Speeding is one of the biggest causes of deaths and serious injuries on ACT roads. Speeding puts all other road users at risk as well as the speeding driver. In the ACT over the years 2018-2020, speed was identified as a contributing factor in six fatal crashes (28% of all fatal crashes). Speed limits are used to regulate traffic flow and promote safety for all road users. The ACT Government has a systematic approach for determining, and where necessary reviewing, appropriate speed limits for roads in the ACT.
Casual speeding? Every K counts
Our latest speeding campaign ‘Casual speeding. Every K counts’ focuses on low range speeding, the kind of speeding you might think won’t make a difference. Just five or ten kilometres over the speed limit really can make all the difference. The campaign demonstrates the real risks and consequences of going ‘just a bit’ over the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions.
Speeding at five kilometres an hour above the speed limit increases both the likelihood of a crash occurring, and the severity of driver and pedestrian injuries in a crash.
For car occupants in a crash with an impact speed of 80 km/h, the likelihood of death is 20 times what it would have been at an impact speed of 30 km/h.
The relationship between speed and injury severity is particularly critical for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. For example, pedestrians have been shown to have a 90% chance of survival when struck by a car travelling at 30 km/h or below, but less than 50% chance of surviving an impact at 45 km/h. Pedestrians have almost no chance of surviving an impact at 80 km/hr.
Every driver can make a real difference by making the safe choice to never exceed the limit – not even by just a few extra kilometres per hour – and drive to the road conditions every time they get behind the wheel.
Let’s stop being so casual about speeding!
Default speed limits
50 km/h is the default speed limit in the ACT. This means you must not exceed 50 km/h on a residential street unless there is a sign specifying a higher speed limit. All streets in these areas have a 50 km/h limit, except for major roads, which are signposted at 60 km/h, and school zones, which are signposted at 40 km/h.
Unless you are travelling on a road signposted at 60 km/h or higher, you must not exceed 50 km/h. If you are travelling on a 60 km/h road within the ACT, the lower limit will apply as soon as you turn off that road onto any road without a speed sign.
To ensure that interstate motorists are aware of the residential speed limit, advisory signs are installed at all entry roads to the ACT.
The 50 km/h speed limit is enforced by the police in the same way as all other speed limits in the ACT.
40 km/h school speed limits
The ACT has the benefit of a well-designed road hierarchy, in that most schools are not located on or near major arterial roads. Further to this, the ACT employs a 40 km/h speed limit on designated streets in designated school zones. This reduced limit applies for the times and days marked on the school zone signs, typically from 8am until 4pm Monday to Friday, and helps ensure a low speed environment near schools and school crossings.
The school zone signs are erected at the entrance to these zones and are designed to be “closed” or “open”. When “open” the zone is active, and when “closed” the default 50 km/h speed limit applies unless otherwise signposted.
40 km/h in town centres
There are 18 group centres in the ACT with 40 km/h speed limits. Group centres with 40 km/h precincts are at: Amaroo, Calwell, Charnwood, Chisholm, Conder, Curtin, Dickson, Erindale, Hawker, Jamison, Kaleen, Kambah, Kingston, Kippax, Manuka, Mawson, Wanniassa and Weston.
The 40 km/h speed limits are in place on a fulltime basis (24 hours a day, seven days a week). Research indicates that the introduction of a 40 km/h speed area can significantly reduce the risk of death for vulnerable road users.