Why 130km/h makes sense for the Hume Highway

[ebxr8240]

It will NEVER change while pollies get free air travel...

[Franco Cozzo]

Its coming, like high speed rail between Melbourne and Sydney:

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by kyro_02

don't get too excited, just on the news .. and arm chair expert was saying if we made speed signs 10kph less, we'd save a bucket load of lives... please.....

I saw that. Some so called expert recons heaps of lives would be saved by dropping all speed limits by 100.

What an absolute muppet.

Other countries have raised their highway speed limits and deaths actually lowered.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by svo supporter

Rubbish cars???? What do you class as a rubbish car??? One persons idea of good isn't the same as the next. That simple.



So what do you class as a competent driver???? A 40 year old, with a clean driving history that's never had so much as a speeding ticket???

What would you class as decent shocks and tyres?? Reading round the lovely interweb, everyone has a differing opinion on what's crap and what's good in this area. So this leave the door wide open for debate. Not ignorant numbskulls, as you put it.

As for speed limits. There are roads that have been upgraded in S.A and the lovely powers to be have actually lowered the speed limit. So who knows how their minds work.

Thanks bro.
Competent = knowledge, skill, capable of.
Decent shocks = good or adequate.
Decent tyres = not cheap pathetic junk that a dumb **** tight wad who goes looking for the cheapest they can get and then runs around boasting about the price he got as if it was a smart move, but the numskull would have no idea that your tyres are like a insurance policy and they may save a life. they are black and made out of rubber ? yes ignorant most are totally.

[Majestic]

I often travel from Canberra - Sydney (return) and always set my cruise control on 120kmh. I always go past police hiding with their radar equimment doing that speed and they never pull me up. Maybe a more realistic option would to increase it to a maximum of 120 (maybe I could get away with the 130 in a 120 zone)

[irish2]

Originally Posted by prydey

so all up, you get speed disparity of up to 40km/h which isn't ideal.

Whats wrong with a 40km/h speed disparity? If I'm driving on a suburban street I can legally pass cars with a 60km/h speed disparity. I don't see anyone braking to 5km/h, just to pass a parked car.

[irish2]

Originally Posted by castellan

Thanks bro.
Competent = knowledge, skill, capable of.
Decent shocks = good or adequate.
Decent tyres = not cheap pathetic junk that a dumb ***** tight wad who goes looking for the cheapest they can get and then runs around boasting about the price he got as if it was a smart move, but the numskull would have no idea that your tyres are like a insurance policy and they may save a life. they are black and made out of rubber ? yes ignorant most are totally.

Mate I've driven some old tired cars faster than 100km/h and they don't just fall off the road. It is surprising to see how slow people drive in their new cars. Big sweeping bends you will often see semi trailers overtaking the cars, because they are actually doing the speed limit and know their vehicle.

[irish2]

Originally Posted by Majestic

I often travel from Canberra - Sydney (return) and always set my cruise control on 120kmh. I always go past police hiding with their radar equimment doing that speed and they never pull me up. Maybe a more realistic option would to increase it to a maximum of 120 (maybe I could get away with the 130 in a 120 zone)

Your speedo might have enough error to actually put you slower than 110km/h. Only way to get a reasonably accurate speed most of the time, is a GPS.

[outback_ute]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

But, we permit in AUS road design, descending and steeper ascending runs, tighter curve radius, and unlike Germany or EU motorway- have those rotten median located U-Turn bays- that too many treat as private intersections. Hence my previous post re treatments for the U-turn bays.

That makes sense. On one trip down the Hume I was thinking about how viewing distances on hill crests & corners would work for a higher speed limit and I remember there were quite a few areas where they were less than ideal - ie come over the top of a hill to find a couple of cars in the road after and accident and you would most likely be joining them because you would not have room to stop scenario.

Don't forget about all the on-grade intersections too, a much bigger issue than the u-turn bays really that could just have a chain run across them to prevent illegal use.

I am not going to hold my breath on this one. In any case I would much rather see 130km/h limit with 3 lanes, I have been on the Hume enough times in heavy traffic where the disparity between people doing 100 and 110 plus the odd slower vehicle caused enough hassles that I'd rather not add people being 'entitled to drive 130 because that's what the speed limit is' into the mix - of course variable limits would help here, but would add to frustration levels at the same time (ie without the traffic that is holding you up you would be able to go faster still = double frustration)

Majestic, if you are saying you set the cruise to 120 on the speedo I'd agree with the above, by the time you take out speedo error you will be under what a police officer would pull you over for. I wouldn't apply the same to Vic any more however since they changed to 3km/h plus equipment tolerance. Likewise there would be a lot of truck drivers who at 100 + what they can get away with, are driving faster than car drivers at 110 - speedo error. I understand it has become a significant problem on the Newell Hwy.

[ltd_on20s]

just be wary, most cars today the ADR rules has your speedo set 5-8klms below what it shows you.

so all these people i newer cars thinking they are doing 100, are more then likely doing about 94.

stealth lowering of the speed limit.

[wulos]

Guys - let's keep the rascist insults out of it - lest this thread be closed as well.
Discussion is welcomed. Insults, rascism, and other breaches of AFF site T & C is NOT!!!

[dimka100]

I head the Australian government was thinking of introducing a 150Km/h speed limit ... and then I woke up

[GhiaEB]

Originally Posted by burnz

enforce the keep left for a start, plenty of money to be made there.

+1 This I like.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by irish2

Mate I've driven some old tired cars faster than 100km/h and they don't just fall off the road. It is surprising to see how slow people drive in their new cars. Big sweeping bends you will often see semi trailers overtaking the cars, because they are actually doing the speed limit and know their vehicle.

I have a front left shock that is not the best and it's done 70000km most think it's ok. it's not that bad but i am getting new ones.

Anyone driving along at 100km/h or faster could be ok but in an emergence situation it will not respond 100% and that could be the difference of having an accident.
Now if your incompetence killed or damaged how would you see it ?
It's not my fault ?
Pleading ignorance ?
It could be i don't care how fast you were going, the thing is someone was in charge driving on the road and someone may know the driver is just a foolish numb skull and a ignorant selfish twit.
I have seen cars driving down the road with the wheels bouncing about with the driver oblivious driving within the speed limit frowning at other cars passing him and he is thinking they are the idiots.

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by ltd_on20s

just be wary, most cars today the ADR rules has your speedo set 5-8klms below what it shows you.

so all these people i newer cars thinking they are doing 100, are more then likely doing about 94.

stealth lowering of the speed limit.

I don't want to shcok you but this has been going on since time immortal

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by castellan

Thanks bro.
Competent = knowledge, skill, capable of.
Decent shocks = good or adequate.
Decent tyres = not cheap pathetic junk that a dumb **** tight wad who goes looking for the cheapest they can get and then runs around boasting about the price he got as if it was a smart move, but the numskull would have no idea that your tyres are like a insurance policy and they may save a life. they are black and made out of rubber ? yes ignorant most are totally.

Mate, all these comments are full of holes.

What do you class as competant???? Gov't reckons once you've held your licence for 3 years or so.

Shocks. What do you class as adequate???? Some shocks create a harsh ride, yet some create a smooth ride. IMA, they should be changed every 40,000K.

Tyres... Don't even go there mate. Look round this forum for starters. People are always commenting they bought some brand name tyre cheap and swear by them. Others complain their big buck tyres are absolute crap.

Geez, I could get a flat with a you beaut modern high speed rated tyre, not feel it straight away and crash. Highly unlikely scenario, but strangely enough it has happened. So there goes that "insurance" policy quote of yours out the window.

Now back to the topic at hand.

[ILLaViTaR]

Originally Posted by flappist

Absolutely.

I heard a story of a person who wanted to connect to the internet on a Commodore 64 with a valve black and white television as a monitor.

It was perfectly good in 1984 so it still must be able to do everything the new ones do just as well if not better.

I wonder if he would have got upset if anyone said it was a rubbish computer.

Lol fairest analogy ever.

Regarding the topic I've never driven on the hume but on the Calder to Bendigo I was finding it hard to drive slower than 120km-130km.

It's 110km same limit as the Princes fwy (pakky-traralgon) which is basically a deathtrap compared to the calder.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by irish2

Whats wrong with a 40km/h speed disparity? If I'm driving on a suburban street I can legally pass cars with a 60km/h speed disparity. I don't see anyone braking to 5km/h, just to pass a parked car.

[GreenR]

Live next to the Hume. All my driving is on the Hume.

It can definitely handle a 120km limit.
130 though? I would say some sections (in VIC anyway.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by castellan

I have a front left shock that is not the best and it's done 70000km most think it's ok. it's not that bad but i am getting new ones.

Anyone driving along at 100km/h or faster could be ok but in an emergence situation it will not respond 100% and that could be the difference of having an accident.
Now if your incompetence killed or damaged how would you see it ?
It's not my fault ?
Pleading ignorance ?
It could be i don't care how fast you were going, the thing is someone was in charge driving on the road and someone may know the driver is just a foolish numb skull and a ignorant selfish twit.
I have seen cars driving down the road with the wheels bouncing about with the driver oblivious driving within the speed limit frowning at other cars passing him and he is thinking they are the idiots.

So ..... we keep dropping the limits because people flout the law and drive unroadworthy cars? UM ...... there is a flaw in your theroy .........

[vztrt]

Would love it to happen but we know it won't.

So just don't get caught out there.

[macman]

The Hume highway is an awesome piece of road. Loved driving every moment of it. I travelled from Sydney on the Hume Highway before turning onto the Sturt Highway through to Borambola and back late last year.

Great surface, clear markings, wide lanes, plenty of overtaking space and some beautiful views (eyes on the road lol)!

If anywhere was safe for an increase, I reckon a highway like this would be the place.

However, I think the current speed limit (110?) is more than suffice from my experience. I also think that the slow-coaches will still be doing well below the speed limit and the people who sit just over the speed limit still will.

I also believe it's that speed differentiation that is a substantial factor in high speed accidents therefor an increase has the potential to cause problems.

[tankclare]

We came home along the hume highway after burnout warriors at Goulburn last month. I agree the road is smooth and nice to drive on but in the rain it was like skating on ice at 110km/h. We had the car aqua plain pretty bad in a number of spots and to see a truck do it next to us while we were overtaking was an eye opener to say the least.

I support the 130km/h speed limits but maybe have variable speed limits for the wet like on the F3 between Newcastle and Sydney.

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by plarazza

Live next to the Hume. All my driving is on the Hume.

It can definitely handle a 120km limit.
130 though? I would say some sections (in VIC anyway.

The bit from Benalla to Seymour has sections that shouldn't be above 110km/h, around Euroa and Violet Town

[2011G6E]

Won't happen, full stop.

Hell, over the last year or so I've noticed a disturbing trend of people in "readers comments" sections on news sites, letters to the editor in various papers, talk back radio discussions, and ring-ins from people on the ABC radio to discussions on speed limits, where a lot of idiots are now starting to think that dropping ALL highway limits to 80kph would be "a good idea"..."think of the lives it would save", and "Your highway trip isn't going to be that much longer", and rubbish like that. We also see this push for 30kph in cities and towns, and "unbiased comparison running times" of two cars doing 30 and 60kph and how they allegedly turn up seconds apart at thier destination...which somehow disobeys some very fundamental laws of physics if it's true...
Let's hope this trend doesn't catch on...

[Falcon_Crazy]

Originally Posted by tankclare

We came home along the hume highway after burnout warriors at Goulburn last month. I agree the road is smooth and nice to drive on but in the rain it was like skating on ice at 110km/h. We had the car aqua plain pretty bad in a number of spots and to see a truck do it next to us while we were overtaking was an eye opener to say the least.

I support the 130km/h speed limits but maybe have variable speed limits for the wet like on the F3 between Newcastle and Sydney.

The variable is for a small section - it needs to be used more widely IMO. Variable will allow us to reduce back to 110 (And even lower during poor conditions).

[Brazen]

110kmh limit was introduced in the 1960s. Cars, tyres, licensing standards and roads have come a LONG way since then.

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

That makes sense. On one trip down the Hume I was thinking about how viewing distances on hill crests & corners would work for a higher speed limit and I remember there were quite a few areas where they were less than ideal - ie come over the top of a hill to find a couple of cars in the road after and accident and you would most likely be joining them because you would not have room to stop scenario.

One example that applies to my triangle and vest advocacy (crash scenes).

Another - to do with ADR (delete Part 8.5.1 of ADR13) 'rear fog' - to make mandatory on new market cars to reduce these incidents, typically blamed on 'speed' (Its the Hume btw):-
http://www.boostcruising.com.au/foru...owtopic=450922

Don't forget about all the on-grade intersections too, a much bigger issue than the u-turn bays really that could just have a chain run across them to prevent illegal use.

We (NSW) do have 'full freeway' lengths (Golburn, Mittagong et al), after my U-Turn bay treatments (see earlier Scribd link), I'd happily post 130km/h <insert plus vehicle safety gear>, BUT the dual carriageway lengths of Hume, not to freeway specification, as you say - those bearing "intersections" should be 110-120km/h range. NSW needs to discriminate between the two road qualities on this road, and the Pacific. The U-Turn bays, per capita having regard to vehicles using them ats Hume through traffic at intersections and interchanges, are 'dangerous' in design concept. Hence the treatments underway to deter the public from using them.

I am not going to hold my breath on this one. In any case I would much rather see 130km/h limit with 3 lanes,

Sure, but always remember, where in the 70's when the road was a two lane max route, I could drive at speeds well above 100km/h - say in the 110 - 180km/h range, legally. For most part safely, BUT as with all roads in that era, our 'toll' was ugly, as it was worldwide.

Originally Posted by Brazen

110kmh limit was introduced in the 1960s. Cars, tyres, licensing standards and roads have come a LONG way since then.

Yah. The NSW F3 ran northbound up to the existing Peats Ridge exit once, and was posted as you say 110km/h. You'd then be fed onto 'The Peats Ridge Road' and at the (//) signs - could legally increase speed, and that is what many folk did every second every day.

Family would typically vary speed 80 - through 160km/h on that road, and reduce at night, naturally. Kinda sad we have generations of Aussies who have never experienced the freedom and responsibility for ones own driving actions that comes from derestriction.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by svo supporter

Mate, all these comments are full of holes.

What do you class as competant???? Gov't reckons once you've held your licence for 3 years or so.

Shocks. What do you class as adequate???? Some shocks create a harsh ride, yet some create a smooth ride. IMA, they should be changed every 40,000K.

Tyres... Don't even go there mate. Look round this forum for starters. People are always commenting they bought some brand name tyre cheap and swear by them. Others complain their big buck tyres are absolute crap.

Geez, I could get a flat with a you beaut modern high speed rated tyre, not feel it straight away and crash. Highly unlikely scenario, but strangely enough it has happened. So there goes that "insurance" policy quote of yours out the window.

Now back to the topic at hand.

OK classing competent is just that by proving your self capable.

Shocks that are not bugged or below a standard of being a joke.

Tyres yes some so called cheap are not that bad, but i had in mind the old 14 -5 inch wheels 195 etc type i bought this for the wife's car as we are getting a new car and i thought why get good ones as most people would not care less. boy it's a shocker to drive now bloody dangerous, criminal in fact i would say. before i had confidence in it's ability.

I think you are just being silly with the insurance quote and just trying to play games with nonsense.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

So ..... we keep dropping the limits because people flout the law and drive unroadworthy cars? UM ...... there is a flaw in your theroy .........

I think it's more like we can not increase the speed limits to 130 because of and it's not a theory it's a fact.
I am all for 130km/h but there is a lot of no hoppers out their, have you driven in the smart state QLD. we don't have yearly roadworthy and the amount of s box cars on the roads is a joke.