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Australia has recently expanded its open speed-limit zone this week, and the Northern Territory government is promising voters a supplementary elongation if they get re-elected.
Australia’s Sturt Highway now has a continuous open section of 336 kilometers (208 miles), where drivers do not have to abide the country’s speed limit. The road takes drivers from Alice Springs to the Ali Curung rail overpass.
Initially, the authorities that run the area first launched a 204-kilometer (126-mile) section between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek in February 2014. It was expanded in September 2015 by 76 kilometers (47 miles), and this month brought a new 60-kilometer (37-mile) extension, which was opened as a trial.
The authorities have decided to allow drivers to exceed the country’s 110 km/h (68 mph) speed limit to discover whether motorists will behave themselves. After a year of surveying average and top speeds practiced on the first section that was opened, authorities found most drivers maintained speeds below 140 km/h (86 mph), and that no fatal accidents occurred.
Furthermore, the only notable incident involving an injury took place because of a driver that was not using a seatbelt and had consumed alcohol, Car Advice notes. Therefore, the open speed limit section was increased to 336 kilometers.
In the wake of elections set for late August, the Country Liberals promised to extend the de-restricted road if they are re-elected. Their promise is to stretch the sector towards Tennant Creek, with plans to bring motorists on an open speed limit zone onto Katherine. Meanwhile, they also claim that their main rivals will bring back restrictions on the existent open speed-limit section.
The de-restricted road section in Australia’s Northern Territory is the only one in the country, while the rest is regulated to a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph) on highways.
The motivation behind allowing drivers to travel at higher speeds than the maximum velocity permitted on other roads in the country is based on low traffic volumes and the long distances between towns.
Surprisingly, drivers have refrained from being irresponsible on the open road section, but this might also be linked to the strict anti-hoon laws employed in Australia.
Initially, the authorities that run the area first launched a 204-kilometer (126-mile) section between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek in February 2014. It was expanded in September 2015 by 76 kilometers (47 miles), and this month brought a new 60-kilometer (37-mile) extension, which was opened as a trial.
The authorities have decided to allow drivers to exceed the country’s 110 km/h (68 mph) speed limit to discover whether motorists will behave themselves. After a year of surveying average and top speeds practiced on the first section that was opened, authorities found most drivers maintained speeds below 140 km/h (86 mph), and that no fatal accidents occurred.
Furthermore, the only notable incident involving an injury took place because of a driver that was not using a seatbelt and had consumed alcohol, Car Advice notes. Therefore, the open speed limit section was increased to 336 kilometers.
In the wake of elections set for late August, the Country Liberals promised to extend the de-restricted road if they are re-elected. Their promise is to stretch the sector towards Tennant Creek, with plans to bring motorists on an open speed limit zone onto Katherine. Meanwhile, they also claim that their main rivals will bring back restrictions on the existent open speed-limit section.
The de-restricted road section in Australia’s Northern Territory is the only one in the country, while the rest is regulated to a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph) on highways.
The motivation behind allowing drivers to travel at higher speeds than the maximum velocity permitted on other roads in the country is based on low traffic volumes and the long distances between towns.
Surprisingly, drivers have refrained from being irresponsible on the open road section, but this might also be linked to the strict anti-hoon laws employed in Australia.
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