Decicrate
Member
Maybe, just maybe the powers to be may actually make a good descision when it comes to speed limits on some of our roads, I am not holding my breath though.
Queensland speed limits could be raised Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Queensland speed limits could be raised Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Gold Coast News said:THE top speed on Queensland roads could be lifted above 110km/h in the first major review of speed limits in nearly 20 years, and the Gold Coast's M1 could be among them.
Transport Minister Scott Emerson wants motorists to have their say on what the speed limits should be as part of a strategy to improve road safety and tackle the rising road toll.
He said he would consider raising limits where a clear need was identified and it was safe to do so.
"There is research out there which shows if you don't have the appropriate speed limit for the quality of the road, there is a tendency for people to break the law," Mr Emerson said.
"But it's not a case of `look, everybody's speeding on this road so we should raise the limit', because the road may not be suitable for that speed."
But the minister warned that just as many limits were likely to be lowered.
"That was the experience when they did this in NSW," Mr Emerson said.
"In that case, the 100 roads they did I think roughly about 20 per cent went slower, 20 per cent went faster and 60 per cent were unchanged."
Only the Northern Territory allows motorists to drive above 110km/h.
The Arnhem, Stuart, Barkley and Victoria highways are all signed at a speed limit of 130km/h after being reduced from open zones in 2007.
Last year the LNP's Thuringowa State Electorate Council called on the Government to increase limits in Queensland to 130km/h on open roads where possible.
But the Older Drivers Safety Advisory Committee urged lower speed limits to suit the growing number of seniors on the roads.
Professor Barry Watson, from the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland, said the state's roads were not good enough to cope with higher speeds.
"We know from overseas research that typically when you increase speed limits crashes do go up, so it could only be considered in cases where the roads are of a very high quality," he said.
Paul Turner from peak motoring body RACQ said the M1 was about the only road for which a higher speed limit could be considered.
"The number one priority has to be safety," he said.
He welcomed the announcement of the review which will be coupled with other road safety initiatives announced previously, including funding for more mobile speed camera hours.
"The only time we worry about governments changing speed limits is if they're using it to cover for poor road quality," Mr Turner said.
"Sometimes they would rather lower the speed limit than fix the road but in this case we're very happy there's a review being undertaken."
A final decision on speed limits on 100 sections of road will be made by mid-2014, following public consultation and expert advice.