Australia's road safety landscape is on the brink of a significant transformation.

With the number of road-related accidents on the rise, experts called for a national reassessment of how drivers move on the road.

This sparked a discussion about ensuring the safety of all road users.

According to experts, 2023 became the deadliest year on Australian roads in a decade.

The Northern Territory saw a 170 per cent increase in road deaths within a year.

In addition, The Northern Territory and Western Australia currently have the highest default speed limits at 110 km/h.

On the other hand, the rest of Australia has a default speed limit of 100 km/h.

Researchers proposed lower speed limits for the safety of drivers and pedestrians across Australia. Image Credit: Shutterstock/Matthew Philip

These figures are not just numbers; they represent lives lost and families shattered.

With the alarming rise in road fatalities, the current default speed limits are under scrutiny.

The WA Centre for Road Safety Research, led by director Teresa Senserrick, has been advocating for reduced speed limits.

Senserrick highlighted the urgency of this issue, particularly in Western Australia.

She also emphasised the potential benefits of reduced speed limits nationwide.

Just in time for the state's road safety summit, Senserrick's message was clear: lowering speed limits will save lives.

'So when the country changed from miles per hour to kilometres per hour, all the states and territories rounded their default speed limit on rural roads to 100—except WA and the NT,' Senserrick explained.'

For reference, Tasmanian highways have lowered their speed limit to 90 km/h, and some have reduced to 80km/h.

She also pointed out that the default speed limits were set based on the 1970s standards.

However, with advancements in technology, increased population, and evolving road conditions, these speeds should be changed to prioritise the citizens' well-being.

The research-driven proposal indicated that a 10 km/h decrease in speed could reduce the risk of severe and fatal injuries by 28 per cent.

'It is about adapting to changes over time and saying that these speeds are no longer viable on the roads if we want to prioritise people's lives and well-being,' Senserrick stated.

Senserrick also drew parallels between the current speed debate and past attitudes towards drink-driving.

'Going back to the '70s and '80s, people did not generally believe that having several drinks and driving was risky,' she shared.

'That has now changed. People do agree that drinking too much is risky to drink and drive. We need to do the same approach with speed.'.

These changes on the road should promote safer roads in response to changing conditions

'Australia used to be in the top 10 of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in our roads' safety records; we were tracking to get into the top five and doing extremely well,' Senserrick shared.

'We now barely scrape into the top 20, and we are well below the average. We have got very, very far behind.'

All drivers must stay informed and prepared to adapt their driving habits.

The proposed changes are not just regulatory adjustments; they are life-saving measures that require the support and cooperation of drivers.

Key Takeaways

• Experts called for a reduction in the default speed limit on Australian roads to reduce road fatalities.
• Some regions, such as the Northern Territory and Western Australia, have default speed limits of 110 km/h, which are among the highest in the world.
• Road safety research suggested that lower speed limits could reduce the rates of severe crashes and deaths.
• Western Australia was urged to lead the way in lowering speed limits, with the potential for other states to follow suit to improve road safety.

Do you have a story or opinion about road safety and speed limits? Share them with us in the comments section below.

 

[Free.lander]

Vehicle motors have way too much power in them and easily capable of going a lot faster than we are supposed to after changing the manufacture of motors for general use. Trucks have what is known as "governers" attached to their motors or other part that prevents them going over 100kph. Maybe they should be put on cars too but some irresponsible people work out how to deactivate them. Problem is they won't build more powerful motors just for emergency service vehicles.

This line of thinking is not the solution for one very obvious reason
The speed limit is 100kph
the governor clicks in at 100kph as you propose
Now you are doing your legal 100KPH and come up behind a car doing 90KPH
you have clear way for the next 2klm to pass so you stick in the boot , get besides that car and suddenly the governor cuts in and you are stuck beside at 100kph and cannot go any faster to complete the passing action
I am talking from experiences as the RAAF has governors fitted to VW combie vans and there is nothing more scary that to think you have the power and space to pass only to find yourself governed and now in danger
Sorry but the answer is driver education, starting in school in physics classes where mass, velocities , energy, friction and everything else connected with cars should be taught for real life , and then if the drivers do not want to be responsible , then remove their license to drive--fines are the first step but we are allowing to many fines as it should be 2 strikes and you are walking.

 

[Free.lander]

Decreasing the speed limit is only going to frustrate impatient drivers more by making risky moves that are going to increase accidents. NSW does have 110 klm speeds on the freeways and still people break that limit. The experts should learn from Europe with their higher speed limits on their freeways with less accidents and deaths.

There is an element of truth in this comment-- the speed limit a long time ago in the NT was what your vehicle design was capable of doing safely. It was unlimited but if you had a souped up fraud and was clocked at 200 kph, the engineered car was safe at 150kph so you were speeding
If you were driving a Porsche and was clocked at 130khp it was a safe speed --Then the wannabees got involved and said --ain't good enough so now the speed limit is 110kph and guess what , road accidents and deaths have gone through the roof
the correlation is obvious , between education, car capability, road conditions, and most people will drive at a speed they fell safe at--For the NT that speed was 120 kph. Now they drive at speeds just to object to the mandatory 110kph and die as a result.
Speed limits are just a very small part of the problem but too often university trained experts get involved and that makes for good exposure
The real experts are the drivers who use the roads every minute of the day across the country and who can see where the problems lie-- but no one listens to us-- so things change , things remain the same , and the road deaths keep going up.

 

[devildodger66666666666666]

Reducing the speed won't work! Mobile phones are a large culprit, along with ignorance. I've been a professional truck driver for 45+ years and driven over the world and people need proper tuition and phones taken away
Europe have the autobahn and little problems.

 

[Rickcb63]

It's not the speed limits that is a problem, but the cars themselves. Too many high tech gadgets with fiddly controls, and that big screen for navigation plus the ever increasing number of road signs all distract from driving a car. In Denmark a county conducted a trial removing all road signs and traffic signals. Lo and behold, the accident rate dropped! In Germany, it's not the unlimited speed limit freeways that have most accidents it's the country roads with an 80 limit. If you drive fast, there is no way you are going to fall asleep. But especially here in country Queensland if you have to sit on 100km/h falling asleep on the wheel is the real danger. I talk from experience here, having to drive daily for my work.

Agreed, there are way too many road signs, I used to drive a truck for work, and the amount of signage’s especially on main roads , it’s no wonder people hit them.
Theres a rule when riding a motorcycle,,, look where you want to go and your bike will go there !
Having ridden bikes for over 50yrs I vouch that the saying is true,,,,,,, driving a car and people look at signs, they hit them

 

[Rickcb63]

There is an element of truth in this comment-- the speed limit a long time ago in the NT was what your vehicle design was capable of doing safely. It was unlimited but if you had a souped up fraud and was clocked at 200 kph, the engineered car was safe at 150kph so you were speeding
If you were driving a Porsche and was clocked at 130khp it was a safe speed --Then the wannabees got involved and said --ain't good enough so now the speed limit is 110kph and guess what , road accidents and deaths have gone through the roof
the correlation is obvious , between education, car capability, road conditions, and most people will drive at a speed they fell safe at--For the NT that speed was 120 kph. Now they drive at speeds just to object to the mandatory 110kph and die as a result.
Speed limits are just a very small part of the problem but too often university trained experts get involved and that makes for good exposure
The real experts are the drivers who use the roads every minute of the day across the country and who can see where the problems lie-- but no one listens to us-- so things change , things remain the same , and the road deaths keep going up.

The speed limit in the territory is 130 , some areas are 110

 

[Rickcb63]

Let’s not forget that, Nowadays being taught to drive is secondary to being taught how to get a license !!

 

[Rickcb63]

Not all states have annual roadworthy checks, unroadworthy vehicles are primarily an indictment on the owners who do not have enough respect for their families who travel in those vehicles and other road users who are put at risk, secondly, the authorities who fail to take unsafe vehicles off the roads.

And you know that this is a fact ?
What about unroadworthy “road” there are plenty of those around the place, and being a retired mechanic,,, I will tell you that the amount of unroadworthy vehicles in existence are very minimal compared with general good vehicles.
most people will repair their cars !
your statement is more of a political mindset from times gone by, and carry no weight !

 

[Rickcb63]

it is amazing with all the technology in our cars now that more accidents are happening. All cars have to be roadworthy but apparantly the roads do not have to be car-worthy especially in Victoria, they are an absolute disgrace, more so on regional roads. so much for the Big Build in Victoria how about some regional road fixups

Watch “Dash Cams Australia “ on YouTube and see how Victorians drive, and others of course

 

[Rickcb63]

Reducing the speed limits isn't go to prevent accidents. what will help is enforce the ADR to make speedos accurate again. Right now speedos can be out as muh as 10% plus 4kph out. This means we now have millions of drivers driving what they believe is 100kph but in fact they are travelling at anywhere between 86 and 100. The idiots who came up with this idea should be jailed as they are responsible for many of the increased accidents and deaths on our roads. Have you been on the highway lately and noticed how everyone is driving at different speeds ? This is worse than the few speeders.

ADR stands for Australian Design Rules, it’s not a company.
but yes people think their doing 110 but actually doing approx 98 , very frustrating !

 

[Rickcb63]

When alcohol restrictions were put in place, police were ordered to lie about the cause of accidents and claim they were alcohol-related when they weren't. I suspect the same is happening now to make speed a convenient scapegoat and justify a change that won't fix anything. Slow speeds can be as dangerous as high speeds in some situations. Driver impatience leads to road rage and dangerous attempts to overtake or take the right of way at an intersection when there isn't really sufficient time and the driver should yield.

As others have said, education is critical. So is enforcing laws against drug-affected driving, drink-driving, reckless driving, and road rage. But one thing that really bothers me is the increasing automation that is overruling driver decisions and making many drivers too reliant on technology rather than learning proper driving skills. Automated lane assist is one example. It pulls cars back into the lane when the driver sees a genuine need to move out of the lane to avoid an obstacle. It can be very hazardous on sharp bends.
The orange light and beep telling you when something is too close tempts many drivers to simply rely on it and not bother being alert to hazards. Every day we see someone do something really stupid and dangerous because they relied on that orange light!

Don’t forget “Climate Change “ did it , lol they alway need to push an agenda !

 

[Towing]

And you know that this is a fact ?
What about unroadworthy “road” there are plenty of those around the place, and being a retired mechanic,,, I will tell you that the amount of unroadworthy vehicles in existence are very minimal compared with general good vehicles.
most people will repair their cars !
your statement is more of a political mindset from times gone by, and carry no weight !

A lot of people take the attitude "as long as it gets me from A to B" nothing else matters.
I whole heartedly agree with you. Near my former home there was a deep pot hole in a road. You could see the rocks in the base material. Instead of filling the hole before re-sealing the road they simply sprayed bitumen on the road, still leaving a deep hole. I reported it stating it was a safety hazard. Nothing was done about it, Many country roads the edges of the bitumen is breaking away leaving barely car width, Trucks are having to put part of passenger side wheels on the dirt / downward slope. Maybe that's what causes some of the truck accidents on some country roads

 

[natalielocket]

it is amazing with all the technology in our cars now that more accidents are happening. All cars have to be roadworthy but apparantly the roads do not have to be car-worthy especially in Victoria, they are an absolute disgrace, more so on regional roads. so much for the Big Build in Victoria how about some regional road fixups

Unfortunately in QLD cars don`t have to be road worthy unless they are pulled up by traffic Police for some other incident and the vehicle is found unroad worthy. Having driven home after a late shift and seen cars coming towards me with only 1 head light on, or just parking lights working, and also walking past cars with bald tyres, Makes me shake my head. Having grown up with cars over the `Pit` (before hoists) I get my car serviced at once a year, but if doing 2 long trips, get it checked twice a year.

 

[Towing]

Some of the very expensive cars "tell you" if you have something like lights not working.
How many people check their lights are working. In cars made in the 1980s (I don't know about other eras) the cars had a "black box" if that malfunctioned many issues could occur. That could cause accidents too. The more high tech the more can go wrong with a vehicle if there is a malfunction.