Speed signs on Hwys, Got to be a better way?

Submitted: Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 20:37
ThreadID: 96604 Views:2695 Replies:11 FollowUps:5
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Getting ridiculous in parts of NSW with , With a different speed limit every 100mtrs in built up areas, To one every now and then on some major hwys, its easy to forget what your suposed to be travelling at when theres a few scattered signs over a fair distance,.. i reckon the outside line on highways should be painted a different colour for each speed limit, with a easy to see marker when it starts, at least at a glance you could see where your at.


Cheers Axle.

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Reply By: Rockape - Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 21:08

Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 21:08
Axle,
that isn't the answer as that line is a fog line so you can follow it in low light.

Better still fit the vehicle with a GPS controlled cattle prob. That will get your attention.
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Follow Up By: Member - Bruce C (NSW) - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:24

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:24
Hi Rockape,
I agree with Axle re the intermitent nature of speed restriction signs and their frequency, especially along the Pacific Highway between Sydney and Coffs Harbour.

Also, with the several wet seasons we have experienced over these last several years many signs have become obscured by vegetation.

Very often when travelling along I will ask the wife what was the last speed sign you saw. I do not know why I miss them sometimes but it is something to do with the environment in my opinion. Perhaps too many signs and therefore you become imune to them to some extent. That's the best reason I have been able to come up with when analysing it.

A change in line colour would be an ideal way of quickly assessing what speed you should be doing. As the speed applies in both directions on ant given stretch of highway it is easily read by traffic travelling in either direction.

It could be applied to the broken centre line.

Cheers, Bruce
At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

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Reply By: Ross M - Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 21:09

Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 21:09
Highways are bad for that and the Pacific Highway in places is very confusing.

Also some towns are frequently changing.
If you travel through Bendigo Vic at school times and travel from south to north the changes are as follows.
100, 60, 100 for 300metres then 80, 70, 50, 40, 60, 50, 60, 50, 40, 60, 40, 60, 40, 60, 70, 60, 80, 90, 60, 40, 60, 80, 100. Might be wrong with one.
From the starting speed to the finish speed inclusive. 26 times in just a few kilometres.
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Reply By: AlbyNSW - Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 21:13

Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 21:13
I hear you loud and clear, it it hard work driving around Sydney trying to work out what is the correct speed limit , what time is it, is it a school zone?
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Follow Up By: Member - Bruce C (NSW) - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:45

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:45
Hi Alby,
The best school zone I have seen is just north of Kempsey on Highway One, the Pacific Highway at a Belimbopini (pronounced Belim bop ini)

Here highway traffic travelling at 100 K per hour has to brake heavily to 40 in school zone times. They eventually put flashing lights on it but they still get accidents there.

Bruce
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restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

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Reply By: MazdaSpater - Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 23:27

Saturday, Jun 30, 2012 at 23:27
Drive 40 in your Volvo, and wear a straw hat. Simple really.
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Follow Up By: Ross M - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:46

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:46
Is that why they made 440 Volvo's
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Reply By: mikehzz - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 00:09

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 00:09
I use the gps speed warning for that reason. It does get it wrong sometimes but between the 2 of us we get by. I got booked on the Pacific a fair while ago pre gps. I was doing 100 in what I thought was a 100 zone, saw the copper ahead and slowed to 95 just to be sure....only problem it was an 80 zone :-). I wrote a letter explaining my stupidity and they let me off. Sometimes it pays to be an idiot. :-)
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Follow Up By: Member - Rod N (QLD) - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 06:29

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 06:29
I don't know how accurate stand alone GPS speedos are but my Garmin Nuvi with the latest maps update is pretty hopeless. While the actual speed indication is accurate the posted speed limit indication is all over the place.
A while ago I heard that a setup using the radio traffic reporting system was being looked at to transmit speed limits to the GPS. Of course this would mean people would have to purchase a suitable GPS device.
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Follow Up By: Member - Bruce C (NSW) - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:58

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:58
Even the latest downloads can be out of date re speed limits and traffic direction especially in Sydney.

I travel down the Pacific Highway and my GPS is telling me it is 60 in a 100 zone and vice versa.

The changes are often due to highway bypasses being opened so here on the Pacific we would need to update out GPS software every couple of months which I doubt the GPS companies are that current.

It adds pressures to driving that do not have to be. Simple solution is a sign every 1 k, big and clear of vegetation. Or as Axle said colour coded centre lines.

Mike,
you might find that you had a clean record, no convictions in the previous 10 years, in which case you are entitled to a caution from the police dept with no conviction recorded and no fine. It is a priveledge afforded to good drivers with clean records.

I have recieved 2 such outcomes in the last 26 years.

Cheers, Bruce.
At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

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Reply By: Fred G NSW - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 09:27

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 09:27
We used to see a lot more speed limits painted on the road at regular intervals.....now it seems it's easier to just bang another signpost into the ground. So many now, it makes it almost impossible to read them, especially on a dark foggy night.

What about the 40kph signs left out for the weekend at roadworks, after the gangs have left, with absolutely nothing resembling roadworks going on?

We should start a funny roadsign photo segment.




Image Could Not Be Found
AnswerID: 489830

Reply By: Hairy (WA) - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 10:25

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 10:25
Gday Axle,

I thinks thats the idea! How else are they going to catch you out?
Apparently they are going to make signs that change the speed at random times so even your GPS cant give you a warning.
Maybe they could just charge everyone with a speeding levy when you pay your registration and if you can prove you have never broken a law, you get a percentage back at renewal time with the other bit going to management fees?

Cheers
AnswerID: 489839

Reply By: Scooter13 - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 11:08

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 11:08
Travel up the New England Hwy between Hexam & Singleton .... it's a speed limit lottery....
AnswerID: 489846

Reply By: landed eagle - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 11:34

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 11:34
Come to Tassie!! Some idiot behind a desk thought it was a great idea to have ,for instance: End 70 signs after the 70 limit is no longer needed,but no indication of what speed you can legally do. VERY confusing for interstate visitors.Same appiles for 60,80,90 etc.
There has been outcry about these dumb signs for years but in typical govt dept ignorance nothing has changed.
AnswerID: 489848

Reply By: member - mazcan - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:47

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 12:47
hi axle

you say you have trouble remembering what the last signed speed limit was
so how are you going to remember what each colour represents and what about the people who are colour blind
i agree there are far too many speed changes
wa is no different to the other states
but imho your colour system would be just as confusing especially at night the multi nova operators love all those speed changes thats how they make millions of easy $s cheers
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Reply By: Member - Jim - Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 17:11

Sunday, Jul 01, 2012 at 17:11
I've always thought that there has to be a better way than the present.
Often you can be leaving a town and can see traffic behind coming up quite quickly and you ask the Mrs the question about what speed zone are we in, only to find a couple of kilometres down the road that you were still in a 60 or 70.

If they were to put a row of those bumps that normally go along the fog line across the road about 50 metres before each permanent speed sign it would draw your attention to the speed zone change (either up or down).

If relying on a Garmin Nuvi or the like the NSW RMS has a number of roads with different speed limits on both sides of the same road.

Cheers
Jim
AnswerID: 489877

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