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SPEED limits on 100 roads and highways across the state will be reviewed after Queenslanders told the Newman Government they wanted the green light to go faster.
The maximum highway speed limit might also be increased beyond 110km/h as part of the government review of speed limits, the first in 20 years. Tougher penalties for speeding in school zones Lower speed camera tolerance reaps $9m windfall
Transport Minister Scott Emerson revealed most of the 3300 submissions to the review wanted increased limits. Among the changes being considered are extending the 110km/h zone on the Bruce Highway south to the Pine River, and increasing the speed limit on the Pacific Motorway. "About 52 per cent of the submissions identified speed limits being too low and 32 per cent as being too high," Mr Emerson said. Most of the other responses focused on too many speed limit changes on certain sections of road. "This input will pinpoint where speed limits may need to be changed," Mr Emerson said. "Over the next month TMR will narrow the list of thousands of roads down to 100, to be reviewed as part of our Road Safety Action Plan." A submission by Queensland's peak motoring body RACQ included a proposal to increase speed limits on four sections of road. Senior traffic and safety engineer Greg Miszkowycz said they included the Bruce Highway between the Gateway Motorway and Caboolture. "That section is 100km/h and the section north of Caboolture 110km/h despite being of a lower standard," Mr Miszkowycz said. "It seems like a mismatch and one we would like to see changed, providing a higher speed limit would not contribute to more crashes on the Gateway to Caboolture stretch." Other roads identified by the RACQ as suitable for a higher speed limit were the Mount Lindesay Highway from Browns Plains to Park Ridge, Petrie Creek Road at Nambour and Bli Bli Road, also on the Sunshine Coast. He said they did not include the Pacific Motorway in their submission for higher speed limits, despite previously indicating that was a road where 130km/h could be considered. "You would first want to improve the safety of the road, possibly installing variable message type signs, and variable speed limits, to support a higher maximum speed limit," he said. Other issues raised by the RACQ for the Government's consideration were more speed signs on Queensland roads, and an overhaul of speed management at roadwork sites. "And then there's the problem of having to keep to the lower speed limit for a couple of kilometres after the roadworks ends." Mr 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.
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