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Residents concerned with vehicles speeding in their street often ask us to reduce the speed limit. Below you can find information about how speed limits are set and the most effective way to deal with speeding.
In February 2003 the default local street speed limit of 50km/h in built-up areas was adopted as legislated by the State of Queensland. If you are on a local street, in a built-up area within Toowoomba or our regional townships, you must travel no faster than 50km/h and drive to the conditions. If you are in a rural area, the default open rural road speed limit is 100km/h.
50km/h speed signs have been installed in some areas, particularly around hospitals or major parks where there is a level of activity on the road fronting the park.
Under the State’s local streets speed limit guidelines, it is not standard practice to install 50km/h speed signs. The Queensland road rules indicate that if a street in a built-up area is not signed then the driver is to assume it is a 50km/h speed limit. It would be impractical to sign every 50km/h residential street within the Toowoomba Region.
Complaints from residents regarding motorists driving faster than the speed limit in their local streets are fairly common. When traffic counts are undertaken it is found that the majority of vehicles are actually travelling within the speed limit.
Speeding is a common behavioural issue throughout the urban and rural road network, irrespective of whether the street is an arterial road, a collector road, a residential street or an open country road.
Speeding is an issue that is best addressed in a road safety sense through enforcement and education, rather than with traffic calming devices which can create noise issues and access problems for residents. Vehicles speeding and/or hooning on streets is a police matter and should be reported to local police by telephoning Policelink on 131 444.
Speed limits are set in accordance with strict guidelines, in partnership with the Department of Transport & Main Roads and Queensland Police Services, so that speed limits throughout Queensland are consistent and realistic. These guidelines also indicate that realistic and credible speed limits will be observed by the majority of road users. Unrealistic speed limits that are too low may attract poor levels of compliance. Speed limits take into consideration the road environment, crash history and traffic volumes.
Speed limits cannot be posted for unsealed (gravel) roads, as drivers need to drive to the conditions of the road, which can vary day by day. The driver must travel at a speed that is safe for the road surface, appropriate to their driving skills and suitable for the vehicle they are driving.
If you have any enquiries regarding speed limits please contact our Road Operations Branch via email on: info@tr.qld.gov.au or by phone on 131 872.
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