Rule number 1 – always give way to larger vehicles.

Rule number 2 – learn and observe rule number 1

At 130km/h you are alert and driving with so much more attentiveness.

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While I believe that most interstate HWYs could have thier speed limits rasied to 130KPH safely, I dont agree with saying you are more alert at 130k, While it may be true for the first hour or so, after that you become imunne to the sensation of speed and you still end up with the same HWY stupor.

I have lived in the NT for a few years and found that even with the speed limit set to 130k most people still sit at 100/110k, its been drumed into peoples brains for so long that travelling any faster will make you immediatly crash and burst into flames, that most people have a aversion to travelling at those speeds.

My biggest issue on the HWYs, other than the already mentioned falure to keep left is the inabillty of people to overtake. Many times I have come up behind a convoy of cars sitting behind a slow lead car, all having to crawl behind all because the second car wont or is incappable of overtaking even when safe.

While I think part of the cause is the driver, I also want to lay blame a the type of cars people are driving, now that economy is the the new catch word, cars are being made that are bearly cappable of pulling thier own wieght let alone being able to overtake out on the HWYs.

Case in point my GF auto 2003 pulsar, great car around town but get it out on the HWY and its usless, if you try and overtake by putting your foot down all you get is more noise and bugger all else, so you end up sitting in that damm convoy, praying that the next overtaking lane comes before you loose your sanity.

I just wish that people would understand that saving a buck fifty per hundred ks is nice, but not if it comes at the cost of automotive competence.

Performance is not a dirty word.

You should visit Ivanhoe in Melbourne to observe “drivers” who are largely ignorant of road rules.
Consolidated revenue would make a killing from the number of “drivers” who don’t indicate, giveway, use mobile phones and practically everything else which is against the law.
Apathy runs rampant in Ivanhoe!

Stephen

Not so long ago the HWYs and most open roads where unrestricted. Speed limits where decreased because of the enormous revenue raising potential, Govts then launched massive speed kills campaigns so the decrease in limits would be accepted by people. Even though cars have gotten much safer limits have gone down. The speed kills nutters that Govts like to listen to, are always some uni professor who hates cars, and whos personal opinion is that everyone should ride bicycles, trains and walk.

P.S. – Thanks to all those Brisbane driver’s who feel the need to indicate right when travelling straight through a roundabout…

Anyway, rant over :P

I wouldn’t want to live in the North Shore then. Must smell like sh*t despite all the leaves.

I think a lot of the “speed up, slow down” problem on the freeways is due to the money grubbing cops. Instead of concentrating on the road and the conditions, people are constantly watching their speedo and correcting their speed instead of driving according to the conditions because of the revenue-raising tactics of the respective state governments.

As for normal roads city suburbs etc this shouldnt be applicable as you don’t know if people are turning right soon and have a legit reason to hold up people behind.

As for Freeways pushing the speed limit to 130, don’t think its a good idea, as a getting older country I don’t want a not so responsive elderly trying to control their car at that speed let alone everyone else doing 130 and they are on 80 – thats a 50km/h difference if you plan to merge left from behind a big truck getting ready to exit the freeway, and theres a person doing 80 on that side – game over….