NT Speed Restrictions

Welcome to the REAL world - now (more or less) in line with the rest of OZ. Sorry that you seem so bitter at the prospect of increased road safety.

ski

Cosidering the NT has the worst accident statistics in Australia it had to be on the way sooner or later. 1 death every week , 9 serious injuries.

In my opinion 130 kph is fast enough considering the hazards on the roads.

Cattle , kangeroos , grey nomads with their vans , road trains , drunks .

I know I definitley would not like to have some idiot on the wrong side of the road or out of control at 180 kph coming head on at me. No room for taking evassive action at those speeds.

I always seem to overtake the " fast " drivers at the next fuel station any way , so I dont think they are saving that much time : )

If it saves innocent lives its a good thing.

I don't mind drivers going fast, I used to do plenty of it myself, but I object to the "get out of my way" attitude some of them have.
There's plenty of other hazards on the roads as well to take into account when travelling at very high speeds on roads open to wandering beasts.
Unlike European roads they're not fenced and I hate think of the cost to the taxpayer to do that just for the small number of drivers out to prove something. There's enough animals flattened at much lower speeds with big damage to vehicles and casualties to occupants and sometimes other drivers.
And us poor old grey nomads wandering along will try not to get in your way as you race to whereever you're going so fast!
Anyway, if you're a competent driver we shouldn't impede your progress at all.
Alan.

People have trouble handling vehicles at 100-110km/hr let along the crazy speeds some drivers travel at. To be honest there wouldn't be too many drivers out there that can handle a vehicle at 180km/hr plus, well I know I wouldn't have those skills and I have 20years driving experience. These speeds only have one place and that is a race track. Far enough risk your own life but it's the person you possibly take with you in another vehicle. I personally think it is good to see the speed reduced.....

I can't see anything bad with demerit points, cracking down on drink driving or speeding though towns. But the speed limit on the Stuart Highway is wrong i think. Over long, straight, boring drives in a good car in daylight 130 kmh can be very safe and drivers shouldn't get fined for doing 140 kmh for example. Even in a base model commodore it's fairly safe to cruise at 140-150 kmh if due care is taken.

I'm still not convinced that reducing that speed limit will do much to lower the road toll. A recommended speed limit would be better, surely. Would cover the government's hides but still let drivers go at a speed they think is safe.

Barnesy

People who are used to having a speed restrictions everywhere may think that an open speed limit means you have to put your foot down and drive at a speed dangerous to yourself and others, but that's not right.
To most Territorians it is no novelty to have an open speed limit and drive accordingly.
The sort of idiots that do drive above their capability are the same peanuts that will drive at 180km+ wether there is a speed restriction or not.
Having an open speed limit simply means people are allowed to drive at a speed comfortable for them, remember a thing called responsibility?, as long as we are continuously told what to do and not allowed to show some common-sense people will forget how to use it.
You cant drive at whatever speed you like, the police can and will still book you on open roads for speeding dangerously, driving without due care, reckless driving and anything else the would like to throw at you to slow down.

Cheers

A lot of drivers I see in Perth and country regions would be unsafe at any speed and are just the ones who think they have to drive at or above the limit at all times.
As I said previously I'm not against speed as such, it's where it's done, how it's done and by whom that worries me.
Unrestricted roads would be tantamount to giving them a licence to kill.
If they're not brain dead many drivers seem to have been drinking/smoking/injecting something highly illegal.
Don't expect pollies to do in-depth research into the real cause of most road deaths, the mantra dreamed up by some obscure university in SA "Speed kills' is all they have to chant and many voters think they're actually doing something good.
Happy travels and if you come up behind, me please exercise some roadcraft and pass safely as us doddering old grey nomads may be asleep behind the wheel.
Alan H.

As 120 kph max man on a real good road, can someone tell me how you get out of a blow out at 160 plus kph.
Had plenty of blow outs at 100, hit plenty of roos at same speed and survived.
Maybe speed reduction is a good thing.

Howard T

If BFGs are crappy then I am using them. I know the raods I travel on are.
Still wouldnt like to blow out at 160 plus.
Cheers
Howard.

Sure, lots of drivers do more than the speed limit and will continue to do so. The problem with having no limit is that it gives no guidelines and too many assume it will be OK and get themselves (and more sadly- someone else) into trouble. Incidentally Hairy, I don't ever recall tourists complaining about NT roads, they tend to like the bush road feel and don't want to see everything hardtop. And yes, Territorians pay taxes, and yes, the Territory is subsidized by the rest of Oz, but that's still a hell of a lot of road that has to be paid for with low traffic density. It's a question of how much tax everyone is prepared to pay. Or would you prefer toll roads, like most of the Euro superhighways? My point was that beep big holes appear in NT road at very short notice. They aren't the same sort of conditions that autobahn drivers enjoy for their superspeed roads.

Well I for one whole heartedly, loudly and proudly agree with Hairy on this one.

Yet another case of petulant dweebs ruining our country with further incessant interferance and governmental overregulation. I'm fed up to the back teeth with nancy do gooders and wowsers - you can can all go piss up rope for all I care.

Whoever is the opposition party up there should take her on at the next election - single issue agenda. I liked to look on the NT as the last bastion of the 'real' Australia left. The rest of us southerner's seem to be steadily and relentlessly manipulated into a bunch of beige, humourless, latte sipping, spineless fags and the so called populist view of our 'national identity' is a load of old codswollop nowadays.

30 years ago we at least had some form of national identity - it mightn't have been sophiticated but at least we had one. Every last drop of individuality is being rung out of us. This is yet another example and it's being applauded.

Baaa...baaaaa......baaaaaa....baaaaa

Having driven in the Territory many times I have found that most vehicles rarely exceed 120k's so 130 seems logical.
As for those who are complaining wellllllll SO WHAT it's the govt that's doing it YOUR reps. So harrass them if you do not agree.
Move to NSW if you want laws upon laws to harrass you.
Me I drive 95k with the van and 100 without otherwise there is a big fuel penalty.
Yep I'm a grey nomad and proud of it, but if someone wants to drive faster than me well so be it, it's his problem as long as they do not endanger others.

Bugger!!!!

I fondly recall doing a constant 200kmh between Darwin and the Alice.

But that was some years ago. These days I might not even manage 90kmh..Times change.

Change is always in the wind. Before Cyclone Tracy, Darwin was such a relaxed place. By 1980 some new chums were wearing ties in the heat and I could see the southern culture creeping in to the Wild North.

Tis a pity.

My speed limit is 100 km/h because I like living, and can't afford the fuel to go faster, so I don't give a hoot what the limit is or isn't on the open road. If eveyone else wants to go faster, go for it - the cemetery isn't full yet.

Re demerit points, I thought you only got demerit points for breaking the law. So, don't break the law - geez that was hard to work out!!!

BTW the speed limit on the road from Erldunda to Uluru has been 100 km/h for years, so this is nothing new for NT.

Cheers
John

Ok..Ok.. I know when I'm beet!!!!
Maybe a lot of you are right, we should standardise all rules, after all we all much prefer living in the cities where there is a rule for everthing. Im starting to feel deprived, Its about time the NT bitumised all the roads, grew lawns in the campgrounds and made them all powered sites, toll gates on the highways and if anything survives after after we clear all the land...kill it!
Besides look at the news it all works really well down their everyone gets along great.
Also its so confusing when I go interstate, trying to work out the opening hours of pubs and things...what a head ache!
Yeh... now thats something you Eastern States need to get up to speed with, your Liquor laws need to be changed to the same hours as us.
Cask wine can only be purchased between 6.00pm and 9.00pm and and no more than 1 per day no takeaways at all till after 2.00pm and shut the bottlos at 9.00, make Sydney and Melbourne Dry towns altogether like us.

Sound great Hey
Cheers

the only open speed limit is on the Stuart Hwy which is a wide sealed straight road which is capable of handling high speeds, and there are very few drivers that drive at the speeds which are dangerous as there are many reasons why tey cant, heat and fuel stops are the main reason. Fatal accidents in the NT and QLD can be taken out of text as one accident can have many casualtys due to the amount of people in the vehicle. You will find not many people travel over 130 ks so it wont make any difference. Col

Speed does not kill ... lack of driver education DOES !!! People driving at 70-80kph in a 100kph zone is more dangerous to other drivers than a driver doing 130kph on the stuart. Allso the Nt has a far less road toll than say sidney. go figure .

Hello All,

Plenty of debate on this topic. I live in the NT & disagree with the NT government on these so called life saving initiatives & yes I will be voting my protest at the next election. From my observations fixed speed limits, red light cameras & the dreaded double demerit points/fines during holiday periods don't seem to reduce the road tolls outside the NT.

Education may have some impact but we will not find out as the only changes that will be brought in up here are the revenue raising variety, if the NT government were serious about road safety there would be funding for education & training.
During road safety awareness week not $1 was allocated to motorcycle awareness???

As previously mentioned the stats do incorporate all road deaths including pedestrians, not really indicative of speed related crashes. Alcohol, lack of seatbelts & single vehicle roll overs are where most are killed. I think also that mobile phones are going to factor in a lot more accidents unless something is done about policing their use (there's a point Clare you have missed a few dollars with that one, next week perhaps).

In summary for the most part people operate their vehicles safely & responsibly but there are a few groups that need to be educated, the stats speak for themselves.

Off Soapbox now.

See Ya

Brian B (NT)

The reason for much of the raod rules, and enforcement of them, in this country has nothing to do with safety. It is all about revenue raising.

I had my photo taken by a camera a few nights ago here in perth. Camera at the bottom of a hill on a 4 lane, divided streach of road. I try and abide by the law, no matter how redicoulous but on this occasion I rolled a little over the limit and 'Flash'

Lots of places around where speed is unsafe, but people don't speed there, and so not as much revenue, so why put camera there.

Most accidents are idots at high speed in unsafe areas, drink and no seat belts.