What are the speed limits in your part of the world and how strictly are they enforced?

I get the impression from what I read that we are getting a bad deal here in Australia. Many of you talk about travelling at 90mph (145km/h) and more overseas. Our limits range from 40, 50 and 60km/h on residential streets through to 60, 70 and 80km/h on arterial roads to 80, 90, 100 and 110km/h on rural roads, highways, motorways and freeways. Nowhere is the limit higher than 110km/h (69mph) except in unpopulated parts of the Northern Territory (thousands of kilometres from the major cities) where there are areas without a limit.

On top of this our limits are strictly enforced. We have an abundance of both fixed and mobile speed cameras and patrol cars with radars. If you exceed the limit here by more than 5 - 10km/h, there is a good chance you will get caught. Exceed the limit by more than 15km/h and you can lose your licence. More than 30km/h over the limit is instant disqualification and possible jail. Meanwhile other dangerous driving habits and driver distractions go unnoticed.

We have constant advertising campaigns telling that "speed kills". The authorities here are brainwashing the population to believe this. It is like the avertising campaigns which made drinking and driving socially unacceptable. I do agree that drunk drivers should not be tolerated, but I question this obsession with the supposed dangers of speeding. Surely inappropriate speed is what should be in question. You can be pulled over for exceeding a 100km/h limit by 10km/h on a straight, flat, rural road with minimal traffic in fine weather during the day, and yet not be breaking the law for driving at 110km/h on the freeway at night in heavy rain or fog. Where is the common sense in that? This is the problem here in Oz, nothing is left to the common sense of the driver or the driver's own judgement in his/her skills or reading of the road conditions. Limits are set according to the lowest common denominator.

I find myself questioning how much of of our ever so slightly reduced road toll in recent years is due to reduced speed limits and stricter enforcement of those limits, and how much is due to safer cars, improved roads and our long dry period with the current drought conditions. I wouldn't mind betting that with safer cars and improved roads, that reduced fatigue from shorter trip times on rural roads resulting from increased speed limits may even reduce the road toll further. Remember that Australia is a large country and road journeys of 1000km in a day are not uncommon. Such a journey taken over 8 to 10 hours would result in less fatigue and boredom than the same journey over 12 to 14 hours and have the added benefit of reducing traffic congestion with fewer cars on the road at any one time.

I don't have a problem with low limits in residential streets and school zones (40km/h) but question many limits and their enforcement on major arterials, highways and freeways. I read recently how British motorist were complaining about the use of speed cameras there. The writer suggested that it was nothing compared to Australia where we have some of the best roads in the world, the lowest speed limits in the world and the most law abiding drivers in the world. Yet the obsession with enforcement of low speed limits increases despite our sparse population in most of the country, generally straight roads and good weather conditions. I believe all this will achieve is a reduction in our (often already poor) driver's skills. I also read recently that authorities in Germany were considering setting a limit of maybe 130km/h on their presently unrestricted autobahns. It will be interesting to see what effect this would have. And yet I believe Italy recently raised some of their limits to 150km/h.

Are we Aussies getting a bad deal? What are your limits and how strictly are they enforced?

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50 km average limits in urban areas , 100 km (62mph) rural and motorways.
Rigidly enforced with speed cameras etc .

You know how HARD it is to drive the sel at 50 - 55 km ??

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Speed limit on interstate = 70mph. Here, you can generally get by with setting the cruise at 80 and not have much of a chance in getting pulled over (as long as you're not driving a bright yellow civic with carbon fiber hood and rear wing!)

Residential = 25
Most other roads vary from 35-55mph

FWIW, Indiana seems to aggressively enforce their speed laws. In my recent trip there (Georgia to Michigan), I witnessed the most enforcement, by far, in that state.

"Speed limit on interstate = 70mph. Here, you can generally get by with setting the cruise at 80 and not have much of a chance in getting pulled over (as long as you're not driving a bright yellow civic with carbon fiber hood and rear wing!)

Residential = 25
Most other roads vary from 35-55mph"


Ditto here in western Washington state. Enforcement is pretty inconsistant. One day they'll let ya get by with 80 in a 70 zone, next they'll pull you over for doing 75.

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You may live in a land down under, but it's the exact same deal up in the frozen north here. Highway max is 110 Km/h in some provinces and streets range from 40-60 Km/h.

Totally ridiculous of course. Every try actually driving 40? lol

On Canada's biggest highways - the 400 series - most people generally drive 120-130 Km/h in good weather. Cops don't usually bust you unless their municipal budgets are getting low in which case they'll set up a massive supplemental tax collection operation, er, "speed trap" and they'll nail all drivers going over 115.

I ALWAYS fight all my speeding tickets and I've got a pretty decent record of success - about 50/50. Even if I don't win I usually wrangle a lesser fine.

Your bit about the 'speed kills' and brainwashing couldn't be more spot on. The powers that be want those ancient limits to stay put in order to justify larger fines and more cash. Has nothing to do with safety.

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Texas troopers from the smaller municipalities will NAIL you on the interstates for anything over 70!

Easy pickin's for them, considering the miles of open highway with nothing but tumbleweeds, cactus and armadillos as scenic points of interest in some areas. The boredom encourages motorists to engage in "pedal mashing" as an alternative.

Local suburbs have 25-30 around the neighborhoods and 40-45 on the larger roads. Here, they are patrolled regularly.

The targets? Teens and Hispanic workers...

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You drive over 90 mph in Texas, your going to jail. You pretty much get a pass to 80, and a ticket at 80-90. After 90, the trooper has the option to immediately take you before the judge, which involves going to jail. We have absolutely horrendous auto accidents here, so the troopers, who have to clean up the mess, will usually slap you right in the can. Usually the accidents involve a nut doing 100 on an interstate, who loses control, crosses our flat grassy medians, and hits some poor unsuspecting family head on at 100 mph. Not pretty.

Texas troopers are especially tough on big-rig truck drivers, who can score a felony charge if they are going fast enough. Those troopers also are sneakier than hell - they drive pickups, unmarked Camaros, lots of cars without roof lights and use lots of undetectable radar. They joke amongst themselves about giving their own mothers speeding tickets. They give tickets to other cops, judges - anyone.

You don't always get a pass up to 80MPH in Texas. I've got written proof

Seriously, it depends greatly upon the location. Out in west Texas 80MPH or more is tolerated, except in certain areas that are known as speed traps. Big Spring - a small city that is several hundred miles from the nearest population center - is a good example. I've seen troopers there pull someone over and issue a ticket for ~3MPH over the limit (70MPH) on Christmas day. I kid you not. It definately ain't about traffic safety at that point.

- JimY

Yeah - I got a 65 in a 60. 90 freaking dollars. I 45 North, coming from Houston, just south of Dallas. Once you pass Ennis, you get about a zillion cops in all flavors. They are competing for business and will take low bid offers, like mine. The Dallas County Sheriff really seems it has something it has to prove once you cross the county line. Put it on the money if you drive there. Ouch!

I put my cruise exactly on 79 out in the ranch country. Never had a problem. I drop to about 5 over when I get near big cities.

Troopers in Connecticut usually look for the +75 mph any model, any driver on any highway - Rt 95, 84, 91. They don't care. They are a little more aggressive on Rt. 9, the CT autobahn.

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Howdy All,
On our 2 lane desert road the speed limit is 55mph. 65mph is ok. When the CHP gets enough complaints from the locals they come out in force for a couple days and nail about 30 speeders a day. On one occasion the avg. speed for the speeders was 93mph
In Arizona the speed limit on the highways outside the urban areas is 75mph.

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My local interstate is locally known as the Arkansabahn. If you aint doing at least 80, you will be passed. The only time I pass people is if I am doing more than 90mph. South of here though, you take your chances without a radar detector. I have passed state troopers doing radar patrol doing 80 and he didnt even bother to turn on his dome light.

On the other hand, I have been caught doing 43 in a 25, because I was late to work and in my 16 years of being able to see out of the windows there has NEVER been a cop in that area doing radar patrol. Luckily I got a Careless Driving ticket which doesnt hit my insurance, but kicks my wallet for $125.


The general rule is dont do anything stupid.

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My stretch of I-95 used to be nice, like a little autobahn. But no more now I drive 55mph and slow to 50 in some areas. The cops have turned into the KGB here. I don't care what people say if a lane is clear there is no reason I can't cruise 80. No tickects yet (knock on wood) but I miss my highspeed runs.

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OMG! a bill on a chip-and-seal?! I've seen bad things happen at half that speed.

As to IN speeds. 65mph on interstate, 55mph on rural rds and highway in town, 45 on the outskirts, 35 in town, 25 school zones, 15 parks.
You can do about 7mph over without too much trouble but anything over the speed limit can get you a tick ($110 and I think they might have went up; double that in cone-zone, 2 ticks in a year gets you to the class) I have seen them pull just a few people out of a "convoy" which traveled over....

el prez,

I don't know how you traveled but I65 between Louisville and Indy was a drag race a couple of years ago and the police stepped it up big time. Lots of 100+mph busted...I69 is pretty empty so 70-75 a-ok (FT Wayne you gotta watch it) and I80 is super busy so they have all kinds of tricks up their sleeves (remote pressure pads (speed, weight...etc))

I have driven 135+~ once here but you just have to know where you can let it ride. I speed most of the time but know the rds very well and try not to stick out too much. The cops are super tough in construction zones too. I've seen bad things happen even at the speed limit there too. And motorcycle ones in school zones will nail you everytime.

I had a really bad rash of tickets a couple of years ago (6-8 or something like that.) I couldn't really afford it so I fought all of them. 100% success. just a bucket load of luck......you name it, it went wrong for them...

I travel a lot and ticket avoidance is a hobby of mine. OH, and PA long ago (remember 55? I can't drive 55! ) have been hard on me though.

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as to speed kills, from my experience; if i drive slow i'm good for longer time and if I speed a lot then I can't last as long thusly the milage is almost always about the same. the difference probably is in personal responsibility I listen to my body and won't push it too much but I surely can't speek for everyone else.

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