The NRMA is urging other states and territories around Australia to follow New South Wales and scrap roadworks speed limits outside construction hours.
As of this month, speed limit signs must be removed from NSW roads “when it is safe to do so” and no one is working on the road.
NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said there was “no reason” why the ACT should not do the same.
The NRMA’s Peter Khoury says work on regional roads and highways is often periodic or paused over the weekend, causing frustration for drivers. (ABC News: Floss Adams)
“Assuming it doesn’t jeopardise anyone’s safety, it’s a sensible, common-sense approach, particularly when you’ve got extensive roadworks over a long period of time,” Mr Khoury said.
“Hopefully, we will see it rolled out in other jurisdictions because there’s no need for speed limits to be blocked for extended periods.“
In the ACT, reduced speed limits around roadworks are in place 24/7.
ACT Policing has urged motorists to obey reduced speed limits at a new major construction project, the duplication of William Hovel Drive. (ABC News: Lily Nothling)
Mr Khoury said work on regional roads and highways was often periodic or paused over the weekend, causing frustration for drivers.
“Particularly when the road is up to a point where we can be going back to the speeds that we would normally be doing … given that there aren’t workers there,”
he said.
Drivers on notice
The call comes as the ACT government and police put drivers speeding around a new major construction site on notice.
The construction work will see 4.5 kilometres of William Hovell Drive, between Drake-Brockman Drive and John Gorton Drive, duplicated. (ABC News: Zac Schroedl)
Work is underway to duplicate William Hovell Drive in Canberra’s west, with the upgrades promising to “reduce congestion, improve travel times and enhance safety”.
The speed limit has been slashed from 90 kilometres an hour to 60 for the entire 4.5 kilometre work zone.
The project is expected to be completed in 2029.
Access Canberra’s Christopher Seddon says driving at a high speed through a roadworks zone puts construction workers at risk. (ABC News: Lily Nothling)
The ACT government’s Parking Operations and Traffic Camera Compliance director Christopher Seddon said enforcement action would be stepped up to target speeding drivers.
“Over the 4.5 km stretch, you’re only losing 90 seconds of your day reducing from 90 to 60 kilometres an hour,”
Mr Seddon said.
“Going at a high speed through a roadworks zone does put those road workers and sign post guys at risk.”
Christopher Seddon says the ACT government will be watching the effectiveness of the law change across the border in NSW. (ABC News: Lily Nothling)
Mr Seddon said authorities would monitor how the new speed limit rules played out across the border.
“The ACT government is just looking at how the approach goes in New South Wales and we may look at changing our processes,”
he said.
Detective Sergeant Jonathan Turkich from the ACT Policing Major Collision Team said even outside construction hours, risks remained for motorists.
“There’s construction equipment on the roads, there can be construction vehicles on the side of the road, the road might not be quite finished to the standard you’d usually expect,” he said.
Detective Sergeant Jonathan Turkich says roadworks speed limits may be temporarily frustrating, but that pain is short term. (ABC News: Lily Nothling)
“I do appreciate there can be some roadworks fatigue for Canberrans because there always seems to be roadworks going on in Canberra, but the main thing is we’re trying to keep it safe for everyone.”
Detective Sergeant Turkich said although reduced speed limits were “frustrating”, the pain was only short term.
“No one’s going to care if you’re a minute and a half late to something,”
he said.
“They’re absolutely going to care if you don’t make it to your destination or you don’t get to your destination because you’ve caused someone to have a collision.”
