Latest news with #speedlimit
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Aussie drivers vote emphatically to change speed limits up to 130km/h, but here's why it won't be happening
Aussies feel the need … the need for speed. That's according to a number of recent online surveys that put the question to the country's motorists: Should the maximum speed limit be raised? Facebook page Australian put out its survey pondering whether the speed limit in Australia should increase to 130km/h, before car website Drive did the same, not too long after. Of the 21,200 votes on Facebook, more than 19,000 voted in favour of the move. That's 90 per cent. While Drive found just under 2000 of its 2,355 voters felt the same, comparing the higher speed limits present in European countries. Apple wallet replaces car keysHyundai's Ioniq 9 allows owners to replace traditional car keys with the wallet app in their iPhone, as David McCowen reports. 'Do it like Europe, variable speed limits. No reason not to go 130 in the middle of the night on the M1. The old argument of wildlife. The last time I saw a kangaroo between Brisbane and Sydney on the M1 must have been a decade ago. More deer, etc., on European or American roads,' one user said. 'If you have answered no to this, you should proceed to your local VICRoads, etc and hand in your driver's licence. Because you can't drive,' another said emphatically. The overwhelmingly resounding yes however was a bit more spread in the comments section, with many voicing some concerns. 'No. Because half of the drivers can't handle a car at 60km/h,' one said. 'Hit a kangaroo doing 130 and it wouldn't turn out too good for you,' another said. However many believe the move would never happen due Aussies lack of driver education. 'I'm all for higher limits on outback highway, as this would help with fatigue-related accidents,' one response said. The overwhelmingly resounding yes, however, was a bit more spread in the comments section, with many voicing some concerns. 'No. Because half of the drivers can't handle a car at 60km/h,' one said. 'Hit a kangaroo doing 130 and it wouldn't turn out too good for you,' another said. However, many believe the move would never happen due to Aussies' lack of driver education. 'I'm all for higher limits on outback highway, as this would help with fatigue-related accidents,' one response said. The idea has often been a topic of hot discussion; however, it has never received any real political push for action on the matter. In the five decades since the 110km/h speed limit was introduced, only a select few zones in the Northern Territory have been expanded to allow drivers to go 130km/h. Another factor is the rise in road fatalities. Despite safer cars, around 30 per cent of crashes across the country in the past year have occurred at speeds over 100km/h, another deterrent for any real change.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
'My son is scared, he doesn't want to live here' after crash says Wycombe resident
A fatal crash on Daws Hill Lane has left residents "scared" and calling for change. The busy road in High Wycombe regularly sees car crashes, according to residents who have said their mental health is being impacted. There has been no statement from police on the cause of the fatal crash on July 24. The force has not linked speeding or road layout to the crash. READ MORE: Daws Hill Lane floral tributes after Wycombe fatal crash | Bucks Free Press Residents of Daws Hill Lane have expressed their fear about collisions on the road and have said they want to see improved signage, a change to the speed limit, speed cameras and speed bumps. Members of the community expressed concern about the road, which has multiple schools on it. Rehana Mehmod stated: "My son is scared, he doesn't want to live here any more." She expressed that she is scared too and said, "it is really bad". Rehana praised the emergency services for their quick response, but said that there needs to be something changed on the road to protect people. She stated that collisions on the road are regular and said she would never get used to them, that it is always a shock. One resident added that she would like to see speed bumps on the road, and another said he wanted any traffic calming measures. READ MORE: Daws Hill Lane fatal crash Wycombe family ran to help | Bucks Free Press Lasen Wanni Arachchige said: "We think that it would be good to get a 30 speed limit, maybe a speed camera." His mother, Shamanthi added that she has seen a lot of crashes on the road with cars and debris ending up in her driveway. She expressed that it has become overwhelming for the family which has been living on the road since 2016. She said: "It is impacting my younger one, his mental health." The family had rushed to the scene after hearing the crash on July 24, had attempted to help and called 999. Lasen described their swift reaction as being just instinct. He said he was in shock, but said that they are "used to accidents happening". The family is appealing for change on the road.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Speed sign clocks car doing 69mph through village within month of being up
Parish councillors at Mawnan Smith's monthly meeting at the Memorial Hall were visibly shocked when it was revealed a vehicle had sped through the village at 69 miles per hour. The parish council clerk, Melissa Mercer, told the meeting that the details of the irresponsible actions of the driver were provided by the newly-installed speed indicator device. The device had only been set up on Sampy's Hill in mid June and this was the first set of figures from the data actually charting the speed of incoming and outgoing traffic. For a village with a 20-mile per hour speed restriction – there is a second device in place at Shute Hill in the vicinity of the school – the analysis did not make for comfortable reading. Although much of the detail has still to be analysed, Mrs Mercer revealed that the number of vehicles recorded as travelling at below 20 miles per hour was less than 30 per cent, and those travelling at more than 40 miles per hour was around eight per cent. Maureen Bate, who heads the Mawnan Speedwatch Group, said they carry out speed checks on Shute Hill: 'The scheme has been in place for around a couple of years now, but generally when the group meets it spends just an hour monitoring the speed of vehicles passing through the village. 'During the last 12-month period that ended on July 2, we found that 272 vehicles exceeded the speed limit, which is quite alarming. 'We are only a small group so if there is anybody out there who would like to join us then please get in touch.' The council has been pressing for a pavement to be placed in the village from Lowenna Fields on Sampy's Hill all the way down into the centre of the village and these figures should ensure that something needs to be done to help prevent a tragedy in the future. At present pupils attending the village school have to walk down the busy main road from Lowenna Fields until they reach the pavement near the village shop. Mrs Mercer said: 'There is a clear need for a pavement from Lowenna Fields down into the centre of the village with the pavement lowered for vehicles to access the road when leaving and entering their properties. 'The community would like a crossing at the top and bottom of Sampy's Hill so they can safely access the pavement not just from Lowenna Fields and the houses on Sampy's Hill, but also from Carlidnack Road.' There is a vast increase in holiday traffic through the village during the summer with Glendurgan Garden, Trebah Garden, Durgan, Helford Passage and several beaches always popular destinations. The speed indicator device will remain in place for some time yet with traffic being monitored throughout the holiday period and, of course, details being assessed against traffic when the school is closed for the summer holiday.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
A616 Crow Edge speed limit cut to improve safety
A stretch of road outside Barnsley will have its speed limit reduced and parking restrictions imposed after numerous crashes, some A616 will see the 40mph zone through Crow Edge village extended, with 50mph buffer zones added to slow approaching drivers, Barnsley Council said."No stopping" zones will also be added, following complaints of vehicles parking on measures come after two people were killed at Hazlehead crossroads in the last five years, while the road has seen three major pile-ups between October 2023 and May 2024. Crow Edge residents have raised repeated complaints about vehicles blocking pavements and obstructing views when pulling out onto the main road, according to the Local Democracy Reporting James Higginbottom, cabinet member for environment and highways said: "These measures target the specific problem spots where bad parking causes danger and blockages, and we've planned for where parked vehicles might try to move to."Some people had called for a stricter 30mph limit, but police had concerns about enforcing it, said a council stated the new 40mph/50mph buffer plan was the best achievable also said the parking restrictions for lorries would not affect on-street parking directly in front of measures would cost about £68,500, paid for by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined council said it would now make the legal orders needed and its highways team would carry out the work. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why the speed limit on stretch of I-74 near Peoria has changed
Drivers traveling on Interstate 74 near Peoria will notice that the speed limit now remains 55 mph for about a mile longer. A speed limit interchange, one which dictates a change from 55 mph to 70 mph, on I-74 near the Pinecrest Drive interchange, has been moved one mile east, thus meaning there is a longer distance of interstate where the speed limit is 55 mph on I-74 between Peoria and Morton. The Illinois Department of Transportation told the Journal Star said this change was made because crash data showed a "disproportionate" number of accidents taking place due to wet pavement along the curve traveling westbound. The speed limit sign signaling a shift to 70 mph had previously been located on the curve. It is now about a mile farther east near the Pinecrest interchange. "By moving the 55 MPH speed limit one mile east, motorists will have more time to slow down prior to the curve. We are also evaluating additional potential improvements to reduce crashes in this area," IDOT said in a statement. More: Amphitheater once proposed for Washington could find home on Peoria riverfront This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Why the speed limit on I-74 near Peoria has changed Solve the daily Crossword
