NSW Speed zone split fairest in country, says report

http://smh.drive.com.au/roads-and-traffic/speed-zone-split-fairest-in-country-says-report-20111016-1lrkl.html


Speed zone split fairest in country, says report

THE NSW government should retain 70km/h and 90km/h speed zones and there is no justification motorists have a more confusing speed system than other states, a report reveals.

A report for Transport NSW by consultancy group ARRB has concluded ''70km/h and 90km/h speed limits should be retained as viable speed limit options for use on the NSW road network''.

But, despite the findings of his own report, the Roads Minister, Duncan Gay, confirmed last week that a review of NSW speed zoning guidelines had determined that 70km/h and 90km/h zones would be ''restricted''.

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''Motorists have complained there are too many confusing speed signs and we have listened to their concerns,'' he said. ''We want to ensure motorists can focus on the road when driving instead of constantly looking at changing speed signs."

The report, obtained by the Pedestrian Council of Australia under freedom of information laws, also shows NSW motorists are forced to change speed less frequently than their counterparts in the rest of the country and New Zealand.

In NSW, the minimum length that an 80km/h zone can be is two kilometres but in other states it is 800 metres, and 100km/h zones in NSW must be three kilometres but elsewhere they can be two kilometres.

The Pedestrian Council's chairman, Harold Scruby, said there was clear justification for keeping the two speed zones.

''Here we are calling for getting rid of 70km/h and 90km/h and having fewer speed changes and yet NSW has by far the most liberal length of minimum speed zones,'' Mr Scruby said.

''In every other jurisdiction, they comply with the Australian standard and yet in NSW, the minimum length is sometimes two or almost three times more than the rest of the country.''

The report, which included consultation with NSW Police, Motor Accidents Authority, NRMA, Department of Health and leading road safety experts, outlined environmental reasons for not increasing speed limits.

''In the Netherlands, there was a saving of 40 million litres of fuel when the mean speed on the motorways was reduced from 111km/h to 104km/h,'' the report says.

''Similarly, in New Zealand in 1996 there was an increase in fuel consumption by 10 per cent when the speed limit was increased from 100km/h to 110km/h on motorways.''

It also warned there was clear evidence to show adopting higher speed limits would result in ''more crashes and higher severity outcomes for a given road environment''.

''Where that road environment is not suited to higher speed limits, it is reasonable to expect that the occurrence and severity will likely be higher again. Equally … for many roads lower speed limit alternatives of 60km/h and 80km/h may not be appropriate … to the motoring community.''

A spokeswoman for the minister said: ''Factors taken into account when reviewing speed limits include road layout, the number and type of vehicles using the road, development around the road and crash history. The new guidelines balance this information and the need for more consistent speed limits.''