Skip to main content

Driver feedback causes rise in Queensland speed limits

Following a public review of speed limits on Queensland’s roads, the Queensland police service has revealed a further reduction in speeding tolerances will begin in a bid to reduce the state's road toll. Transport Minister Scott Emerson said the speed review was one of 60 actions announced as part of the Newman Government's $350 million, two-year Road Safety Action Plan and revealed most of the 3,300 submissions to the review wanted increased limits. "About 52 per cent of the submissions identified speed
September 20, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Following a public review of speed limits on Queensland’s roads, the Queensland police service has revealed a further reduction in speeding tolerances will begin in a bid to reduce the state's road toll.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson said the speed review was one of 60 actions announced as part of the Newman Government's $350 million, two-year Road Safety Action Plan and revealed most of the 3,300 submissions to the review wanted increased limits. "About 52 per cent of the submissions identified speed limits being too low and 32 per cent as being too high," Emerson said.

Road Policing Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating said police would continue to monitor compliance with speed limits and the impact on road safety.

"Our message today is drive to the posted speed limits; that is the maximum speed permitted to be travelled on the road at that time," he said. "As at midnight last night, the Queensland road toll was 201. This is six more road deaths than at the same date in 2012 and 27 more than at the same date in 2010. This is not acceptable."

Last year, it was reported that the state's antiquated camera system gave driver more leeway to speed than anywhere else in the country, as the system could not cope with a higher volume of fines.

Experts have also long called for the reduction, saying drivers factor in the unofficial speed limit.

Related Content

  • Putting a stop to intersection indecision
    March 9, 2015
    David Crawford takes a look at innovations to reduce crashes at rural intersections. Intersection crashes continue to represent a worryingly large share of deaths and serious injuries across US highway networks. Statistics from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration show that an average of 21% of road traffic accident deaths occur at crossings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) calculates that intersection crashes account for 48% of all injury-related i
  • Real-time travel information to roll out in South East Queensland
    October 20, 2014
    The South East Queensland government, Australia, is set to roll out real time travel information across South East Queensland from next month. Announcing the new technology, Transport and Main Roads Minister, Scott Emerson, said: “This new technology is all part of our strong plan for a brighter future to improve public transport for Queenslanders and boost the local economy. Real-time technology enables passengers to know exactly where their bus is in the morning which could mean enough time for an extr
  • Europe’s road safety gains have stagnated EU
    March 17, 2017
    Europe will fail to meet its road death targets as enforcement budgets are slashed and drivers face an epidemic of distractions. The European Union will not achieve its aim of halving the number of people killed on its roads each year by 2020, delegates to Tispol’s (the organisation of European traffic police) annual conference in Manchester were told. “The target will be missed because there was only a 17% decrease in road fatalities across Europe between 2010 and 2015 when [the rate of reduction] should h
  • Variable message signs continue to deliver travel information
    February 2, 2012
    Arguably the 'face' of ITS, variable message signs are far from being a passing solution