New survey wants to know why Canberrans 'casually speed'

You know what’s more dangerous than going 5kms over??
Focusing on your Speedo so much instead of the road ahead!!

Andrew Gunn you are one of the offenders are you?

Because they casually foget to brake and give way too.

If you drop the speed limits even more there will be a sudden ‘epidemic’ of speeding when no one wants to do 30km/hr. Idiots.

We have great roads and highways and stupidly low speed limits try increasing speed limits by 20% see what happens
And teach drivers how to merge

You would think all those Greenies would know better. Waisting all that extra fuel and polluting more

Focusing on speed is an easy way of appearing to be doing something plus it generates vast revenue for the government. By describing speeding as dangerous and bad it actually is brilliant public relations because it means the public tolerate paying huge fines because they have been conditioned.
But the facts
Just look at the death toll from motor vehicle accidents and the number is not only very small and reducing but it’s actually concentrated in specific risk areas e.g. Monaro highway
Real crime ie crime where there’s an actual victim is not a focus e.g. rape theft violence etc etc because it’s harder to deal with etc etc
Now speeding can be extremely anti social e.g. near schools shops suburbs etc anywhere where there are other people and where the speeders actions can potentially impact on others.
But surely a bit of honesty and a real focus on real risks is what matters. Because at the end of the day the real aim of good public policy isn’t to rely on an enforcement culture but rather an educated community based approach. So the community self regulate their actions. They know what is socially unacceptable. And if you think what I am saying is unrealistic then consider that all countries do not at a community level think and operate in the same manner. In Germany for example speeding in towns and villages is socially completely unacceptable and people pretty much don’t speed. They also have a rigorous driver training and educative regime.
There are better approaches to consider based on actual facts.

And remember the key cause of deaths is dwarfed by Heart disease…
Perhaps the police should focus on Macdonalds and unhealthy food consumption…
“And you have upsized again with chips that’s another demerit”

Because we can 😀

Why don’t police actually enforce that right hand lane law ? , where muppets constantly drive at 10k under, with no intention of ever turning right 🤷‍♂️
They block up an entire highway and cause so much more danger than a 5-10km over driver ever would 😤#Revenue

Because speed limits on open roads ( 100k ) are too low for the modern car

Because in a number places in the ACT the limits are too low.

I find a lot of people do 10km under the speed limit in Canberra
Sunday drivers

I’ve driven 10km over the limit (80 and above) for 35 years. No accidents. I think that indicates that the speed limits are wrong.

In the ACT, we have speed limits of 20, 40, 50, 60, 80, 90, 100 and 110 Kph on different parts of different roads. Combined with poor signage, I’m often unsure what the speed limit is.

Maybe because traffic cops are rarely seen and general duties are so short staffed they go from job to job

Stop dropping the road limits. Go hard on penalties, remove cars, years not months suspension..

And yet the speed limit over commonwealth Ave bridge is 70klm and when you do 60 the sign says your gong too fast. Go figure

Kerry-anne Stafford Coz it takes like nearly 3 hours to get to your destination. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Civil and Traffic Engineers designed roads and nominated a safe maximum speed for the average driver under average conditions, including speedo error in the past (pre-2004). Novice drivers – slow down! Bad weather – slow down! Traffic congestion – slow down! However some uneducated authorities have set unrealistic speed limits, too high or too low. Also there are too many different speed limits and changes in limits close together, which confuse drivers, especially the elderly who learnt to drive with only 2 speed limits and a 10% discretion, (reportedly it is currently a flat 5kph) – not to mention GPS units that are not updated with each and every change.

They speed in Canberra because the police do not enforce the road rules. The constant running of red lights, not stopping at stop signs, you name it. Once the police start fining people then things might change but you never see them on the road pulling people over.

From my experience and most others I’ve spoken to, it’s fear and anxiety induced. People want to remain on time or gain additional time.. The government need to look at the current psycho social influences and understand why people today are comparatively stressed and socially disconnected more now, than at any other point in human history.

The only cars that speed b/w Canb & Syd are ACT Platers !!!! FACT

Why do people casually speed? Because unless its a school zone, going 55 in a 50 zone isnt really that dangerous. So many do it so its just tolerated behaviour. Most drivers dont actually care if someone is going 5 over.

What is actually alarming is when people speed 20-30kph over the limit, because the fines don’t match a ‘penalty’ or ‘punishment’ for higher-income earners. 1000 dollars is nothing if you’re on 200 grand a year. They want to stop people from speeding, scale fines based on incomes. Dont put low income earners into debts they cant pay, dont let high income earners off with warnings just because they own your childhood favorite supercar.

Little brains with big debts. 😵‍💫

Nope Canberrans are bad enough drivers as it is. This come from a born and bred Canberra. Literally 90percent of the when I go out driving when it rains there’s atleast one accident because for some reason people don’t know about friction and the lack of when the roads are wet….

More motor cycle police might terrify motorists as it did in my day

Because car Speedo’s are set 5kmph high by the manufacturers …..

Raise the speed limit.

Because the speed limits are too restrictive. The limits we have were set in a time when drum brakes and carburettors were the pinnacle of automotive technology. Now we have 4 wheel discs and abs allowing a car that is twice as heavy to stop in half the distance. Stop dropping speed limits to make ya tram seem faster than driving, stop letting busses go first off trafic lights because they just slow everyone else down.

Because they can get away with it, most of the time! There are never enough unmarked police cars patrolling our roads.

the speed limits are too conservative. Cars are much safer than they used to be but speed limits never go up, they only come down. I’m not talking about school or residential zones. i mean main roads that were 70, go to 60, were 80 go to 70, it’s just a nanny state move that increases revenue so that police can survive in a state where they are on a contract. You can’t get police to come investigate say, a burglary or a stalking offence, but they will happily sit on a street with a speed gun. it’s quite perverse.

When I’ve caught a Uber they always have speed. Complain to Uber and hear nothing!! mmm.

Yeah but who is liable when the software fails? There was that story of the navy seal who died cause his self driving car could not work out fog. So, he trains he sees combat and dies cause of a software glitch. Crazy !

The only reason there is such a focus on speed as a cause of accidents is that it is cheap and easy to measure.
Plenty of significantly more dangerous driving habits that aren’t mentioned or policed.
Driving tired, angry or otherwise distracted isn’t even illegal yet far more dangerous.

There’s a 60 zone on the Logan motorway because of a land slip that’s entirely off the shoulder not on the bitumen or road at all! Then they wonder why people ignore temporary roadwork speed limits.

Speed limits set too low.

Every k over is a thriller😘

Speeding still hasn’t killed anyone recently

Couple of questions for my own survey
1) is there any evidence that going 105 in a 100 zone is dangerous? Or increases any risk to the driver or anyone else on the road?
2) why is the speed limit being decreased in Canberra despite cars getting safer and Canberra having the lowest road toll in the country ? Eg why is the entire city now have the same speed as school zone despite being the primary arterial road. Does the government view city workers as children?

Please explain!! how if 2 cars are driving up a 2 lane highway side by side both travelling the speed 100kms …..how can the car in the right lane legally overtake the other car without increasing their speed ??

I drove down Northbourne a couple of days ago and there was a police van in front of everyone. Of course, everyone was sticking to the limit… except the van, it was speeding way ahead of everyone all the way down (but kept getting caught at red lights), including through the 40 zone in Civic. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Traffic seems to flow pretty well 🤷🏼‍♀️

Well when you have 40kms speed limits in the city, what do you expect. It’s ridiculous and unrealistic!

Canberra has great roads – the speed limits are wrong by 20kmh. I get they have to deal with worst case. But the worst is case is fog on the parkway or manaro hyw you need to slow down 20-30km below the posted speed limit, so it doesn’t work anyway

Cody Woods big question

I was told that there was a ten percent margin of error where the cops couldn’t prove that their equipment got an accurate reading closer than ten percent. Which is logic that has many flaws.

Canberra the worst road to drive. You always looking at the meter instead on the road. Fines are super high as well. Sometimes you drive by the flow of the traffic.

Easy answer, everyone in Canberra knows there are not enough cops to police it.

Actually these days seeing people only doing 5ks over is the rarity … everywhere I go they pass me doing far higher speeds .. and as for red lights … they appear to have become just an indication that perhaps you should speed up … maybe it has something to do with the fewer police that are seen on the roads these days

Police then should be giving fines to people that do 10 to 20 kms under the speed limit!

Double the fine and points.

Kit Delahunty saw this and thought of you

Modern cars, speed creeps up 😂

I agree transport infrastructure and vehicle technology has delivered safer dividends however, congestion, driver skill, training, patience, distractions (mobiles), foreigners not accustomed to our road culture all contribute to even more hazards than the good old days. Speed does compound the reaction problem and consequences. Having said that, love the 130km hwy limit up here!

Booking ANYONE for being 10km or less over the limit should be ILLEGAL. End of story.

Sometimes the speed limits seem less related to the road conditions than catching casual speeders.
Why is Drake Brockman Dr 60 kmph most of the way, when it should be 80?
Why is the 90kmph speed sign on William Hovell Dr before the Tuggeranong turnoff and not after? That corner is not suitable for 90kmph.
Why is Southern Cross Dr 60kmph when it is divided and there are no driveways?

Tonight on ABC News at 10 : Australians try to find more inventive ways to overgovern themselves…

This doesn’t make sense, all cars are not indicating the same speed. What nonsense is this?

Entitlement. It’s because the roads are huge and there are hardly any cars, so everyone thinks that they own the roads. It’s the same reason why Canberra is one of the must rubbish strewn messes of a city – all that green space people take for granted.

People don’t act like this when they can’t get away with it.

Well you might start by asking the police themselves. Who hasn’t seen them speeding with no emergency lights on. I was once overtaken by a camera van traveling to his next site, speeding!

Raise speed limits by 5 km/h.

I can’t decide if I love reading some of these ridiculous comments, or I’m frustrated at them. Picture a road network where humans are allowed to make their own decisions about their abilities and what speed is safe – save us all!!

Sort out the ridiculous low speed limits then you numptys.

Looking for justification to issue fines for going 1km over the speed limit

The Germans seem to have found a solution. No speed limit. No speeding. Obviously you need the appropriate limits for the situation.

Because the speed limit is to low

Because the speed limits are to low in some areas. Just a observation. 😳😳🍺👍

I reckon if you just drove to the conditions of the road and not the speed limit you would actually drive slower and better.

Canberra City Council is controlled by the Greens, who dont like motor cars though they all drive them.
Consequently they put stupidly low speed limits in to protect pedestrians with air plugs at high volume in ear and who choose to ignore pedestrian lights and walk straight under motor cars and trams.
Canberra roads would be a lot safer if pedestrians and cyclists were penalised for their behaviour.

Speeding in suburban areas needs to be Policed, but other speed limits need to be appropriate to the conditions. A road that was considered safe at 100km/h in the sixtees with cars with poor brakes and handling and no electronic safety features should not suddenly need a reduction to 80km/h speed limit to be “safe” in 2022!
Travelling down a good road at 110km/h should not be dangerous; the car could probably go twice that speed. The wheels don’t suddenly fall off and the car doesn’t suddenly veer off the road. It’s generally lack of driver concentration that causes the car to lose control, and then speed does become an issue. More needs to be done about distracted and incompetent drivers.
Another cause of accidents is speed differential. Just as doing 120km/h amongst traffic going 100km/h can cause crashes, so too can going 20 under the limit, or stopping at give way signs when there is no traffic.

In Comrade Dan Land the limit is 2kph

45 years ago we drove hr holdens etc, didn’t handle didn’t brake safe as riding a motorbike with no helmet, now we drive current model cars that are safer, handle, better tyres, brake properly , you only hav to breath on the accelerator to go 5kph faster, the roads are better hav same speed limits and less in some places, so going over the limit is not real hard

I wouldn’t class it as ‘casually speeding’. It’s like a drag strip on the Canberra Roads and very rarely a Traffic Cop in sight 🤦‍♀️

Best way to stop it is to raise the speed limit 🤷‍♂️

Because there are literally no Act police to enforce the speed limit!

You’d fall asleep other wise

because the speeds zones dont match the road’s design. eg Northbourne 40 zone (should be 60), barton highway into city (use to be 100 then changed to 80)

Because I’m focusing on the road?

Also a bit bs to sit at the bottom of the hill on horsepark drive, even when trying to stay on/below 80 it’s still difficult to sit on there and not hit at least 85 by accident.

If they are allowed to do 5kmh over the limit it then becomes 10 and so on. The limit is the limit and should never be exceeded. at At 60kmh, 5kmh over the limit, is actually 1.3m per sec, so if you feel that is going to help you get to your destination faster, you must also believe in fairies.

So these bannana bending experts are going to ask Canberrans who casually speed, why they casually speed, in order to assist the ACT Gov in stopping them from casually speeding?

Best of luck.

Roads are far too smooth….install engineered potholes, and half fill them with splash-mud….Canberrans don’t like dirt on their vehicles…..best form of traffic calming….easy….

I try to go the speed limit but drivers behind me work themselves up into a frustrated frenzy, unless a minimum of 10km over is achieved.

Coz it only takes 30 min to get from one side of the whole to the other.. of course people speed in Canberra. They are trying to get out quicker

Good income, good cars. We’re turning into a mini Europe no real reason, we can push German/French cars made for autobahns.

Should be a survey on why the hell Canberras sit in the right hand lane ignorantly at their own leisurely speed, unselfishly unaware of other cars. IF YOURE NOT OVERTAKING, YOU SHOULD NOY BE IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE. THATS ITS PURPOSE.

To be paying constant attention to your speedo means taking your attention off the road infront of you. It’s safer to look at your speedo less, keep attention on the road use your better judgement as to what speed is safe.

Maybe it’s not actually Canberrans? But the people who migrated here from everywhere else…

Lol queenslanders looking down on canberrans speeding, oh the irony, have these people ever driven around in Queensland.

Around 30 years ago I was leaving town when I noticed a police car make a 180 degree and pull back into traffic 2 vehicles behind me . I was travelling behind a line up of vehicles and watching the police car to see if there was any reason for the “U” turn . It just sat in the line up as I was , for around 20 km until I turned onto a side road . It was then that I was pulled over and accused of speeding . When I pointed out that was not possible because of my self and them being in the same line up of traffic for 20km these 2 young police got angry and threatened to smash one of the tail lights of my vehicle . I was not the only person in the car , so there was a witness to this . I just want people to realize that some stories are put on here in an attempt to subdue an already controlled working class population . Long weekend?

Speed limits were set many years ago when cars had drum brakes and crap tyres. We now have amazing safety features in cars and are told that driving at the same speed as we did in the past is now too fast.
The breaking distance of a modern car is much better than the cars when the speed limits were set. The logic of speed limits is highly questionable.

I think because most people rightly believe that thier vehicles speedo is out a few percent so driving at 84 is probably going to register as 80.

Casual speeding 5ks over? What garbage! Sounds like govt is trying to make it a problem so there won’t be a huge public backlash when fines are increased and enforcement tolerance is lowered to combat this heinous crime!

Increase the speed limits..

Because most Canberrans be like

Jordan Dale it’s a scary place 😳

Because in school we learnt things like 84 is closer to 80 than 90

Because the design speed of the road is much higher than the posted speed. Driving is a subconscious activity, so people will naturally drive to conditions.

Massive wide open two lane road with visibility for miles, and it’s posted at 80? Tellimhesdreamin.gif

Cause I have somewhere to be things to do and alot of Canberra’s do 10 to 20 km under the speed limit in the right Hand lane

Do what every other money hungry State government does and double the fines ‘in the interests of road safety’…

Probably cause the police presence is near non existent

Worst drivers in Australia…. too slow too fast cut corners tailgate….

Perhaps they should be looking at the degree to which overspending contributes to accidents.

How do people even get the chance to speed.. I’m forever stuck behind wingnuts doing well under

We may complain about the roads, but they are nice enough that it makes speeding easy.

Maybe because so many of the speed limits are set so low. Dual lane divided roads with limited to no intersections, entries or exits and the limit is 80?

Because there is zero enforcement of any road rules in ACT except for a few speed cameras

Because it’s easy

Survey link here for those interested

https://qsurvey.qut.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_2nvoPhCQRUsuqUe?fbclid=IwAR0Mkl8hv-xFzCivikG7EhdSEphtQ4NBDB68TsY6WUyX8RxWUTl8PIYsdzI

We don’t have enough police or mobile or fixed speed cameras.

New survey wants to know why ACT is a nanny state (territory)

If you sit on or under the speed limit the lights are set to stop you at every single set you see if your 5-10km over you can actually drive for more than a couple of hundred meters before stopping at another red light
Timings have changed aswell sit at lights a lot longer some upto 2 min wait then a 30 sec green light

Going down the VIC way (>3KPH=$$$$) to raise more revenue to pay for those white (red) elephants

That’s an easy one!
Not enough cops on our roads!
That is why they know they can get a way with it.
Barr has stripped the ACT Budget off all Departments for the white elephant light rail!

I want to know why Canberrans casually drive 10 kmph below the limit. I don’t mind safe drivers but its so common in the ACT.

How do they know if they need help catching them ?

Because the speed limit imposed are ridiculously low and dumb in certain areas.

Might be both interesting and related but did you know Canberra has higher rates of psychopaths drawn to positions they feel have power over another.
All that’s wrong with this world, the false illusion of having power OVER another. Power simply is. The weak direct it.

there is a tolerance that must be considered

Speed limits are generally slower than they were in the 80s, but roads are generally better (wider, straighter, double lanes etc) and car tech has improved significantly (disk brakes vs drum brakes, ABS, suspension and handling, not to mention the plethora of automatic aids to apply brakes and prevent collisions). Instead of the knee jerk response to reduce speed limits because everybody speeds, the speed limits should be increased in most areas (except obvious go slow areas such as school zones).

If you can not judge or read the speed you are travelling at, don’t drive. Speed signs are not hidden. There are circumstances for unforeseen speed increases, steep down hills, wind, emergency reaction, etc. on known and unknown roads. Usually speeding drivers are immature road users, egotistical, cranky or annoyed, overtaking , showoffs and then there are the ones who just can not be told or do not care.
Perhaps thou, it is also the constant changing speed limits, even between states and territories, let alone on city, rural and suburban roads.

It’s difficult to watch the Speedo and the road at the same time.Sometimes,very briefly,one might just exceed the limit.As long as you correct it it should be ok.

Maybe researchers should have a look at whether there’s a problem with being overly focused on enforcing ‘the rule’ rather than the safe driving intent behind the rules… Key indicator, the average distance between enforcement signs on Australian roads compared to like countries…

I don’t usually speed. I just don’t get why I would. Doesn’t make any difference.

I compensate for my speedo being a bit under (easy to check with GPS) and I use my cruise control on any stretch of road where I don’t have to slow down for bends pretty much.

I don’t particularly care that much if others speed in 80 and 100 zones. But I feel rage when they speed in 50 zones. I have been in a few situations over the years where I had to stomp on the brake for a kid running/riding out in front of my car in a residential area and felt so very relieved I wasn’t going any faster and could stop in time. That’s why those limits are what they are.

I had to write “not usually” because the one situation where I may ignore the speed limits is roadworks when there is no work going on and no risky road conditions (not covered in this survey). There are huge inconsistencies in how roadworks speed limits are managed.

Because 50 and 40 zones shouldn’t exist

The new cars and roads have all been built to an amazing standard compared to 15/20 yrs ago yet the speed limits continue to be going slower. The cars handle better brake way better yet we are being forced to go slower and be wrapped in even more bubble wrap.

The reason they do it is because most cops probably can’t be bothered pinging someone for 5Km/h over because they’re waiting for that 15 to 20Km/h over car to come along. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve driven past highway patrol cars hidden in the bush while doing 115 and they don’t even bat an eye. I’ve even had one follow me in to Sydney for about 10 minutes and they didn’t care.

Don’t tell them they will try and stop it

Why do we have 70 speed limits should be a standard 60 or 80 as this is how it’s been for ages. introducing other speeds in between only confuses drivers and helps the Police with collecting revenue

Canberran’s speeding? i must be the only one who gets stuck behind those numptys doing 10ks under everywhere

5? More like 15

Increase the limit by 5% on ACT roads but don’t change the signs 😉…

just lower the speed limit by 5 kph

Money well spent. Canberra, stop being casual. 🤣

Canberrans are personally offended by anyone who doesn’t speed, try doing 60 in a 60 zone in the right lane because you plan to turn right soon and you’ll know what I mean

Simple. Driving a tad over means you’re avoiding bunching up against other cars and trucks. Trucks are particularly dangerous to be sitting aside because if they blow a tyre, it’s curtains for you if that thing ends up going through your side or front windscreen. That’s one of reasons why most sensible countries have lower speed limits for trucks on freeways. Bunching is dangerous and it causes road rage. Besides, most car manufacturers deliberately lower their actual speed v indicated speedo speed by 5% which means the numbnut in the white Toyota Camry sitting in the outside, lane dead on what he thinks is the speed limit, is actually sitting on 95km/hr and is far more of a menace to society than the guy sitting just over the limit, trying to get away from him and the two trucks he’s sitting beside in perfect formation. FFS

Last week 3 radar units between Yass n Bookham, Tumut camera car 2am, arvo shift knock off, 5am day shift start and we have meth in plague proportions…..resources are focused on revenue gathering rather than crime prevention

Being a Canberran the speed limits are set way to low for the roads. It’s just for revenue

Inertia of the car – gradient, wind etc means car speed will naturally fluctuate. Keeping a strong focus on this will detract attention from your surroundings.

because everywhere is a 50 zone these days… that speed is so boring in some areas im surprised there isnt people falling a sleep or finding distractions

Someone actually thinks there should be no buffer really? Really? It’s far safer to watch the road than your Dam speedo

Whoever is proposing 30k an hour limits, please retire, 40 is a joke, 50 is acceptable, 60 is perfectly fine. No one has ever been hit in civic, but it’s 40 zones for no reason.

A bigger issue is why we don’t have smart traffic lights yet. I reckon speeding would be less if traffic lights had cameras scanning and changing the lights appropriately, imagine as you come up to a set of lights with no cars and it turns green as you approach rather then it being red while no other cars around and then suddenly when there’s a bunch of cars coming it turns red on them and then allows you through, quite literally buggering up the smooth flow of traffic? Honestly, this is one of those “amazing breakthroughs” that seems so logical to me that hasn’t happened yet. The technology has been here for years already… make it happen!

Risk assessment. Big long open roads..

But also EVERYONE in Canberra knows more than anyone else, including the people they pay to do chores. ‘Clear my leaves’ no not like that I could do it way better!!

You know that reducing the speed limit to silly levels doesn’t stop people from speeding, right… the people who are already speeding are MORE likely to go over the limit when the speed limit feels like you’re barely moving.

Having drivers staring continuously at their speedometer to ensure they don’t exceed the speed limit by a few K’s is way more dangerous than giving a small buffer zone so drivers can pay better attention to the road, other drivers, pedestrians etc. Therefore the big motive for this is REVENUE RAISING not about safety.

you can’t watch your speedo and the road at the same time so there has to be some margin. up to 5kph seems ok I suppose. I have installed HUD in my son’s car and it is fitted to my car – great idea.

I would go with money 💰 There so many other things they can focus on

Just put all the speed limits up by 10 easy w lmao

I think 10% above has always been the rumour. Because of the room for error in the technology when it first came out maybe? There is also the idea that some speed limits are too low. Speed limits only ever reduce while some roads could safely be driven on at 10-20kmph higher than the current limits. GDE as an example..

Why would we tell them why we casually speed if it will lead to a way to stop it?

to keep infront of the cops 🙂

Lack of traffic duty police officers

Brandon Zubek 2 fast 2 furious

If tens of thousands of people are speeding safely every day (and given the number of cars on the roads daily that speed and don’t crash), doesn’t it seem logical that the speed limits in place are deliberately lower than they should be?
Im assuming that it’s for one reason only; RAISING REVENUE!

It says if you do the survey you will go into the draw to win 1 of 10 $100 gift vouchers. How are they meant to announce winners/conduct a draw if it’s supposed to be done with strict confidentiality 🤨

Why the hell is William Hovel 80km/h???

cameras at all unexpected places, first 100kms and then 3 metres later it is 80 and then 3 metres later back to 100.

Because cops don’t care.

Because Canberrans are inconsiderate entitled crap drivers? I constantly drive to the conditions and stay within the speed limit and in doing that, get abused, tailgated or honked at on an almost daily basis. It’s fascinating stuff from a population with a relatively short driving time to get anywhere

I went to a public information session for the Gundaroo Dr duplication. I asked one of the engineers why the speed limit will be dropped from 80km/h to 60km/h once the road is widened and improved. He said there was no technical or safety reason; the ACT Govt had just asked for it.

The standard of driving these days has plummeted.

I have no idea, never got a speeding ticket for over 20 years… maybe I’m just patient and value safety?

This is already well understood. The Netherlands have been building the solution for decades. People drive to the perceived conditions. Not the speed limit. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

https://youtu.be/bglWCuCMSWc

New vehicle speedometers are set slow by 3-8km/h from factory, then people change wheels and tyres and b4 you know it there is your 5km speeding.
Years ago, you were allowed a 10% difference.

Due to the fact that the speed limit is ridiculously slow in some areas. The parkway can be 100 but the GDE isn’t?

It’s almost like the most highly educated population in the country, in a city designed around cars, are generally capable of making good decisions about what is a safe speed.

People love to rag on Canberra drivers, but having driven pretty much everywhere in this country, the overall standard is higher in Canberra than any of the other cities.

Increase the speed limits by 20km/h across the board with exception to school zones. And stop treating citizens like muppets. 99.9% of drivers know what is safe speed for their car and conditions of the day/hour. Arguing that the one only speed is safe for all cars, all conditions and all skill levels, and exceeding it by 5 km/h makes it unsafe is just nonsense. No wonder people ignore it.

Because competitive speeding has a much longer queue time and the teammates you get suck

Why do we causally speed? Obviously we want to get where ever we’re going faster!

How about stop stressing about a few imperceptible kms here and there, it doesn’t make for safer driving at all. If you are staring at the speedo, then you aren’t looking at the road. Even a few seconds looking down is many metres down the road. Stop pretending it’s about safety, we all know it’s not. How about a 20% tolerance, makes for more attentive, relaxed driving flow, and allowing for safer overtaking; while only catching those who really are speeding. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I think the tail gaiting is a bigger problem.

Also, put a speed camera in a roadworks zone and you’ll make a fortune.

Pretty obvious really, the speed limits are to low for the driving conditions.

Why tf should people be constantly looking down checking their speed to the nearest mm.. that’s safe as.. you get a feel for the speed limit on the road and stay within 5 to 10 of either side.. it’s really about money.. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Cos in the nanny state we have 80km zones that should be 90 or 100, and thanks to some nutbag we have 40km zones on key thoroughfares into the city.

So many cars speed in Canberra! They tailgate me when I’m driving at the speed limit, and then they aggressively overtake me and speed away really fast, at least 10 kph over the limit.

Bring on self driving cars I say. They will Auto negotiate safe distances and speeds between each other, not fight to be in front when merging etc.

Because it is OK…
All the spedos are set slow, so when you’re 5 over, your actually not.

Maybe because there’s never any cops around Canberra.

The most common comment Canberran drivers say “ where’s the cops when you need them” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I thought police had to give a 5 km/h buffer due to speedometer discrepancies?

Because people look out their windscreen, and drive at a safe and comfortable speed, rather than fixate on a number which is rounded down by a paper-pusher. Often if you increase a road with 80 where people do 88, to 100, they may only do 93 or 95, if they feel comfortable at that speed.

Because we can…
But why make cars that can go to 300km an hour ???
Just insane 🤔

Tell me how focusing on 5kmh speeding is doing more for safety than requiring regular basic roadworthies on ACT vehicles. Worn brakes, bald tyres and faulty brake lights are much more dangerous (but less lucrative to govt as they can’t just throw up another speed camera)

This is simple.

Street/Road design.

When you design a street/road to be forgiving to any driver inattention, think broad fields of view, dedicated right of way, wide lanes etc, people are going to drive to the conditions. If we have streets designed like a racetrack, are we so blind as to think people won’t drive like race car drivers?

Most car speedos are out by 5-7 km/h, all a bit nany state .

worry about tail gating before speeding. Oh, no profit for the PIGGY BANK in that.

To run away from the Police. You don’t need a survey for this.

To be fair if you aren’t using cruise control 5km over or up to 10 over is very easy without even noticing. This is 💯 percent revenue raising tactics.

Well good quality roads with low limits….. hmmm I have no issues with 40 and 60 zones. But some of the main roads have very low limits. The only way they’ll ever stop car accidents is to not have any one driving.

Great roads an cars in good shape

How about they research why SO many people feel entitled to run red lights.

More importantly, why is the ACT government so obsessed with a minor infraction?

The old 5km belief above the limit came from the days when grace was often given because mechanical speedometers traditionally underread by up to 5-10kph so even if you thought you were driving at 100 kph, you may have only been driving at, say, 95 kph. These days, speedometers are more accurate so grace is less likely to be given.

Increase the speed limit so we aren’t speeding

Because everyone everywhere casually speeds

as you blast by in the racecar or bike at 300kmhr 🤣

This government has a history of making life increasingly difficult for drivers. Upgrade the road and drop the speed limit.

The only exception is the excellent Majura Parkway, constructed with federal money.

Because every speeding fine doesn’t accompany a death, as the propaganda eludes to.

It’s all about revenue raising pure and simple

Yeah I think reducing a dual seperate lane highway from 100 to 80 for no apparent reason is odd. But then I noticed speed cameras on that very road quite often. So I don’t think it’s about safety

I’d rather driver’s attention was fixated on the road rather than their speedometer

Just wondering what the ACT government’s strategy is for the majority of casualty crashes that aren’t attributed to speeding? Nose to tail, failure to give way, etc.

If you want the public to take any measure seriously how about an annual report that analyses all contributing factors for all crashes. Not just cherry picking the few that raise revenue or are easy. And a mandatory 3-6 month driving ban for anyone who causes an accident would be a good start.

I dont mind if ppl speed ,I rearly do intentionally.
But when the hide or and not in plane view or aiming to get you going down steep hill, Thats intrapment!!!

Have you been on NSW roads? If you dont do 20km over they eat you for launch. And you guys are worried about 5km over?

Our modern cars are so much safer. Better brakes,airbags suspension tyres…..
the speed limits should be higher. ???!!?!

1. Good roads
2. Not enough mobile po po

There’s not many cops in Canberra. You rarely see them driving around.

Because speed is not the main reason we have road fatalities.

Because there’s no other cars on the road, most of the roads are straight lines, and people are in a hurry.

Probably because the roads were designed for a higher speed, and then this government keeps lowering the limit to accommodate cyclist.

If the speed limits were set to what is appropriate for a given road, they would be more respected.

The messaging from government is that speeding is the cause of all the accidents and if only everyone drove slowly then hardly any accidents would happen.

The reality is most people speed every single trip and they don’t have accidents. And that the accidents are usually caused by failure to give way or inattentiveness etc, which is far less of a focus of government intervention.

So we see demonstrated day in day out over decades that the messaging about speeding is inaccurate.

We see speed zones applied inconsistently. We see speed cameras set up and not decreasing accidents but generating revenue. We see positioning of speed cameras in areas not where the most accidents happen (because those aren’t from speeding usually, they’re from failure to give way) but in locations where conditions are ideal and speed limits are artificially lower than they are in other areas of Canberra or other roads Canberrans drive outside ACT.

We see the initiatives to curtail accidents almost always focussed around approaches that coincidentally generate revenue rather than cost revenue; so attitudes towards the government are that of mistrust based on what we see with our own eyes.

Some roads are set to lower speed limits merely to reduce the rate that cars arrive at a bottleneck. Rather than fixing the bottle neck the speed limits on the good stretches of the road are artificially lowered below what is safe just purely to avoid having to invest in upgrading the bottleneck. But yet this is not treated with honesty and people are still told that they are being dangerous when going 5kph over in a zone that could easily be 20-30kph faster and would be in an equivalent road at another location.

Overseas we see roads in Germany with vastly higher speed limits and lower accidents per distance travelled because rather than using it as a cash cow, resources are spent on improving the safety of the roads themselves. Drivers are then expected to use their own judgement and they do. So rather than having people with no skill in assessing risk on a continual basis as they drive, we are expected to switch off that part of our brain and match an exact speed as posted.

Speed limits are supposed to be just that, a limit. In the best ideal conditions you hit that limit and going faster is unsafe. We should then assess continually and slow down below the limit where conditions require. Instead we have limits that are actually based more closely on poorer conditions and drivers are not expected or trusted to think for themselves. This fosters a lack of confidence and ability that is more dangerous rather than less in those rarer circumstances where actual driving skill is required.

Because casually spending makes zero difference in your chances of a crash with factors such as inattention/ failure to leave enough space/ failure to observe and anticipate or impairment the real reasons.

Anyone that speeds is a self-important fool. They believe they are better than the rules set down to save lives and they flaunt that by putting other people at risk because of their sense of entitlement.

They’d be better off looking at Victorians

Because speed limits aren’t set to natural traffic flow speeds.

Always blame speed because you can be fined and thats revenue.

It’s because there aren’t any pigs ever on the roads. The ACT police are the worst in Australia.

The best feeling is spotting the copper early, backing off and knowing they aren’t getting any of your hard earned dollars 👌

So they think reducing the speed limit will reduce crashes. “Idiots”
Unless you are watching your speedo without looking at the road, a drivers speed will vary up and down below the posted limit. Even cruise control is not a help in sticking to a set limit.
Incorrect driver education, and not being taught how to drive a car correctly are the big factors in crashes.
We have serious training regimes for a lot of processes, but any incompetent can get a licence.

Several roads (e.g. Hindmarsh between O’Malley and Symonston) have a speed limit which is way too low for the road.
What are the chances of the government raising the limit to an appropriate speed? Buckley’s!

It’s because the speed limits are a joke

Because we don’t live in a police state like Qld. And before you jump to any conclusions, I was born breed and lived in Qld during The Joh years… let me tell you it sure was a police state. You will still get booked for 5 kms over up there…PS all speedometers vary so you need some leeway… 🫣 🤨🤣