The Northern Territory Government may soon expand its ‘no-speed-limit’ trial on major highways.
Just two months after removing speed limits on a 200-kilometre stretch of the Stuart Highway between Alice Springs and the Barrow Creek area, the government is now looking to do the same elsewhere.
It seems the supposed 12-month trial has already been judged something of a success with Northern Territory transport minister Peter Styles telling the ABC he wanted it to go further.
“We’re looking at various sections of road, both on the Stuart Highway and on the Barkly Highway that may be available to open up as part of the trial,” he said. “I believe it’s been a success so far. Anecdotal evidence that I’ve received is that people are behaving themselves.”
Despite the existence of YouTube videos suggesting some drivers had reached speeds of 250 kilometres per hour, the minister said police had indicated that everyone seemed to be doing the right thing.
“We’ve always said and [told] people that it’s their responsibility to drive to the conditions of the road, the condition of their vehicle, to their own capabilities,” he said. “The truckies that we’ve spoken to and the trucking people have said that they’re very pleased.”
Some road safety experts, however, remain unconvinced. Ian Faulks, a researcher with the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety at the Queensland University of Technology, told the ABC that expanding the 12 month trial so soon after it has started makes little sense.
“Any decision to actually introduce further stretches of Northern Territory highway to a no-speed-limit policy are really based on anecdotal information,” he said.”That’s not good enough; we really should be trying as much as possible to base it on really good data and really good evidence.”
The ABC reports that the policy of no speed limits on major highways was an election promise. If it is officially adopted it will reverse the abolition of speed limit-free roads in 2007.
Hmmm ??? The fastest i have driven any vehicle was 230 Kph on a straight stretch of road, in a SAAB Turbo, Good safe European car, BUT it was scary,
Personally I think a Max speed of 160 Kph is Plenty fast enough, and only for Passenger vehicles only, when NOT towing anything [ at all ] Are the B/Dbls and Road trains ” Speed Limited in the NT ??? as I would NOT want one of those Big Rigs Flying past me and my Van, ANY faster than than they already go ?? It is scary enough at 100 -120 Kph if they were going much faster then they would blow a van off the road ??