Cannonball Run Monument

Magnarc · Guru

New 130kph speed limit on Sturt Hwy.

KFT · Guru

Is this the Sturt hwy or the Stuart hwy?

brickies · Guru

Stuart hwy there is a story on the Grey Nomads web page

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

I just read the story on Grey Nomad webpage -

http://www.thegreynomads.com.au/brumbies/

I cannot find any information stating the speed at which the vehicle was travelling at the time they hit the brumby. confuse

So where did the feeling that the 130kph limit on that part of the highway was a contributory factor? Supposition?? confuse

Indeed, the article is about the danger of encountering brumbies on various highways around Straya. cry

Hitting a brumby or any other similar sized animal at even 80kph would very likely result in a severely wrecked vehicle, quite probably death, or critical injuries. cry

The Bruce Highway doesn't have a 130Kph limit ... yet people have had severe accidents hitting Brumbies on that highway as well.

For those who are unfamiliar with the speed limits on the Stuart Hwy -

Stuart Highway

There was no absolute speed limit in the Northern Territory before 1 January 2007 but maximum speed limits are now posted on some road sections. Drivers, previously, were simply required to drive at a safe speed to suit the conditions. Thus, the Northern Territory section of the Stuart Highway had no speed limits at all. The Northern Territory traffic laws were updated from 1 January 2007 to be similar to the rest of Australia. This included placing a speed limit on all roads (130 km/h or 81 mph on major highways such as the Stuart Highway) and significantly increasing penalties for speeding.

The South Australian Section is signposted as 110 km/h (68 mph) outside built-up regions, between Port Augusta and the Northern Territory border.

In October 2013 the NT Government announced a trial period of reverting to an open speed limit on the 200 km (120 mi) stretch between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek, beginning 1 February 2014. In September 2015, following the conclusion of the trial, a 276 km (171 mi) stretch of the highway had its speed limits permanently derestricted.

Cheers - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Monday 11th of July 2016 05:19:43 PM

Santa · Guru

For them that are remotely interested, this story outlines why the NT govt imposed a speed limit on the Stuart highway.

People have short memories.

Cannonball Run Monument

Cannonball Run Monument 2003

Photographs supplied by Diane Watson

Monument commemorates the two officials and two Japanese drivers who were killed during the Cannonball Run.

The Northern Territory Cannonball Run was held from 22 May to the 27 May in 1994 on the Stuart Highway from Darwin to Alice Springs and return. A total distance of approximatley 3200 kilometres and it attracted 118 racing enthusiasts from all over the world with their expensive machines. The race contained three distinct driving phases within the one event. These were the "flying miles", the timed sectors and, covering by far the greatest distance, normal, everyday driving during which there was no competitive element.

The "flying miles" were a test of a car's acceleration with cars cross the starting line at 60 kilometres per hour and 1600 metres later their speed was recorded by radar, with points awarded accordingly. The timed sections of the run were approximately 100 kilometre stretches to which set times was applied.

On 24 May, during one of the timed sections near Alice Springs, a Ferrari F40 crashed into a checkpost killing its occupants, the Japanese duo Akihiro Kabe and co-driver Okano (first name unknown) and two track officials, Tim Linklater and Keith Pritchard. An inquest found that the direct cause of the accident was driver error on the part of the Japanese team which entered the checkpoint at an excessive speed.

Izabarack · Guru

Magnarc wrote:
How do the powers that be reconcile this decision when this road is notorious for accidents concerning wandering wildlife???

Would a 40 KPH be sufficient to prevent accidents? All collisions with animals are a function of coincidence. If I travel at 180 KPH I would be on the road for less time and less likely to encounter an animal on the road. I am aware of a local crash at under 80 KPH that was sufficient to put a horse through the windscreen and kill the child in the back seat. To be successful in asking for a specific speed limit to be imposed, you would have to show a causal link between a posted speed limit and collisions with wildlife, of all species.

Santa · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
Magnarc wrote:
How do the powers that be reconcile this decision when this road is notorious for accidents concerning wandering wildlife???

Would a 40 KPH be sufficient to prevent accidents? All collisions with animals are a function of coincidence. If I travel at 180 KPH I would be on the road for less time and less likely to encounter an animal on the road. I am aware of a local crash at under 80 KPH that was sufficient to put a horse through the windscreen and kill the child in the back seat. To be successful in asking for a specific speed limit to be imposed, you would have to show a causal link between a posted speed limit and collisions with wildlife, of all species.

You cant reason with people who have this mind set.

As for this gem " If I travel at 180 KPH I would be on the road for less time and less likely to encounter an animal on the road." trust me, at 180 kph, when you do coincidentally encounter that animal you ain't gonna be sitting at the breakfast table the next morning. wink

-- Edited by Santa on Monday 11th of July 2016 07:11:13 PM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
If I travel at 180 KPH I would be on the road for less time and less likely to encounter an animal on the road.

You could use the same logic to go through intersections and level crossings.

All those lights are clearly an unnecessary restriction. :)))))

Cheers,

Peter

OwenK · Senior Member

You're so right Peter, it's not the speed of the "bullet " that kills.

Cheers Owen.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Cheers - John

dishlicker · Senior Member

BLOODY HELL who want's to go at that speed anyway you wouldn't see jack sh--. Just slow down and smell the roses and SEE the bloody horse first cheers

adreamer · Senior Member

I hit a Kangaroo doing 50 and it did $9000 damage to my van.

I traveled on the Stuart Highway from Darwin to Adelaide and visa versa around 15 times when I lived up there and would usually sit on around 130 - 140 and never hit anything, not even a close shave. Never traveled after 6.00pm though.

Alcohol and drugs would kill more people than a Brumby!

The Redhead

brickies · Guru

The speed that thrills is the speed that kills

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

The sign post up here says . Open road travel with safety .. Most cars etc are traveling 110 to 120 kph . But there's not many cars . Mainly light trucks towing vans or driving motorhomes .

-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Monday 11th of July 2016 09:42:22 PM

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Seems strange after driving for hours to drive into 130 kph zone .. Lol this is north of Alice Springs .,

ballast2 · Guru

G'day all. Another section of the highway was given an open speed limit within the last few days. The section was upgraded before this happened. As always drivers are required to drive at a speed to suit the conditions. The speed limits do not mean one must drive to the max. All road deaths and smashes are sad, and in a perfect world,they wouldn't occur. Unfortunately majority of the serious accidents and deaths up here happened in or around populated areas and not on the open road. There have been no deaths or serious accidents on the open sections since they reopened.
( i will stand corrected on this). I will not be travelling at max speed anywhere.
Cheers.

aussie_paul · Guru

https://www.facebook.com/NTChiefMinister/videos/641275279354076/

Aussie Paul. smile

macka17 · Guru

Try again.

We used to use it yrs ago from Adel to Townsville (and Darwin)
Chuck a rightie at threeways. about 36/39 hrs either way.

Most travelled at a comfortable 130/140ish You get there quicker.
less problem with falling asleep through taking less time on trip.

Over 160 you have less time to react to scrub tucker bouncing out and more dangerous.

Sensible speeds on roads suitable for. are a lot safer than a lot of roads and limits
we have in this country.

Problem being, most drivers in this country are brain locked into slow speeds
and have no experience in travelling faster.
That will also kill.

-- Edited by macka17 on Monday 11th of July 2016 11:19:17 PM

dorian · Guru

Would a driverless car be any better at avoiding wildlife? BTW, I saw a driverless race car on the TV the other day. It screamed around the track in faster time than a driver would have done.

ballast2 · Guru

G'day Paul. Thank you for posting the link. I do stand corrected. There has been one serious accident since the highway has had open speeds. It was alcohol related.

Cheers.

Santa · Guru

ballast2 wrote:
G'day Paul. Thank you for posting the link. I do stand corrected. There has been one serious accident since the highway has had open speeds. It was alcohol related.
Cheers.

The accident in 1994 when 4 people lost their lives happened when there were no speed limits on the road, or does this not count?

-- Edited by Santa on Tuesday 12th of July 2016 10:26:31 AM

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Was staged event . Plus any speed sign isn't going to prevent stupid .. Especially high speeds . Some in cities just steer these days .

ballast2 · Guru

G'day Santa. The accident you referred to happened during the NT Government sponsored Cannonball Run between Darwin and Ayres Rock and return in 1994. Yes sadly 4 Persons were killed during that run on one of the sections called flying miles. The run was continued with a max speed limit of 180 km/h. No further accidents occurred. Unrestricted speed limits then continued on most of the NT section of the Highway and other areas until 1 Jan 2007 when the NT traffic laws were changed to bring us in line with the rest of Australia. This resulted of a max speed of 130 kl/h. This remained in force until 2014 when the first section was unrestricted once again. 2 further stretches have since been added making a total of 276 klm.s The stretches were upgraded before being opened. Since the first stretch was opened only 1 serious accident happened and as stated it was alcohol related. I also stated that no DEATHS had occurred since reopening the stretch. I stand corrected in my original post which also stated no serious accidents occurred. Again I say I have no wish to travel at those speeds.

Cheers.

Izabarack · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Plus any speed sign isn't going to prevent stupid ..

Well said. Bit like the gun debate here. Cars don't kill people, people kill people. Get rid of cars and no problem.

Iza

Fringe Dweller · Senior Member

A few good points bought up , when I was driving in the Territory . I hardly Ever saw a car on the road after 4to 5pm.

Maybe 1 or 2 after dark in 5yrs of driving Triple Road Trains around the Territory. Yes seen em all . camels , brumbies

pigs , donkeys , BIG Scrub runner bulls , roos , dingoes , goats & eagles.

As someone mentioned , not the speed that does the damage.

I Say "It IS Know what to Do & what NOT do in any given situation , at WHATEVER speed".

Yes it is Ok to be doing All the right things , but what about the clowns that unravel it for you.

We saw on the news , on film . The Hwy Patrol Policeman drag a "runner" out of his car after a pursuit . The Policeman did

not know if the suspect was armed . The media Blamed th copper . Ever had an idiot aimed at you on the wrong side of the road

in a pursuit . I have & ya guts churns worse than an industrial washing machine . I found it Great doing 180 - 200 but I backed off,

when somebody came toward or I overtook vans & trains at 100 to 110 . Simple , if I came unstuck I only took myself out.