Gary...80km/hr sounds like hard work for your reindeers mate?.....particularly the brown nose one at the back that did not see the other reindeers' brake lights.?.....Lol
When I exceed 80km/85 Km/hr with my Land Rover Disco Diesel TD5 and 20' Jayco it just does not seem right or safe to me.....it seems/feels the perfect speed both for safety and fuel economy....to hell with all those intimidating drivers that come up fast and sit on my tail pushing you to go faster....its what passing lanes are for IMO......I guess I'm the old fart John Williamson sung about on the Freeway.....two to the Valley to you too mate.......Hoo Roo....

Pull over when safe but dont let people push to to do speeds that you consider are unsafe.

I tow a Suzuki behind the MH... Hand book state max speed 90k.. if I allow myself to get pushed to 100k and somthing goes wrong.. No insurance, total liability if someone is injured etc.
hopefully those that follow understand that some have to follow reduced speed limits to remain safe and complient.

cheers

Mike

I'm an 80 to 90km/hr driver too & have been for many years.

On an early trip up to Hervey Bay, I tried to move with the traffic.  Easy with the 4.2 EFI Partol.  Looked down & found that I was doing 110 & they were still lining up to pass.  Bugger them.  Back to the speed limit & let them pass at the next overtaking lane.

Now that I have become a slower driver, I constantly look for an opportunity to indicate my intention & pull over to let them pass.

What we need is not higher speed limits but more constant speed limits ..  ie not up & down from say 60 to 80 & then back to 60 for little apparent reason, or to 40 for non existent road works.

Cupie, your comments are exactly what I meant by my statements....the real dangerous situations are caused by the cowboys that will intimidate and push you along..if they can or if you allow them at ANY speed...if someone is in front of them then you have to be passed according to their driving creed...I always pull over if I can but not to MY detriment just to please them....as an aside has anyone experienced the Truck Cowboys on the Pacific Highway who work for the same Company that invariably stack up side by side on the Dual passing lane thereby not allowing anyone to pass so they maintain their constant speed and no doubt work to their timetable..not what the highway dictates is safe speed according to traffic flow...they are the real menace and it has happened to me so many times I don't care how many Truckies now come on and try and validate their actions....sometimes I even find myself sandwiched between two trucks on left passing lane going up with one truck sitting in the right lane effectively hemming one in....its all about their timetables...and I hate to think if they are also taking something to pep them up...before the recent police blitzes how many had Truck Cowboys come up behind and pass doing well over 100K/Hr and all you can see is their sign saying limited to 100K/hr.....now compare all the above actions to me going 85K/hr at constant and predictable speed...its not about being a grey nomad its madness towing 20' plus rigs at higher speeds when you can be affected by wind gusts, and wind created by passing trucks/ road trains......I have never had a speeding ticket or an accident since obtaining my Licence in S.A. in 1965 and I have driven all over Australia many times, like many members here......to hell with those that attempt to intimidate me on the road or tell me I should change my driving pattern after 48 years of avoiding trouble by the law or morons on the road.......Hoo Roo.....

I can remember when at the exit to the town limit there was a derestriction sign.

I would aagree that there should be NO speed limit outside a built up  area and with today's forensic capability, if you have an accident the police can determine the cause, if that cause is "failure to drive to the conditions" you should be charged with that offence.

If you are observed by the police to be driving in a "dangerous manner" ie:- speeding where it is inappropriate, be charged with that offence.

We are not all sheep and need to be treated as such, some of us can actually drive in a safe and responsible manner.

Ken

I believe , a few spots could be raised - Broken Hill to Cobar , to 115 .

Similar areas , as long as the road is in a good condition .

I got my licence when it was mph , I have driven in America where it is still mph .

Here now it seems everybody wants to get on th road & killmetres , not make a mile .

I just come back from KI & last w/end in Adel . Said hello to Granny for 1/2hr on Sun night .

Did 2500k in 28hrs , & only had cc on 112 between th Hill & Cobar , but , from Hwy 1(@Chris's)

to Pt Augusta , I set cc @100 & it is 110 most of the way . As I said , having driven in USA , where

some speed limits are 75mph .

Just think , if I had to put that in "a work diary" I would likely get about $60k in fines . 8 cameras

& no 7hr break

Here, here Gary. 80/85kph is plenty fast enough for me apart from being the Pajero's best economy speed. Are we really in that much of a hurry?????

GaryKelly wrote:

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They can raise speed limits all they like but I won't be affected. I'll be doing my 80 and 90km/h in my rig with an eye on the fuel gauge.

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 Sorry Gary but you will be affected.  Me too.  First, by the possibility of fines for going too slow -more than 20kph below the speed limit- and secondly, by the increased risk of collisions to the rear from vehicles travelling at the 130kph proposed by the feckless Qld Minister for Transport, Scott Emerson, who really ought be re-named the Minister for Self-Promotion.  He puts out so many press releases.  This fool,

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-government-relaxes-bike-helmet-rules-for-people-who-must-wear-religious-headwear/story-e6freoof-1226626808441

On the Brisbane to the Gold Coast highway, one of the 'high quality' roads where a 130kph speed limit could apply, you will see many long sections of road sporting hundreds of skid marks and forgotten bits of cars.  For those familiar with the road, the Logan area is one such.  After rain, the grass verges show deep scars from where vehicles have left the road, the drivers having lost control through 'unexpected' events.

I would like to see unrestricted speeds outside city limits.  But many people don't seem to be able to control their vehicles, and drivers who commit serious breaches are allowed to retain their licence.  Extra training doesn't help, they choose to offend.

 To all those who wish to sit on 80 -90 Klm per hour, That's fine, as you have the right to do that, However please remember to be aware of traffic behind you ?? as you do Not have the right to Impede the flow of traffic, Nothing annoys me more than being on a highway with a 110 Kph limit, and seeing a long line of traffic being held up by someone sitting on 80 kph and , Remember we are not all greynomads, who can wander at leisure ??? other people still have a real world time table to live by ?? Remember at 80 k you are 20 k under the limit and if in a 110 zone you are 30 k under the limit, !!

Tony , each to they're own , I had sleep on th way home .

In fact I pulled up 40min from home & had an hour & a half ,

maybe I could have pushed on , I HAVE ALLWAYS known my limits

on driving while tired  . I get tired I STOP . Being Aware & switched on ALL The time

I am behind the wheel may make a difference , bit like driving a fire truck .

Just because I may have a siren wailing & angry lights on , I Still Have to Obey

EVERY road rule . There has been one exception , I drove a Semi Water tanker during

a State of Emergency a coupl of months ago. I did not have to have a work diary ,

2 of us relieved each other each 12hrs . As soon as the emergency was over the Semi is

reverted back to a normal truck.

As I can see with some of the replies , the Attitude & inflexibility of some of the replies , makes

me think why the road toll Is so high . No it's NOT the roads , no it's Not cars or conditions . Yes

it is still the thing attached to the steering wheel ,

th nut

Zoomtopz, this is NOT a personal attack, but I DO NOT want to share the road with someone who has driven 2500k in 28 hours.

Very little time for sleep in those figures. As the road signs say: Driving tired kills.

Cheers, Tony

 Glassies wrote,  ----   the one thing i hate is the driver doing 85 90 ks in a 100 zone on single lane then the passing lane appears and yup the foot goes down and no one can pass frustrating specialy in a truck .

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I am with you on that one Dibs,   That can be so annoying, 

You know I think as we all get older, we do lose a little confidence on the road, and slow down accordingly, and because we have spent many years on the road, and have not had an accident, or hardly been booked, we fall into the false Impression that Hey look at my record, I must be a good driver !!!! Yet they defeat that Ideaology by driving 10-15 Klm below the speed limit, And i do not mean when they are Towing ? As that is a completely different ball game. I have driven a Minimum of 85000 Klm per year for the last 15 years, And My record is pretty good, 1 accident 30 years ago, [not at fault] and I have been booked twice by police, and four times by camera In all that time, 

If I ever get to the stage of not feeling confident enough to '' Go with the flow'' and keep up with traffic sitting on the Legal limit, ?? Then I would need to question my future driving habits ??

nomadic1 wrote:

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One thing in this argument that strikes me is that the comparison is always between speed limitson Australian roads and European (usually German) roads. I've driven on Australian roads and German autobahns (the ones with no speed limit) and, believe me, there's no comparison. There are a few roads in Australia that might be able to cope with the increased speed limit but they'd be very few and far between.

---

 Yep, and when they have a prang on those autobahns they have a doozy http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063645/Three-killed-huge-52-vehicle-crash-German-autobahn-fog.html What's more it's not open slather - if the cops decide your car is not suitable for the autobahn it gets towed and you get fined and have to pay for the tow - there ain't to many 200 series cruisers with a 25' jayco on the back scooting down the autobahn

tonyd wrote:

---

Zoomtopz, this is NOT a personal attack, but I DO NOT want to share the road with someone who has driven 2500k in 28 hours.

Very little time for sleep in those figures. As the road signs say: Driving tired kills.

Cheers, Tony

---

 Couldn't agree more Tony. Research shows that 16 hours without sleep is equivalent to having a BAC of .05 (the legal limit) so you can imagine what concentration levels would be like after 28 hours.

D and D wrote,

 Yep, and when they have a prang on those autobahns they have a doozy http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063645/Three-killed-huge-52-vehicle-crash-German-autobahn-fog.htmlWhat's more it's not open slather - if the cops decide your car is not suitable for the autobahn it gets towed and you get fined and have to pay for the tow - there ain't to many 200 series cruisers with a 25' jayco on the back scooting down the autobahn 

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Thats  a pretty good strike rate really ??? 52 cars == 3 Dead, In Vic a couple of years back we had  a one vehicle crash == with 6 Dead 

And if you gogle the comparison of Road deaths in Germany per Capita of Population ??? I think you will find they have a much better record than we do ?

dazren wrote:

---

D and D wrote,

 Yep, and when they have a prang on those autobahns they have a doozy http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063645/Three-killed-huge-52-vehicle-crash-German-autobahn-fog.htmlWhat's more it's not open slather - if the cops decide your car is not suitable for the autobahn it gets towed and you get fined and have to pay for the tow - there ain't to many 200 series cruisers with a 25' jayco on the back scooting down the autobahn 

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Thats  a pretty good strike rate really ??? 52 cars == 3 Dead, In Vic a couple of years back we had  a one vehicle crash == with 6 Dead 

And if you gogle the comparison of Road deaths in Germany per Capita of Population ??? I think you will find they have a much better record than we do ?

---

 You're right Dazren, Germany does have a lower road toll per capita than a number of developed countries including Australia but that's not because of the unrestricted speed limit that only applies on parts of the autobahn, its because of a higher level of policing and the increased enforcement of standards. The ABC or SBS ran a 4 part doco on the autobahn a couple of years back and the police there have a take no prisoners policy. They rigidly enforce the rules and regulations and if you don't like it get off the unrestricted speed section of the autobahn and onto the speed restricted part of the national highway system which is just as rigorously enforced but to a slightly lower standard. What's more the engineering expertise that they pour into their road system is amazing. It makes our road system pale in comparison - but then again, we don't pay as much for our roads either.

dazren wrote:

---

D and D wrote,

 Yep, and when they have a prang on those autobahns they have a doozy http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063645/Three-killed-huge-52-vehicle-crash-German-autobahn-fog.htmlWhat's more it's not open slather - if the cops decide your car is not suitable for the autobahn it gets towed and you get fined and have to pay for the tow - there ain't to many 200 series cruisers with a 25' jayco on the back scooting down the autobahn 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thats  a pretty good strike rate really ??? 52 cars == 3 Dead, In Vic a couple of years back we had  a one vehicle crash == with 6 Dead 

And if you gogle the comparison of Road deaths in Germany per Capita of Population ??? I think you will find they have a much better record than we do ?

---

 Hi folks

Thought I'd chuck my 20 cents in;

Worked in Germany for many years for a leading car manufacturer.  We used to use the Autobahn's for testing vehicle (pre-production masked up type of stuff). 

In the early 2000's they actually reduced the speed limits and there is now not an open Autobahn policy and there is a reason.  With the advent of European and worldwide travel too many tourists were getting wiped out because they did not have the appreciation for speed, nor the "rules of the road" knowledge.  I have driven at some extremely high speeds, but the drivers in front were conditioned to the speeds and the "rules" (unwritten) and it worked fine.  A quick flash of the lights indicated to the driver in front that you were "on a mission" and they would ALWAYS pull into the middle lane, it was a "condition", unlike today if you flash somebody they generally flip into roadrage!! Anyway, as people began to travel more around the world and more people visited Germany from within Europe (as it was easy to hop on the Euro tunnel and take the car for a spin on the Autobahn - because they could) it all started to go pearshaped and the same will happen here.

I have got used to a much slower pace but appreciate that people are in a hurry, I pull over and use the UHF, it works well for me.  But to all of a sudden increase the speed MAY be a bit of a wrong move, in my opinion.

Anyway, a good topic of conversation with many views for and against.

Mark