the de-restricted speed zones? Did they do a backflip when accident stats didn't change?

I lived in the UK for 8 years, drove all around Europe (and the US). Not 1 single speeding ticket.

Around town I stuck to the limits, on the A & M roads it was 85mph, set cruise.

Weekly for 12 months I would drive from Oxford – Leeds (175mi/281km) Motorway speed limit is 70mph (112kph) Apart from when traffic built up, my cruise was set at 85mph (136kph). Police did not bother you unless you went over 90 (144kph), but do 35 in a 30 zone and you’re nicked!

The worst run in I had with the police was when a cop manning a roadside speed trap (laser) gave me the “back it off a bit” wave – while I was sitting on 100mph on an almost empty M40 – I dropped to 85 (still 25kph over the limit) and he waved me on. Here, I would’ve been cuffed, lost my car and made the papers.


Coming home, it is so arse about here.
Even though the law exists that strictly prohibits it – I’ve never heard of anyone, anecdotally or otherwise, being fined or even cautioned for driving in the right hand lane.

Speed humps in 50 zones so you have to drive over them at 30 – all because a few dicks speed on that street, everyone is punished.

The never ending changes to speed limits. In most of Europe there is a sign to signify town limits – that’s the start of the town speed limit (50kph). None of this 110, 100, 90, 70 50 bull**** for 5km each side of town.

Signage in general in Oz is piss poor – and you get fined for it. Workers leaving signs up (just this weekend a 40 sign was left up in an 80 zone), putting up the restriction sign but no sign afterwards (by law you would have to do the posted speed for the roadworks until you pass another sign stating the limit – that could be miles down the road)

Local town near here has a 60 zone coming in one side and meets with a 50 zone at a t junction – depending on which way you drove into town you would be doing a different speed.



When the 60kph zones were dropped to 50kph, we were told it was to align us with Europe – so where are the 130kph zones?

Its not the extra 65 seconds... its the completely adhoc and often contradictory messages we get given.

If the state of that road is so bad... why isn't it fixed OR yes, set the speed limit to 85!

You cant have the Govt, police RAC etc carry on about speed speed speed yet do nothing really to fix the bigger issues.

Speed is a factor, not a cause in and of itself.


The local freeway is 100kph with slips and flyover junctions, you can take one of those junctions and drive straight onto a 110 zone poxy narrow side road.
What message is sent here?? We can trust you to drive on this ** road at 110 but not on this new freeway at 110?


Its one of my pet peeves and why I've not commented until now 'cause it just gets me wound up.


UWA just put out a report on how we are being distracted by watching the speedo rather than what's happening outside.



D*ckhead will be d*ckheads - get them off the roads (none of this E plate bull** either) and let the rest of us drive with some degree of sensibility.
How many times do we hear about the guy that lost his licence and is involved in another pissy or speedy accident - only to get another 12 months added to his loss of licence (like it stopped him last time). Bang him up!!



Why when the question of changing the speed limit is asked do you get howled down?
Why cant the bar be set for driving so we don't have to take into account the lowest denominator?


We seem happy to accept the risks of letting pretty much anyone behind the wheel at the current speeds. Why is that?