High Speed States
Speed is a killer – the biggest killer of young drivers in Australia. But even knowing the dangers, many drivers knowingly exceed the speed limit, some routinely.
Australian Capital Territory
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- km/h Speed Limit
- of speeding-related fatalities
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have knowingly driven over the speed limit-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
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have been in an accident because another road user was going too fast-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
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have been caught speeding by police-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
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Australia Fatalities
Australia's Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics has a Road Deaths Database that records the time, date, state, vehicles involved and speed limit on the road of every fatal crash in Australia.
We don't have national information on the number of accidents caused by speeding, but this data makes it clear: the higher the speed limit, the more likely crashes become. 55% of all fatal accidents occurred on roads where the limit was 100km/h or above, while less than 1% happened where the speed limit was 40km/h or below.
There is a large increase in fatal crashes at 60km/h, then again at 80km/h and 100km/h. While the number of fatal crashes actually drops off after 100km/h, this is likely due to relatively few roads having speed limits this high.
Survey of Australia
According to our survey of 1,089 drivers, 71% of Australians have knowingly exceeded the speed limit, and 21% admit to regularly driving just above it.
Of the people who admit to speeding, two in five have knowingly driven over the speed limit in a metropolitan area and on residential streets (41% and 40%, respectively). Freeways and highways are where people are most likely to speed (75%), followed by main roads (63%).
- Over a third (33%) of drivers whom knowingly admitted to regularly driving over the speed limit, were aged between 18-24
- Males (54%) are more likely to speed and consider themselves ‘above average drivers’ than Females (38%).
- People who consider themselves "above average" drivers are also the most likely to speed (74%, compared to 69% "average", and 61% "below average")
What are the main reasons for speeding?
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thought the speed limit was too restrictive-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
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said there were no other cars around-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
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of people were running late-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
