Melbourne speed limits to be overhauled over the next 4 years.

[321Go]

Confusing speed limits to be axed

Date: August 14, 2012 - 5:22PM


Confusing speed limits will be axed on dozens of roads across Victoria over the next four years.

There will be fewer speed changes for drivers, with 70km/h zones going either down to 60 or up to 80, and 90km/h zones being converted to either 80 or 100.

Under the plan, 80km/h buffer zones set up to ease the transition between 60km/h and 100km/h zones will also be phased out.

Sign clutter will be reduced on busy roads with contradictory or unnecessary signs set to be removed, while state-wide guidelines for 40km/h pedestrian zones will also be put into place.

Roads Minister Terry Mulder announced the shake-up today following a review of speed limits by VicRoads.

Mr Mulder used Carlisle Street and Balaclava Road in St Kilda as an example of a section of road with confusing speed limits. The five-kilometre stretch of road has 11 speed limit changes, forcing drivers to alternate between 60km/h and 40km/h.

Under the changes the number of zones will be reduced to five, but the drive will take longer to complete as existing 40km/h zones have been extended.

More than 600 submissions were received from the public for the review, which was announced in August last year. Of these submissions, 165 suggested speed limits at a location be lowered, 64 asked for higher speed limits in specific areas and 75 said permanent 40km/h school zones around schools were unnecessary.

Speed limits in 59 of the 400 locations that were examined as part of the review will be changed in the next four years.

The recommendations were made in conjunction with representatives from Victoria Police, the Department of Justice, the Transport Accident Commission, the RACV, the Municipal Association of Victoria and Monash University’s Accident Research Centre.

VicRoads road safety executive director David Shelton said the changes “will deliver speed limits that are simpler and easier to comply with”.

He said there were “robust scientific engineering reasons” for speed limits and that information plates would be placed underneath some speed signs to better explain the rationale behind the limits.

“There are reasons for why a speed limit is the way it is, particularly when the speed limit is lower than what they would expect and we will be providing better information plates under signs at critical locations,” Mr Shelton said.


Link: http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/c...814-245mg.html

A this good news, or a bad move?
Some speed limits will either go up by 10km/h, or down by 10km/h. I think I know which of those is more likely to happen .
And more 40km/h zones to be introduced.

[Bossxr8]

Just an excuse to drop the speed limits, so they can rake in more revenue.


Victoria- The nanny state.

[321Go]

Transition zone buffers to be removed aswell. So potentially one could find themselves going from a 100km/h zone straight into a 60km/h zone!!??
No doubt with a mobile speed camera just after the 60km/h sign.

Better upgrade the brakes to V8 Supercar spec, cause you'll need to wipe off 40km/h in a matter of seconds.

[Kryton]

No speed zone will go up - wont happen.
If your happy travelling along now at 70kmh, get used to it being 60kmh in the future.
Joe Dumb cant be trusted with a higher speed limit anywhere.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by 321Go

Transition zone buffers to be removed aswell. So potentially one could find themselves going from a 100km/h zone straight into a 60km/h zone!!??
No doubt with a mobile speed camera just after the 60km/h sign.

Better upgrade the brakes to V8 Supercar spec, cause you'll need to wipe off 40km/h in a matter of seconds.

In order to do that they will have to put up warning signs saying there is a big speed drop....

As an example.... if the zone is a 100... then 80... then 60.... if they remove the 80, in its spot they will need a sign... 60AHEAD.... to warn you of the big drop in speed limit coming up.

If they dont do that, then one could certainly take it to court if one was fined because there was no warning sign posted.

[Jim Goose]

But since they are only removing 90 and 70kmh zones.. it shouldnt be a drama.
And yes i doubt they will put limits up... more like down.

[JG66ME]

The 80k buffer zone is to be replaced by a 60 AHEAD. Far more sensible.

[Papou]

Similar thing was done in NSW a few months ago ?

[GTP owner]

I remember when they got rid of the 75km/h zones - not one went up. Nearly all went down to 60, and fines went up to make us obey them. Yep, Victoria sucks

[Ben73]

with 70km/h zones going down to 60 and 90km/h zones being converted to 80.... no matter what .

FIXED from the article.

[Franco Cozzo]

I know what is going to happen to my local area, they let the main highway out of our area get in such disrepair with potholes that people ended up doing a lot of damage to their cars, shattered wheels, bottoming out cars, mum bent a steel wheel and damaged a tyre hitting one big pothole at night.

We all asked the council for compensation and they told us that its VicRoads problem, so we approached them and they politely to go get fudged and that it was our responsibility to avoid potholes.

So it got to the stage where some citizens got some legal representation together and looked at taking class action against VicRoads for damages, then suddenly the road got fixed.

Then later they announce that to make the road safer instead of fixing the road they would lower the speed limit to 80km/h from 100...

So I know what is going to happen here.

With VicRoads, even when they know they are in the wrong they will drag you through court even if they will lose, to deter other people from trying the same.

While I'm at it, what about the Monash freeway after the burnley tunnel? They fixed it all up its like 4 lanes wide, could eat breakfast from that road its so nice and then they reduce the speed limit from 100km/h to 80? If anything it should have gone up to 110?

If that goat track Calder highway can be 110km/h so can other newer freeways.

[Silver Ghia]

Absolutely ridiculous. Now we will be stuck in 40 and 60 zones for much longer distances, with these speed limits lowered. So to remove the perceived excuse that "I never saw the sign". Now they will be fining drivers doing anything between 83 and 90 kph in a 80 zone where it was previously deemed safe at 90kph. If it was safe at 90/70kph, why reduce it to 80/60kph? Just because drivers were making the feable excuse they never saw the signs?

The only thing that makes sense is doing away with the 80kph buffer zones on the fringes of country towns, and removing sign clutter around speed limit signs. Should have just left it at that.

Oh, the Monash University’s Accident Research Centre and TAC were involved in the decision, they are concerned about pedestrian safety when they cross the road while ignoring approaching vehicles. Drivers are always at fault regardless of who is actually at fault.

[Trump]

And yet people still accept that Govco represents them...

[EDManual]

Seriously if you cant understand a speed limit sign, you shouldnt be on the road. (I understand them, and dont get confused by them, *but may not do what they say)

[Trump]

ED, the confusion doesn't lie with the signs themselves, its the fact that there are examples where the speed zones change that often within a short stretch of road, that it becomes hard to keep track of what the speed limit is whether you are actually driving at or below the limit for the given section of road.

[2011G6E]

Now if they could only get tossers to slow down for road works...

[Drizz06]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Now if they could only get tossers to slow down for road works...

Amen to that! I seem to always be the only car slowing down for the poor buggers just trying to do there job! And I quite often get abused for it!

As for the speed changes... Well it won't affect me to much as most roads are car parks these days anyways. The step down from 100km to 60km will be a instant money maker thou.

[Auslandau]

while state-wide guidelines for 40km/h pedestrian zones will also be put into place.

Does this mean we can now only do 40km/h on the footpath???


What is a pedestrian zone? I do understand through busy shopping strips, school knock off times ...... but St Kilda Rd is now a pedestrian zone??? I thought it was a 2 lane main Rd but obviously not.

[GCRXR6]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Now if they could only get tossers to slow down for road works...

Yeah .. slow down for the road works on the Cap Highway and get overtaken ... while they're shakin' the fist at ya. Richard craniums.

[falconnut]

corrent me if i am wrong but outside of highways and country roads i did not see any speed signs that where over 100km/h

There where a couple of derestricted signs but no 110km/h like we have here in NSW/QLD

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

The only thing that makes sense is doing away with the 80kph buffer zones on the fringes of country towns, and removing sign clutter around speed limit signs. Should have just left it at that.
.

taking taxis around melbourne, i get to see a lot of the signs. they certainly do have too many, seen speed zone changes often only 50 meters apart.

They should also be able to save a lot of money on signage. I imagine they have to replace them every few years, and if they only have to buy the 4 zones, that'll save some too.

[Trevor 57]

Melbourne Victorian speed limits to be overhauled over the next 4 years.

Just a small correction to the title - sorry

[Outbackjack]

The only thing that we can be sure will come come of this is what ever they do it will be revenue positive. Vic guberment has never done anything to contribute to road safety. Only revenue.

[LTDHO]

It sucks to live in Victoria!

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

It sucks to live in Victoria!

I would never live there, but it's a good place to invest into property. Second only to Darwin.

[tranquilized]

I was driving down Bell Street in Melbournes north this morning, and it reminded me of this rort.

over 8kms of divided road, 3 lanes each way with a current speed limit of 70.

So to avoid all that terrible and dangerous confusion, the kind souls will reduce the limit to 60 - and you watch the speed cameras infest the area the very next day

[Silver Ghia]

Maybe a new numberplate slogan "Victoria - Slowing Down"

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

taking taxis around melbourne, i get to see a lot of the signs. they certainly do have too many, seen speed zone changes often only 50 meters apart.

If they are only 50m apart, agreed, but I think the real confusing ones everywhere in the suburbs, are those 40kph zones with times attached. You need to read the times on the sign, then see what the time is, to work out what speed you can travel at. And if your car hasnt got a clock like my MGB, then it becomes a problem.

[zilo]

No one will keep left anymore in Vic due to this crazy policy of removing 90 km/h.

Being told that they must keep left for 80k and above means "don't keep left ever unless it's a 100km/h on a freeway and as long as you personally reckon it's not busy"

They will reckon cause they are doing a 100km/h that they shouldnt have anyone passing them, anyway.


Absolutely no bloody idea by VicRoads.

The keep left message as per usual not even considered as relevant.