A new survey by Victoria's Transport Accident Commission (TAC) reveals that while nearly all young male motorists agree that driving at 10km/h over the limit is speeding, many treat the limit only as a guide.

The results of the survey show that male drivers aged 18-20 understand that speeding is illegal, but that 39 percent of respondents do not view speed limits as an absolute maximum legal limit - compared to 29 percent of the general population.

A third of male 18-20 respondents believe they will be caught if they speed, while 15 percent said that driving up to 10km/h over the limit is "usually quite safe".

The survey showed that 12 percent of males 18-20 had been caught speeding this year - compared to five percent for the whole population.

This contrasts with the one-in-four (25 percent) of males aged 18-20, who said that they never exceed the speed limit, a number matched only by female drivers aged over 50.

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• reply ” like !

  

  Mick says,
  12 months ago

  3 likes

  In Canberra everyone drives 10km/h over the speed limits. If you do the speed limit you'll be overtaken by everyone and sometimes you are more of a risk to other motorists because you are the odd one out going slower than everyone else.
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  smart us says,
  12 months ago

  is that a legal excuse - coz its good one
• reply ” like !

  

  Joe says,
  12 months ago

  1 like

  Speed limits need to be completely reviewed. It critical to point out how technology in cars have completely changed yet speed limits don't reflect this evolution.
  
  Has anyone driven on the m4 lately, night time the speed limits go down to 40km/h!! not one person follows such a limit and if they did, guaranteed fatality crash!
  
  but this is pointless anyway, the rate sydney is going we'd be lucky to get 20km/h average with all this traffic in any direction at any time...
  
  • reply ” like !

    

    smart us says,
    12 months ago

    agree w you joe
  • reply ” like !

    

    MotorMouth says,
    12 months ago

    Are you kidding? It is so much easier to get around Sydney now than it was 30 years ago. I used to drive between Liverpool and Belrose every weekend in the early 80s and it always took between 75 and 90 minutes. These days I can do it in under an hour, any time of the day or night.
  • reply ” like !

    

    MotorMouth says,
    12 months ago

    Of course motorists see speed limits as a guide. How could it possibly be otherwise? If you can remember what it was like to drive an EH Holden, you have to know that the speed at which it can be safely driven, which I'd suggest is the posted limit, is half the speed a modern car can go with equal safety. If every car was the same, then I could understand that speed limits should be seen as absolute but given the vast difference in cars on the road, it makes no sense to view speed limits as rigid measures of safe driving.
• reply ” like !

  

  hugh says,
  12 months ago

  1 like

  I could never understand giving that today's cars with there refined engines, multiple safety features, better brakes etc cannot legally cruise along at 120 klm plus, You's can't drive for ***e, well that was always my opinion but having lived here for nearly five years now i understand why, a piece paper stating you have completed required hours on your learners and then a theory exam, here are your P plate's, you are legal, so i assume you are capable behind the wheel because you have ticked every box necessary ! Driver's today treat the car like another accessory, like a hand bag, a phone etc, it's just some thing to make there life easier , they are under the false impression that if some thing goes wrong, just hit the brake and the car, with it's abs, air bags and all that will safe them, no thought about what other car or pedestrian they may hit , JUST SLAM THE BRAKES
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  paddy says,
  12 months ago

  While it is safe to assume that cars of today with dramatically improved technology should allow for safer driving at higher speeds, I am absolutely appalled by a greater number of drivers who are in definite lack of driving ability.
  Speed is not a factor, but rather driving ability and road conditions that should define the safe speed of travel. From my experiences, Australia & New Zealand focus the entire police force nabbing speeding drivers. Why? Sure, they do have the statistics to prove that by reducing the average speed of travel on a road, it does lower the chances of crashes and fatalities. They fail to understand that maintaining a higher level of driver safety and education will have a positive impact on more than speed control.
  Once driving standard improvement is achieved, "speeding" becomes less of an issue. Look at Germany, Finland and the U.S where drivers are frequently observed driving at speeds in excess of 100-120mph. When drivers have control, it is completely safe.
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  Kale says,
  12 months ago

  2 likes

  That's how speed limits started - a guide not the absolute maximum. I have driven over 40 years now (and I enjoy driving) and have always treated speed limits as a guide meaning that I concentrate on my environment, will accelerate if I have to (past the posted speed limit) to get to a clear piece of road where I can slow down again and drive in relative safety away front trucks, buses and vans.
  I think most people drive sensibly, nobody wants to die. However, most people are not skilled drivers - myself included - but improvements in road assets and car technology compensates for that.
  On open road, I think we should learn to keep left, not let trucks and buses overtake on hills, mind our own business (not accelerate when being passes) and increase the speed limit to 120kmh (that will keep us away from slow traffic and stop tailgating by trucks and others). I also agree with the general sentiment of other comments here.