Thanks RiotACT! (Road signage compliance win)

So what happens if the signage is misleading? Surely the government cannot say the speed limit is 80 and then fine you because the limit is 60.

Failure of a sign to comply with an Aust Std will NOT give you a defence to a strict liability offence, such as speeding.

However, if you could prove that the sign did not comply with an AS and it contributed to you causing an accident (eg: it didnt properly warn of an upcoming danger, such as a crossing, it meant you were travelling too fast for the road etc) then it is entirely possible (note the ‘possible’) that the ACT will be found to be negligent to some extent and thus partly responsible for the accident in terms of payment of damages. Probably minimally – 15% or so – but there have been cases in other states, particularly involving dirt roads, where there were severe accidents due to people not realising the road changed to a single lane or there was a steep curve because of poor signage.

KeenGolfer said :

steveu said :

Great work!!!! I guess the number of cases lost in court – or reappearing in court may have been incentive enough for them to take notice!
Outstanding!

Your guess is just that, a guess, and one that’s completely incorrect. Traffic offences (such as speeding) are mostly strict liability. That means you just because you didn’t know the speed limit on that road or didn’t mean to break the speed limit is no defence. There are potential defences but a crooked sign or similar is not one of them.

That doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to taking a matter to court. If you get a TIN, regardless of what it is for, your entitled to take the matter to court. Wether your successful or not comes down to the point you made above (ie ignorence is no excuss), but the initial court appearance will still happen just by telling the officer of your intentions.

steveu said :

Great work!!!! I guess the number of cases lost in court – or reappearing in court may have been incentive enough for them to take notice!
Outstanding!

Your guess is just that, a guess, and one that’s completely incorrect. Traffic offences (such as speeding) are mostly strict liability. That means you just because you didn’t know the speed limit on that road or didn’t mean to break the speed limit is no defence. There are potential defences but a crooked sign or similar is not one of them.

Incidentally, has anyone seen the new 40 signs in the Woden Town Centre? It boggles my mind that they’ve somehow managed to place both of the signs on the southern part of Corinna St in the only two places where they’d be partially obscured by tree branches!

2620watcher said :

I’d like to know why Canberra airport’s big green signs above Pialligo ave are in their ‘corporate’ font, rather than the normal font used on these big signs?

Does it mean that if I pay for the sign I can choose the font? Wingdings here I come!

Take a look when you next drive past.

I’d go with Comic Sans, myself.

Does the review include the distance speed signs are placed after turning onto an adjoinging street? I find I have little time to notice the speed signs (which are often only 10m or less into the start of street), when I am busy watching other traffic, pedestrians and landmarks, checking my rear view mirror.

Mozzie said :

Thanks Sgt.Bungers. The speed signs in the ACT give me the %@#$s

But why stop at speed signs. Road signs in general and especially especially the recent ones are terrible in the ACT.

The sign you were standing in front of in the Canberra Times is an excellent example. It has 10 lines of information that drivers must distill as they drive past. The most prominent information is the directions for the Gorman Arts Centre (whatever that is). The Casino and Convention Centre which are arguably far more important are half the size.

Then there is the farcical signage at the Glenloch Interchange, which I’m pretty sure featured on Riot Act recently…. It’s like making signs in the ACT has been delegated to 8 year olds.

Surely there is some Australian standard for other signage that the government could follow as best practice instead of wasting taxpayer money on confusing people as they currently do.

Interesting you mention Glenlock, has anyone notice the exit sign for the Tuggeranong Parkway when heading east on William Hovell? The last sign before the exit says the exit is 500m away, when in reality the start of the exit is actually just around the corner, which is closer to 250m. I would also imagine the one further towards Belconnen that says 1km is probably closer to 700m too. I also would have though considering the fact the exit is right after a semi blind bend going under a bridge the exit sign would have been more geographically correct (they just show a straight line with exit vering off at about 60′)

BTW SGT good onya for taking a stand and I hope you ignored the fxxxwhits whining about you, to me they are the ones that need to get a life.

Great work!!!! I guess the number of cases lost in court – or reappearing in court may have been incentive enough for them to take notice!
Outstanding!

Stop signs in canberra – it’s like they have a quota of give-way signs to randomly replace with stop signs. Case in point, corner of Burke Cres and Leichardt St Kingston. There are also give way signs which really should be stop signs, eg: intersection of Melbourne Ave and Tennyson.

The sign leading up to the airport on pialligo ave. Why is the airport sign so small? http://anony.ws/di-AAM6.jpg