[pumpkin blossom]

I do not speed, and have never needed to speed to let someone merge onto a road! That is a total cop out of an excuse.

And if someone is tailgating me at high speeds I keep my speed at the limit until I can move over. I did ONCE speed to let someone pass, but I honestly believe he was drunk or on drugs and didn't care if he killed himself, let alone anyone else. If a police person had seen that incident it certainly wouldn't have been me they would have been stopping.

[KJCherokee]

This thread is making the mistake of confusing being booked for speeding with the relevance of speed limits. Being fined for exceeding a posted speed limit is totally down to the driver - claiming you didn't know what speed you were doing because you were watching the road is a poor (and invalid) excuse.

However the actual posted speed limits are often farcical and it is difficult to see the reasoning behind them. For example the Ipswich motorway is limited to 90kph - for a brand new 6-lane motorway! It's basically because it's easier for politicians to lower speed limits and say they're making roads safer than to actually do anything about the root causes of "accidents" (which should usually be called "stupidities" instead).

[MUST LEAVE UK]

I found driving in Melbourne really stress less. The toyota I had only had km's on the speedo, so you cant really compare your speed to mph all the time. I just went with the flow and drove aussie, ie drive in any lane at any speed and ignore everyone else. Worked a treat.
In the UK I find it much more competative, keeping in the right lane, monitoring your speed against others, all as higher speeds as well.
Ignorance is bliss ? (aka a aussie driver)

[JAJ]

Originally Posted by KJCherokee However the actual posted speed limits are often farcical and it is difficult to see the reasoning behind them.

Revenue raising, possibly?

[DC10]

I love the way these posts inevitably bring out the speed limit puritans. People, you have obviously been living in Australasia for too long. You have joined the locals in trickling along incompetently at speeds far lower than are usually safe.

My favourite is the 40km/h temporary speed limits on the open road when there is a tiny little crack in the road surface, and/or a few long-abandoned orange cones on the roadside.

You folk must HATE it (and the locals must hate YOU) when you drive back in the UK or Europe and everyone else is flying along competently and safely, with very little enforcement.

[paulry]

Originally Posted by Alan Collett As an aside, are the speed limits on the freeways (eg Geelong to Melbourne) set so low because Aus drivers are incompetent? When I'm driving to our Southampton office on the M3 in the UK - sometimes at comfortably more than the equivalent of 100 km/hr - I'm far from the fastest driver on the road. To the OP: are you sure you shouldn't have a VIC licence? Best regards.

That's so true. Some years ago I got a couple of points too many for comfort on my UK licence, forcing me to religiously observe speed limits. I began setting the cruise control to just under the limit (but only a mph or two). I became one of the slowest cars on the road.

[stuartsummers1980]

Don't get me started on the driving over here. I actually think that if it weren't for me letting people out at junctions etc. that Melbourne's transport infrastructure would grind to a halt as you barely ever see Aussie drivers let people out or signal at roundabouts for that matter. I'm half expecting to get pulled over by the police one of these days and the officer saying to me, "excuse me sir, you let someone out at that last junction, and then proceeded to signal correctly at the roundabout, have you been drinking?" Also would someone please thank me for doing these curteous things!! Just a quick raise of the hand, nothing that'll cause you to lose control of the vehicle!

[NickFife]

Originally Posted by stuartsummers1980 Also would someone please thank me for doing these curteous things!! Just a quick raise of the hand, nothing that'll cause you to lose control of the vehicle!

Very true, never a thank you or raise of the hand. People drive around in their bubbles, completely unaware of the cars, bikes or pedestrians around them, which is why there are so many needless accidents here - usually at lower city speeds.

Originally Posted by paulry I began setting the cruise control to just under the limit (but only a mph or two). I became one of the slowest cars on the road.

I also agree that sitting around at cruise control is not the safest alternative. I do the same now and it only absolves my responsibility to monitor my speed relative to the conditions and traffic around me. Other cars are therefore forced to drive faster, become increasingly frustrated so weave in and out of lanes in a much more dangerous fashion.

[jimbo_d]

Originally Posted by DC10 I love the way these posts inevitably bring out the speed limit puritans. People, you have obviously been living in Australasia for too long. You have joined the locals in trickling along incompetently at speeds far lower than are usually safe. My favourite is the 40km/h temporary speed limits on the open road when there is a tiny little crack in the road surface, and/or a few long-abandoned orange cones on the roadside. You folk must HATE it (and the locals must hate YOU) when you drive back in the UK or Europe and everyone else is flying along competently and safely, with very little enforcement.

Watch out you don't stay here too long or you'll end up like the rest of us - i get scared when i go back and drive in the UK now. It's far too fast over there, imagine a motorway merging lane at 90mph here? I find the UK drivers aggressive and downright dangerous now with the lack of indicating and the speeds they drive up behind and whizz past to overtake. Much easier to potter along in the middle lane here and over or under take where necessary....

[moneypenny20]

Originally Posted by stuartsummers1980 Don't get me started on the driving over here. I actually think that if it weren't for me letting people out at junctions etc. that Melbourne's transport infrastructure would grind to a halt as you barely ever see random nationality drivers (in the area I drive in)let people out or signal at roundabouts for that matter. I'm half expecting to get pulled over by the police one of these days and the officer saying to me, "excuse me sir, you let someone out at that last junction, and then proceeded to signal correctly at the roundabout, have you been drinking?" Also would someone please thank me for doing these curteous things!! Just a quick raise of the hand, nothing that'll cause you to lose control of the vehicle!

Just altered your post so I don't have to make a long reply. People are always letting others into the line of traffic and waving thanks for being let out/in around here. I have no idea what their nationality is, we may wave thanks but we don't stop and exchange passport details.

[Luthien]

We sent our learner driver son to a defensive driver training course when he was 18. Well worth it. He uses public transport far more than driving though

[stuartsummers1980]

Originally Posted by moneypenny20 Just altered your post so I don't have to make a long reply. People are always letting others into the line of traffic and waving thanks for being let out/in around here. I have no idea what their nationality is, we may wave thanks but we don't stop and exchange passport details.

Where would your area be? Perhaps it's an area heavily populated by Brits?! Just to note my driving takes me all over Melbourne, as well as out to Bendigo and Ballarat, and I've done various driving down in and around the Peninsula and around Philip Island so we're not talking about an isolated area where I perhaps live. Likewise my job in London saw me driving around various areas on a daily basis so I feel I'm in a decent position to draw comparables. As for speculating on nationality, one would think based on the diversity of areas I drive in, that the majority of these drivers are Aus born and driver educated, but failing that the horrendous Collingwood stickers and Holden type vehicles that no Brit would be seen dead in, pretty much act as a passport in their own right.

[DC10]

Originally Posted by jimbo_d Watch out you don't stay here too long or you'll end up like the rest of us - i get scared when i go back and drive in the UK now. It's far too fast over there, imagine a motorway merging lane at 90mph here? I find the UK drivers aggressive and downright dangerous now with the lack of indicating and the speeds they drive up behind and whizz past to overtake. Much easier to potter along in the middle lane here and over or under take where necessary....

Funnily enough I did cop a pretty severe "flashing" back in the UK for a couple of weeks earlier this year when I strayed into the right lane doing "only" about 80mph. Fair cop, I said.

BTW the road (death) tolls (incidentally, why is this such a national obsession here compared to elsewhere?) on those dangerous UK motorways put any Aussie stats to shame. They must be doing something right.

[Alan Collett]

BTW the road (death) tolls (incidentally, why is this such a national obsession here compared to elsewhere?) on those dangerous UK motorways put any Aussie stats to shame. They must be doing something right.

If Australia was serious about the number of deaths on the road they would bring in an annual road worthy test (like the MOT in the UK). I'm sure there are some old vehicles on the road that are unsafe at 10km/h, let alone 110.

Agreed also about the need to "up your game" as soon as you start driving on UK roads after any period in Australia. You consciously have to become 100% more alert.

Onwards!

[DC10]

The roads here are carp too. Off/on ramps are far too abrupt. It's taking me time to get used to "freeways" featuring farm driveways and various other at-level intersections