Report in The West Australian newspaper today. Might make truckies a bit irritated!
A leading road trauma researcher says the WA Government lacks the political courage to bring in measures that could cut the State's road toll.
Max Cameron, of Monash University's accident research centre, said speed limits on thousands of kilometres of rural highways across WA needed to be cut from 110km/h to 90km/h, with an 80km/h limit for trucks.
"One of the regrettable things about speed enforcement and speed cameras in particular is that it seems to be a difficult issue for politicians to address," Professor Cameron said yesterday.
"It seems to be an area where there are often very strong negative responses from a vocal minority - it's caused many State governments to be quite weak-kneed about being serious on speed enforcement."
He said existing speed limits were too high for roads that were often poorly maintained and unsafe. "We need to come to grips with the idea that the traditional 110km/h limit on any rural road is just not acceptable," Professor Cameron said.
"When you take into account the travel time and costs of reduced speeds and the enormous road trauma benefits - it tells me a speed of 90km/h by cars on rural undivided roads is the maximum you should be doing."
He said the Government had to begin placing speed cameras in unmarked vehicles and introduce point-to-point speed cameras, which measure the average speed of a vehicle over up to 10km.
The daily publication of speed camera locations should also cease, Professor Cameron said.
"The idea is that a driver should have a fear of being caught anywhere at any time," he said.
"Regrettably, governments don't seem to have the courage to do it."
fireheart said
01:50 AM Jan 8, 2013
I don't know about the lower speed limits, if we could just have people drive at the one speed instead of slowing down when there is a car coming, slowing down when there are double white lines and then when a passing opportunity comes, speed up to over the speed limit. I have just the most frustrating drive between Mt Gambier and Heywood, both ways. I was concerned about the smoke from the fires near Nelson, not a problem, it was and darn drivers on the road. No point in using the cruise control, had to keep trying to gauge the person in front. Not only one or two but a few of them. Worse one was on the way over, driver with QLD plates, doing 80kms, fine, passed him sitting on just under 100kms, come to road works, slow to 40 then stop, only to look in the rear view mirror with this idiot coming up behind me at a great rate of knots. I did not think he was going to stop. Similar drivers coming back. Still had a great day with my grandson sharing his 5th birthday. The kids are farm kids and we did not see them all day, they were out in the dirt making mud pies, well actually, it was going to be chocolate rum balls, chocolate ice cream and chocolate cake according to Miss 7, and Master 5, was carting the water to said truck being used as mixing bowl, answering to big sister, "Yes Chef". The saying is that a dirty kid is a happy kids, these kids must have estatic. So good to see.
Drivers? What drivers? :)
woolman said
07:55 PM Jan 10, 2013
I listened to that guy being interviewed and came to the conclusion he is a loony. He made the statment he had seen no evidence that fatigue was an issue in road trauma. All his therory is the slower the vehicle is travelling the less the injury level. Not sure that you need to be a professor to come to that conclusion.
Neil
Gerty Dancer said
08:30 PM Jan 10, 2013
It is pretty obvious isnt it, the slower the vehicle the less the trauma. It has to be balanced with peoples need to get there at a certain time. Truckies earn more when they can travel faster and do more trips... its a worry.
spida said
06:12 PM Jan 11, 2013
Watched a truck and trailer on the Geelong Hway - Changing lanes often in Sunday afternoon traffic and in 30km got about 3 cars ahead of me. Then all the cars that saw a truck ahead and had to pass him as well. Steady flow of traffic at 90km so they didnt achieve anything really! Madness.
Maybe if some of the millions spent stimulating home insulation or whatever could be spent stimulating some improvement to rail.
-- Edited by johnq on Saturday 12th of January 2013 03:59:52 PM
Dougwe said
12:32 AM Jan 13, 2013
Wouldn't bother me a great deal if they dropped 100kmh to 90kmh. I didn't mind the 60kmh going down to 50kmh but down further to 40kmh would be too slow then. These days I'm not comfortable with the 110kmh roads as well. Must be getting old I reckon.
03_troopy said
04:08 AM Jan 16, 2013
Well the N.T. must have agreed.. they cut the speed down on highways from unlimited to 130KPH. I think that is much safer; oops, lost concentration and started creeping again............
Report in The West Australian newspaper today. Might make truckies a bit irritated!
A leading road trauma researcher says the WA Government lacks the political courage to bring in measures that could cut the State's road toll.
Max Cameron, of Monash University's accident research centre, said speed limits on thousands of kilometres of rural highways across WA needed to be cut from 110km/h to 90km/h, with an 80km/h limit for trucks.
"One of the regrettable things about speed enforcement and speed cameras in particular is that it seems to be a difficult issue for politicians to address," Professor Cameron said yesterday.
"It seems to be an area where there are often very strong negative responses from a vocal minority - it's caused many State governments to be quite weak-kneed about being serious on speed enforcement."
He said existing speed limits were too high for roads that were often poorly maintained and unsafe. "We need to come to grips with the idea that the traditional 110km/h limit on any rural road is just not acceptable," Professor Cameron said.
"When you take into account the travel time and costs of reduced speeds and the enormous road trauma benefits - it tells me a speed of 90km/h by cars on rural undivided roads is the maximum you should be doing."
He said the Government had to begin placing speed cameras in unmarked vehicles and introduce point-to-point speed cameras, which measure the average speed of a vehicle over up to 10km.
The daily publication of speed camera locations should also cease, Professor Cameron said.
"The idea is that a driver should have a fear of being caught anywhere at any time," he said.
"Regrettably, governments don't seem to have the courage to do it."
Similar drivers coming back. Still had a great day with my grandson sharing his 5th birthday. The kids are farm kids and we did not see them all day, they were out in the dirt making mud pies, well actually, it was going to be chocolate rum balls, chocolate ice cream and chocolate cake according to Miss 7, and Master 5, was carting the water to said truck being used as mixing bowl, answering to big sister, "Yes Chef". The saying is that a dirty kid is a happy kids, these kids must have estatic. So good to see.
Drivers? What drivers? :)
I listened to that guy being interviewed and came to the conclusion he is a loony. He made the statment he had seen no evidence that fatigue was an issue in road trauma. All his therory is the slower the vehicle is travelling the less the injury level. Not sure that you need to be a professor to come to that conclusion.
Neil
This gives his profile,
http://theconversation.edu.au/profiles/max-cameron-862
Maybe if some of the millions spent stimulating home insulation or whatever could be spent stimulating some improvement to rail.
-- Edited by johnq on Saturday 12th of January 2013 03:59:52 PM
Wouldn't bother me a great deal if they dropped 100kmh to 90kmh. I didn't mind the 60kmh going down to 50kmh but down further to 40kmh would be too slow then. These days I'm not comfortable with the 110kmh roads as well. Must be getting old I reckon.