130km/h limit

[Keepleft]

Tuition time, MP3:-

http://www2.securiteroutiere.gouv.fr...2006_07_06.mp3

[Copie]

Yeah wont happen on the eastern seaboard.

[Copie]

It will not ever happen on the East side of this country, if anything we are more likely to see it decrease.

[T3man]

Who'd 'av thought?

[Martys-Bionic-XR]

You for REALLL!!!111

[timothyds]

the 110 limit was introduced back when cars still has drum breaks and leaf springs, modern cars can go much faster with safety and this is a big land iv got things to do so the faster the better on the hwy. i do over 1000km per week mostly on the hume where its 2 lanes each way 130 is a great idea. its 2010 not 1975 cars are made to do this speed

[fangq]

Originally Posted by timothyds

the 110 limit was introduced back when cars still has drum breaks and leaf springs, modern cars can go much faster with safety and this is a big land iv got things to do so the faster the better on the hwy. i do over 1000km per week mostly on the hume where its 2 lanes each way 130 is a great idea. its 2010 not 1975 cars are made to do this speed

Some cars may do the speed, but the highways are built around the 100-110 km/hr limit. For example, some current on ramps are barely adequate to allow some drivers to get a head of steam up to a safe merging speed. I can imagine the chaos if the speed were upped to 130 km/hr in those circumstances. I would love to see interstate highways upgraded to handle those speeds, but the cost would be prohibitive in Australia.

Steve

[Scott]

Originally Posted by fangq

Some cars may do the speed, but the highways are built around the 100-110 km/hr limit.

But our freeways are built for +160km/h :eclipsee_

[GT290]

Originally Posted by fangq

Some cars may do the speed, but the highways are built around the 100-110 km/hr limit. For example, some current on ramps are barely adequate to allow some drivers to get a head of steam up to a safe merging speed. I can imagine the chaos if the speed were upped to 130 km/hr in those circumstances. I would love to see interstate highways upgraded to handle those speeds, but the cost would be prohibitive in Australia.

Steve

You maybe right in a very few cases but if you take a second to reflect and tell me how many people do you actually see on the free way traveling with an adiquate spacing between then and the car in front of them allowing on ramp traffic to blend in and then extending that distance to compensate the on ramp traffic. 99% of the time I would have to say no and so would you. I have been on plenty on ranps that accomodate the speed, its just hard to maintain it when some barsterd closes up and don't let you in.

[GT290]

Another example of the australian driver is on the Maroonda Hwy trafic signal intersection at the top of Lilydale where the lane goes fron two to one If everyone maintained an equal safe distance aprt from the car in front and the inside lane did the same instead of evryong rushing to the end of the dual lanes and comming to a stop, there would be no problem. I have seen it done wonderfully on the rarest of occasions but 90% of the time it is all bull at a gate and stuff you joe you ain't getting in front of me attitude. Its really bad in Victoria and getting worse, I thought Brisbane was bad but the last five years Ive seen it grow worse.
I am sure you all have seen this every bloody day and some of you probably guilty of the same said ********** attitude

[capri280]

if drivers moved to the centre lane when approching an on ramp that will give the cars entering the freeway room to merge, in stead i see here in qld drivers trying to stop merging traffic from entering.
like they might lose there spot in the trafic. :

[fangq]

Originally Posted by GT290

You maybe right in a very few cases but if you take a second to reflect and tell me how many people do you actually see on the free way traveling with an adiquate spacing between then and the car in front of them allowing on ramp traffic to blend in and then extending that distance to compensate the on ramp traffic. 99% of the time I would have to say no and so would you. I have been on plenty on ranps that accomodate the speed, its just hard to maintain it when some barsterd closes up and don't let you in.

I was referring to the engineering of roads, whilst your comment refers more to the driving ability / training of motorists. Having said that, I do agree that a lot of drivers have no idea of safe distance between vehicles and are pretty hopeless re the etiquette of merging. I have driven a lot in Italy and Switzerland, and the drivers there take a bit more responsibility re traffic flow.

Steve

[durtyharry]

Originally Posted by timothyds

the 110 limit was introduced back when cars still has drum breaks and leaf springs, modern cars can go much faster with safety and this is a big land iv got things to do so the faster the better on the hwy. i do over 1000km per week mostly on the hume where its 2 lanes each way 130 is a great idea. its 2010 not 1975 cars are made to do this speed

Why is there a desire to increase the limits so we have a standard of safety that is back to 1970s levels?

There is big difference between 130km/h and 110km/h. You do understand that stopping distance and max speed you can enter a corner depend on the speed squared? ie a car will take 40% more distance to stop from 130km/h than 110km/h, or will need 40% more grip from the tyres to go around a corner doing 130 rather than 110.
do you even know how many metres you need to stop the average falcon from 110km/h including driver reaction time?

Cars, tyres and roads have not improved that much in 30 years, certainly not the 40% needed for a 110 to 130km/h change, and the reaction time of the nut at the wheel certainly hasnt improved to cater for doing an extra 20km/h.

Not all cars on the road are 2010 models either, all of those hiace vans etc, they are certainly no better equipped than a mid 70s vehicle.

Just be content that you are driving well within the limits of your own vehicle and are enjoying a much higher level of safety than has ever been achieved before.

[max]

Originally Posted by durtyharry

Why is there a desire to increase the limits so we have a standard of safety that is back to 1970s levels?

There is big difference between 130km/h and 110km/h. You do understand that stopping distance and max speed you can enter a corner depend on the speed squared? ie a car will take 40% more distance to stop from 130km/h than 110km/h, or will need 40% more grip from the tyres to go around a corner doing 130 rather than 110.
do you even know how many metres you need to stop the average falcon from 110km/h including driver reaction time?

Cars, tyres and roads have not improved that much in 30 years, certainly not the 40% needed for a 110 to 130km/h change, and the reaction time of the nut at the wheel certainly hasnt improved to cater for doing an extra 20km/h.

Not all cars on the road are 2010 models either, all of those hiace vans etc, they are certainly no better equipped than a mid 70s vehicle.

Just be content that you are driving well within the limits of your own vehicle and are enjoying a much higher level of safety than has ever been achieved before.

Agree with your points. Also motorways and Autobahns in Europe generally have barriers in the middle. Helps prevent cars getting at each other. Speeds generally cracking 150 -160kph. It takes your breath away when you're cruising at 130kph and a Merc or BMW streaks past you! You won't see an old Hiace van trundling along at 70kph on these roads!

[kezzer]

Originally Posted by max

Agree with your points. Also motorways and Autobahns in Europe generally have barriers in the middle. Helps prevent cars getting at each other. Speeds generally cracking 150 -160kph. It takes your breath away when you're cruising at 130kph and a Merc or BMW streaks past you! You won't see an old Hiace van trundling along at 70kph on these roads!

You see alot actually, but they have the brains to do it in the slowest lane.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by durtyharry

Cars, tyres and roads have not improved that much in 30 years,

gee, when was the last time you drive an old car? :

i'd certainly prefer a much higher speed limit, yet no pollie i've ever seen has taken it to the polls... given the number of people ticketed for speeding, are we all a bunch of hypocrites?

[Keepleft]

Today Tonight Network 7, 21 Jan 10, just had a a bit of a stab at Sam Newman who's called for an increase in some speed limits (freeway et al) of 10km/h. Cited Geelong.

TT drag up the father of a young fella killed by a car in the city, he says the call in light of recent events is out of order etc.

Drag up an academic who pretty much states same.

Hopeless really.

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Today Tonight Network 7, 21 Jan 10, just had a a bit of a stab at Sam Newman who's called for an increase in some speed limits (freeway et al) of 10km/h. Cited Geelong.

TT drag up the father of a young fella killed by a car in the city, he says the call in light of recent events is out of order etc.

Drag up an academic who pretty much states same.

Hopeless really.

Twenty years the Geelong Rd looked nothing like the multi-lane billiard table it is now. Back then you used to have to sit on 120 km/h during commuting times just to keep up with the traffic. Apparently the traffic used to flow faster than that before then.

[durtyharry]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

Originally Posted by durtyharry
Cars, tyres and roads have not improved that much in 30 years, gee, when was the last time you drive an old car? :

i'd certainly prefer a much higher speed limit, yet no pollie i've ever seen has taken it to the polls... given the number of people ticketed for speeding, are we all a bunch of hypocrites?

Would help if you quoted all of what I said!, the "that much" I referred to was 40%.
Of course if you have info proving that the stopping and turning potential of cars has improved 40%(what is needed for a change from 110 to 130), then let's see it.
Perhaps look up the stopping dist for a 80 falcon from 100km/h compared to one of today, then look up the coefficient of friction between the average road and a family car tyre of 30 years ago and today and tell me if there is a 40% difference

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by durtyharry

Would help if you quoted all of what I said!, the "that much" I referred to was 40%.
Of course if you have info proving that the stopping and turning potential of cars has improved 40%(what is needed for a change from 110 to 130), then let's see it.
Perhaps look up the stopping dist for a 80 falcon from 100km/h compared to one of today, then look up the coefficient of friction between the average road and a family car tyre of 30 years ago and today and tell me if there is a 40% difference

Stopping distance for a 80's Falcon from 80 km/h is typically 0 to 10% more than a modern Falcon, but you have to be pretty naive to think that the only way of avoiding a crash is to come to a complete stop.

Cornering is not as simple as just the coefficient of friction for tyres, with so many other variables playing important roles such as suspension geometry and shock absorbers for instance. Even if we were to focus just on the coefficient of friction, you can't directly compare the coefficient of friction for a tyre from the 80's with a modern tyre, because the coefficient of friction varies with the vertical load placed on it, which in turn varies with things such as car weight, track width, centre of gravity height, spring rates, sway bar rates, cornering speed etc. Also the traditional physics model of friction does not apply all that well to tyres. This is evident when one compares grip levels with tyre widths. The standard model says tyre width should make no difference, but it is well known that wider tyres have more grip. Of course modern cars have wider tyre than those from the 80's....

You may get a better idea of modern cars cornering abilities in comparison to older cars from looking up the G-force results from American car magazines. I'm guessing a 10% improvement, but it is only a guess. Not that it really matters, because as long as the radius of the corner is a minimum of 18% greater than they were in the 80's it doesn't matter. Back in the 80's the majority of these roads had far far tighter turns than the same stretches of roads have now.

Besides, the biggest cause of accidents on rural roads (around 50%) is cars running off straight sections of roads and not being able to negotiate a straight piece of road has very little to do with coefficients of friction.

[Thornie]

Originally Posted by timothyds

the 110 limit was introduced back when cars still has drum breaks and leaf springs, modern cars can go much faster with safety and this is a big land iv got things to do so the faster the better on the hwy. i do over 1000km per week mostly on the hume where its 2 lanes each way 130 is a great idea. its 2010 not 1975 cars are made to do this speed

unfortunelty most of the roads in AUS are still 1975 quality.

[XR6_190]

Unfortunately, I think Fangq has hit the nail right on the head, The quality of our roads and infrastructure (especially in Victoria) is just not up to the standard, and if it were, the government would more than likely still use it as the excuse to not change it.

That said, I do believe that in a country as vast as ours, 110 is a ridiculous national speed limit. After all the majority of modern cars are now designed to cruise at 160km/h, so 130 or 140 is still a breeze.

[mrbaxr6t]

I support the idea but tbh I get stuck behind some jerk on onramps every other day they trundle down the onramp hitting the highway at 80kmh creating chaos as all the cars struggle for space both the ones backed up behind the jerk and the ones on the highway - please oh please why do people do this somebody please tell me.

[Gaz]

Originally Posted by mrbaxr6t

I support the idea but tbh I get stuck behind some jerk on onramps every other day they trundle down the onramp hitting the highway at 80kmh creating chaos as all the cars struggle for space both the ones backed up behind the jerk and the ones on the highway - please oh please why do people do this somebody please tell me.

Doesn't help when the speed limit change is just before the merge point, technically you can't go 100 before that point, car with decent power - no problem, foot down and doin 100, going by the law a gutless pos they need to accelerate to 100 and then merge. make the on ramp speed 100 so cars can be doing the limit when they merge.

[GT290]

Originally Posted by Gaz

Doesn't help when the speed limit change is just before the merge point, technically you can't go 100 before that point, car with decent power - no problem, foot down and doin 100, going by the law a gutless pos they need to accelerate to 100 and then merge. make the on ramp speed 100 so cars can be doing the limit when they merge.

Really it dosn't matter wether you can get to the speed 100 per cent but certainly by the time you get to the free way point you should be then in a position to be on the increase given the freeway traffic allow you to merge. You do however, see more often than not break lights. People having to break hard while merging?

[GT290]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Tuition time, MP3:-

http://www2.securiteroutiere.gouv.fr...2006_07_06.mp3

Mate you have pulled something out of the bag that I have experianced first hand. They actually do drive responibly and with consideration for other road users. Of course there is the exception to the rule there too with th odd nut or rude bugger but on the whole pretty good I reckon.

[XBROO]

I don't get it I thought it was the law now to give way to merging traffic, unless they have a give way sign.

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by XBROO

I don't get it I thought it was the law now to give way to merging traffic, unless they have a give way sign.

Only when there is no lines on the road. If there is a broken line, then the person merging still has to give way. I checked this with a family member in the SA police a couple of years back.

[cosmo20btt]

It would be ideal to have the outside lane for merging up to 100kph & have the inside lane next to the island up to 130kph, but I think it would be too complex for some drivers.

[MAD]

If people were taught to understand limits during early driving stages, then they would realise that it is a 'limit' and if they dont feel their car is up to it, they dont have to travel that fast.... just keep left you bastards!

The average age of a car, in 2007, was 9.7yrs. So today that would be a 2000 model. All the good features were well and truly making their way into cars then.