Australia has an obsession with low road speeds, especially on long country freeways. It's not based on anything logical.

Fatigue and low overtaking speeds are more risky than outright speed when visibility is 2-5km.

For example, 130km/h would be totally reasonable on the Hume Freeway. No problem whatsoever.

In other cases, speed limits are reduced by 20km/h on country roads that have been 100km/h speed limited for decades, even if there is no history of serious road incidents.

In some cases you can turn out of an 80km/h limited road into a 100km/h road that's essentially the same driving conditions or even tighter and trickier. No consistency at all.

Then there's the sheer inconsistencies. In built up areas with traffic lights and businesses and houses we have 80km/h speed limits and the same speed applies on many rural roads with long stretches of free movement. It's bollocks.

A prime example is the fact that Germany, with it's network of unlimited and high speed motorways has a lower road death toll per capita and per vehicle rate than Australia.

I was waiting for someone to mention German's superior knowledge of driving. Got picked up from the airport doing 180-220 down the autobahn, the instant raindrops fell, we, and everyone, slow to 120. If we had a 130 speed limit in Australia dockheads would be doing 140 in the wet.

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holy guacamole said..

A prime example is the fact that Germany, with it's network of unlimited and high speed motorways has a lower road death toll per capita and per vehicle rate than Australia.

I think someone, probably on here, pointed out that the German lack of deaths on autobahns was related to the arrival time of emergency services in helicopters and the like, so it may not be as simple as saying it works for Germany.

Problem is that you and I are great drivers, probably good enough to take a wheel in the World Rally Championships, but we share the road with a whole lot of incompetent idiots who distract themselves with mobile phones and cars full of kids. How do you get them to pay attention to you coming up behind them at 150 while they're driving at 100?
PS I've got a great name for my data logger.

The iWay Patrol

And tourist make up 35% of head on fatalities in Western Australia, German drivers top the list, then Swiss I think.

Australians drive different and speed makes them even worse, never mind mobile phones.

Victoria don't have speed camera warning signs. However, if you are pinged for low-range speeding and there are no aggravating factors such as near a school, you can get off with a warning if you had a clean driving record for 2 years, they don't advertise it too hard but instructions on the Vic pol portal, very sensible. Doubt they will do that in NSW being such a nanny state these day