Speed limits in Australia range from shared zones to . Speed limit signage is in km/h since metrication on 1 July 1974. All speed limits, with the sole exception of the South Australian school and roadworks zones, which are signposted at 25 km/h, are multiples of 10 km/h – the last digit in all speed signs is zero. Speed limits are set by state and territory legislation, albeit with co-ordination and discussion between governments.
According to Roads Australia, Australia's default speed limit of 50 km/h "is at odds with the place function and safety of" local roads and streets.
Default limits
Australia uses different default speed limits for roads inside built-up areas and outside built-up areas. These apply automatically in the absence of speed limit signage and vary between the states and territories. The current default speed limits are: within built-up areas...The default speed limit in built-up areas around Australia is 50km/h unless otherwise specified..., except for the Northern Territory which remains at ...In built-up areas, a default speed limit of 60km/h applies - unless the town has gazetted a lower default speed limit... 80 km/h outside built-up areas on unsealed roads in Tasmania outside built-up areas in ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS (sealed roads only), and VIC 110 km/h outside built-up areas in NT and WA Common limits Common speed limits are: shared zones (signposted areas where pedestrians and motorised traffic share the same space) in areas where vehicles mix with people walking, cycling or using other forms of transport. 30 km/h limits are increasingly used in Australia on local streets and in high-pedestrian activity areas such as all local streets in Fitzroy and Collingwood. school zones are variable speed zones, with a limit applying during gazetted school days (which may include pupil-free days) at specific times of the day. In South Australia, the limit is . Some speed limit signs in school zones include flashing lights, that turn on when the lower speed limit applies. In Western Australia, every school has a flashing speed limit sign, most of which are solar powered. 40 km/h high pedestrian activity zones, such as shopping and dining precincts, or whole suburbs such as Balmain, Rozelle and numerous regional and local streets in Sydney's Inner West. Many sub-arterial roads are zoned . Major connector roads and smaller highways are zoned , , or . Some highways and freeways are zoned . Most of the Stuart, Arnhem, Barkly and Victoria highways in the Northern Territory are zoned .
The "END" speed limit sign is increasingly used throughout Australia to signal the end of a posted speed restriction, or built-up area "default" speed-limit leading to the jurisdiction's "rural" default speed limit. It contains the word "END" and a number in a black circle beneath this, representing the ceasing speed-limit. It is typically used where, according to AS1742.4 the road beyond has certain hazards such as hidden driveways, poor camber, soft edges and other hazards where the road authority feels a posted speed limit sign might be too dangerous or otherwise unwarranted. It is intended therefore to invoke particular caution. This sign is used as a direct replacement for the slash-through speed derestriction signs common in Europe and elsewhere.
Speed limits are enforced in all areas of the country. Tolerance is about 6 km/h in urban areas and 9 km/h on highways, depending on state regulations, so that driving at or below the tolerance speed will not incur a ticket. This is the case in South Australia, and other states have similar tolerances. One exception is Victoria, where they will deduct 2–4 km/h in from the speed reading, so that reasonable doubt is credited to the driver, especially given that earlier Australian Design Rules specified that vehicle speedometers may have up to 10% leeway in accuracy. This was updated in 2006 to require that the "speed indicated shall not be less than the true speed of the vehicle."Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/03 – Instrumentation) 2006 Detection measures used are radar, LIDAR, fixed and mobile speed cameras (using various detection technologies), Vascar, pacing and aircraft.
Speed limits by state and territory Despite introduction of model national road rules by the states in 1999, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory retain different default speed limits. The table below indicates the default speed limits along with typical school zone limits and the highest zone in each locality.
In the external territories, and in some special cases (such as Lord Howe Island, NSW), the speed limits may differ significantly from those found across the rest of the nation. State / territorySchool zoneBuilt-up areaRural areaHighestspeed zoneAustralian Road Rulesnumber on school zone sign50100N/AAustralian Capital Territory4050100100New South Wales40 on all roads 40 km/h or more30 in designated 30 km/h high pedestrian activity areas50 (2)100 (3)110Northern Territory4060110130Queensland40 on roads 70 km/h or less60 on roads 80 km/h and some 90/100 km/h80 on roads 110 km/h and some 90/100 km/h50100110South Australia25 on roads 60 km/h or less50100110Tasmania40 on roads 70 km/h or less60 on roads 80 km/h or more5080 (unsealed)100 (sealed)110Victoria30 in designated active travel precincts40 on all roads 40 km/h or more60 on roads 80 km/h or more outside built-up areas50100110Western Australia40 50110110External territories Christmas Island40409090Cocos (Keeling) Islands--305050Norfolk Island3030 - Kingston Foreshore40 - Burnt Pine Central Business District30 - Norfolk Island National Park50 - Other areas50Special cases Lord Howe Island------25
Limits for Learner, Provisional and Probationary licence holders The table below indicates the different speed limits that apply for each state's licence holders.
The limits apply when the road's stated speed is above the licence's speed limit, e.g.: a person with a NSW P1 licence can drive at a max speed of 90 km/h on 100/110 km/h signed roads in any state. Conversely, a person with a Queensland provisional licence is not speed limited and can drive at the road's stated speed, even while in NSW where local provisional drivers are limited to 90 km/h.
State / territoryLearnerProvisional / ProbationaryAustralian Capital Territorynormal limitnormal limitNew South Wales90P1:90, P2:100Northern Territory80100Queenslandnormal limitnormal limitSouth Australia100100Tasmania90P1:100, P2: normal limitVictorianormal limitnormal limitWestern Australia100normal limit
Limits for trucks and buses
New South Wales has a limit of 100 km/h for heavy (more than 4.5 tonne) vehicles which is not a feature of the Australian Road Rules. (3)a Additionally particular heavy vehicles (some buses and vehicles more than 13.9 tonne) are required to have speed monitoring devices fitted.
Signage
Historical limits
Historically, Australia operated a simple speed limit system of urban and rural default limits, denoted in miles per hour. As part of metrication in 1974, speed limits and speed advisories were converted into kilometres per hour, rounded to the nearest 10 km/h, leading to small discrepancies in speed limits. Also, the signage was changed from the design where the words "SPEED LIMIT" appear above the numeric limit (as specified in the current US MUTCD) to the design where the numeric limit is inscribed on a red circle (which is defined by the Vienna Convention and thus it became an international sign for speed limit).
Urban limits
The urban default, which prior to the 1930s was , applied to any "built up area", usually defined by the presence of street lighting. Over the next 30 years, each of the states and territories progressively increased the limit to , with New South Wales being the last to change in May 1964. South Australia adopted on 30 November 1950, along with the "new short-right hand turn" in place of a hook turn.
Metrication led to the default urban limits of being converted to 60 km/h, an increase of .
At 60km/h, in 1996/1997 Australia had amongst the highest, if not the highest general urban speed limit in the world.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the urban default limit was progressively lowered to nationally for reasons of road, and especially pedestrian, safety. However, many existing roads, especially subarterial roads in urban areas, have had limits posted on them. Queensland's Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (Speed Controls) states that is the general minimum speed limit for traffic-carrying roads. The Northern Territory has retained the limit; however, is also a common speed limit (particularly in residential areas).
Rural limits
Outside of built up areas, a prima facie speed limit applied. In New South Wales and Victoria, speed limit was 50 miles per hour (80 km/h in New South Wales after metrication). In the 1970s however, most state speed limits were gradually replaced by absolute limits. An absolute speed limit of was introduced to Victoria in 1971, as a trial. This was subsequently reduced to in late 1973. South Australia introduced an absolute speed limit of in 1974.
With metrication in 1974, the rural defaults of and became and respectively. The 50 mph limit in New South Wales became a limit of 80 km/h.
New South Wales introduced an absolute speed limit of in 1979, replacing the limit of The Northern Territory introduced an absolute speed limit of in 2007, along with zones on the Territory's four major highways.
NT open speed limits The Northern Territory had no blanket speed limits outside major towns until January 2007, when a general rural speed limit of was introduced, although four major highways had higher zones. Speed-limit advocates note that the per-capita fatality rate in 2006 was the highest in the OECD and twice the Australian average. In 2009, the opposition (Country Liberal Party) unsuccessfully sought the removal of the limits on three out of the four highways where it applied, arguing that total fatalities in the Northern Territory had increased significantly during the first two years of the speed limit. In argument against the motion, the government provided more detailed statistics than normally published; these statistics showed a reduction in fatalities along the highways where limits were introduced. In 2011 the opposition argued for a return to "open speed limits" . For the 2012 election the Country Liberals' transport policy promised an evidence-based approach. After winning government, de-restriction of Stuart Highway was proposed; a planned 12-month de-restriction was initiated on 1 February 2014. The trial on of Stuart Highway was expanded later in the year to another , and continued indefinitely in January 2015 during a review of the initial results since "in the first 11 months, there were no recorded fatalities." From September 2015, a stretch of Stuart Highway between Barrow Creek and Alice Springs had speed limits removed for a 12-month trial. speed limits were restored on 20 November 2016 due to the electoral loss of the Country Liberal Party.http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/northern-territory/open-speed-limits-scrapped/news-story/33dcae476d0290f445965f1e74423871
Derestriction signs in NSW