Do you obey Roadwork speed limits?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

One thing that many people don't understand, is there are rules in place for minimum lane widths to go with the speed limits.

No matter how well barricaded the workers are, and even if they're on the other shoulder beyond the opposing carriageway, if the lanes are narrowed, the speed limit will be dropped to the regulations for that lane width (or less if there's active work).

This is often why long stretches of widening are at 80km/h, even when the barricades have just been cleared (and hence no workrs) - because until the new lane lines are marked out at their wider spacing, the lower limit still applies.

Some sites are now putting "narrow lanes" signs under the roadworks speed limit sign to try and educate drivers about this.

There are a range of reasons why the restrictions are in place regardless of whether workers are present or not.

It's really not that difficult to slow down and it doesn't make much difference to your day.

If they took the signs down when the workers finished, and someone came unstuck and was hurt or killed, everyone would be up in arms as to why there was no signage warning of changed conditions and some restrictions in place.

Too many selfish people who think their time is worth more than other people's.

Just relax and be patient.

[mike_nofx]

I slow down if there are workers there. I continue at normal speed if there are not.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

^^^^ you can pick the Johnny punch clock office workers with comments like these.
What happened to just accepting the rules, slowing down and extending some common courtesy to the people working on your roads? If anyone thinks they can do better, hang up your pink business shirt with matching tie and sign up to your local civil construction company.

Struck a nerve did I?

What part of slowing down so I avoid a fine did you not see? That was an option was it not? What part of not accepting the rules am I not doing?

Im sorry if this offended you cupcake but some of us actually work when we are at work instead of standing around on our phones or chatting.

Also nice of you assume what I do for work, I work from home running a pretty successful business myself in my trackies. What are you doing for work? How about you hang up your high vis vest and start contributing to your employer/clients yourself sunshine.

[damo6]

I drove home from ullmara (grafton)to brisbane yesterday, 330km, between grafton to ballina,155km,about 80% of that are roadworks because of the highway upgrades.in the places where it was posted at the normal limit it was a mad rush to get in front of the slow vehicles whenever an overtake lane appeared.i was a little frustrated at times but figured all the mad traffic position jostling was just to see who reached the next 80kmh roadwork limit first! Not once did i see one cop car,some of these clowns were doing a lot more than 100kmh even thru roadworks.i thought to myself it would only take one dump truck etc.. to pull out in front of some of these idiots and it would be disaster.

[GetToTheGone]

I always slow to signed limit at road works. Around where I live we have a lot of trucks on the roads carting logs and chips. One section of works took twice as long to complete because trucks weren't slowing down for it over night so by the next morning the workers were needing to redo what they had done the day before.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Struck a nerve did I?

Right back at ya.
Yes I made an assumption and looks like it was right, obvious really.
I was in civil construction for a few years, we had them all turn up, wanted to work outdoors, thought they would be leaning on a shovel all day. Thats how long they lasted, usually a day. One of the worst jobs we had to do was cycleway construction and maintenance lots of abuse from numpties out behaving badly in front of their mates on the way to a coffee shop.
Back in my qualified field now, Agronomy/ Horticulture, outdoors with a nice mix if research and prac, no high vis and plenty of happy 'clients'. You like to eat dont you? 'Lol.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Right back at ya.
Yes I made an assumption and looks like it was right, obvious really.
I was in civil construction for a few years, we had them all turn up, wanted to work outdoors, thought they would be leaning on a shovel all day. Thats how long they lasted, usually a day. One of the worst jobs we had to do was cycleway construction and maintenance lots of abuse from numpties out behaving badly in front of their mates on the way to a coffee shop.
Back in my qualified field now, Agronomy/ Horticulture, outdoors with a nice mix if research and prac, no high vis and plenty of happy 'clients'. You like to eat dont you? 'Lol.

I like to eat? okaaayy

Works differently here champ. Lots of people in high vis all watching one guy do work. The southern expressway here in SA is a prime example of too much govco money (our rates and taxes) and not enough action or action that takes many more months than it should take. The problem is, you fire 1 company, and the next company does the same thing but no ones big enough to hold anyone to action as you are all part of 'boys club'. You honestly don't think Im the only one who hasn't seen this surely? Hence my cynicism in my first post.

As for assuming, you still assumed wrong. I've done my fair share of construction work for decades now. Family business. It's called putting in a hard days work. I just chose more wisely and avoided that part of the job.

That said, I still slow down for these 'workers', but again, I do it save the coin in my wallet. The reasons a null and void as long as you slow down right?

In the mean time, Im gonna change from my pink shirt and matching tie to my blue shirt and red jocks for dinner

[Ben73]

For the first few Kms after the first sign (only slightly exaggerating) I only slow down a bit, once I finally see the actually road work I slow to the limit or even lower. Sometimes the limit seams too high.

What's the go with the some of the stop-go guys thinking they have superpower and can judge everyone's speed and carrying on when they think someone is speeding

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by blueoval

I like to eat? okaaayy

Works differently here champ. Lots of people in high vis all watching one guy do work. The southern expressway here in SA is a prime example of too much govco money (our rates and taxes) and not enough action or action that takes many more months than it should take. The problem is, you fire 1 company, and the next company does the same thing but no ones big enough to hold anyone to action as you are all part of 'boys club'. You honestly don't think Im the only one who hasn't seen this surely? Hence my cynicism in my first post.

As for assuming, you still assumed wrong. I've done my fair share of construction work for decades now. Family business. It's called putting in a hard days work. I just chose more wisely and avoided that part of the job.

That said, I still slow down for these 'workers', but again, I do it save the coin in my wallet. The reasons a null and void as long as you slow down right?

In the mean time, Im gonna change from my pink shirt and matching tie to my blue shirt and red jocks for dinner

My next assumption is this is going nowhere fast, one more for the road, you'll probably think of me next time you see a roadworker.
Prove me wrong. Cheerio...

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

My next assumption is this is going nowhere fast, one more for the road, you'll probably think of me next time you see a roadworker.
Prove me wrong. Cheerio...

Going no where fast.....I'll agree with you there.

Think of you? maybe laugh at the thought. Don't flatter yourself

[jpd80]

Ive heard that there are sometimes double demerit fines in roadwork zones,
is this all the time or only at certain periods?

[aussiblue]

And there's the selfish mudflapless idiots that decide to speed past you while you obey the roadwork speed limit on the loose unsealed blue metal or gravel showering your car with stones and occasionally breaking or damaging your windscreen. It probably another reason for those speed limits.

[au350hp]

How about buses? Supposed to give way at all times and do 40km when passing them whilst they're picking up/dropping off. I always do this and the abuse I get from other drivers is telling of how many don't know these laws. And yes, I do 40 on roadwork areas, even when there is no workers, like sunday M2, I still do the speeds as the law still applies I believe, besides, I am often the one person pulled over by the HWY PTL for a licence check etc, so why give them another chance to take your hard earned & lose points?

[Mainforcepatrol]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

Yep.

I'm yet to see a Victorian slow down though.
I think it's a state sport, same as never waiting for the lights to stop flashing at railway crossings.

I obey the speed limit through road works Mercury but yes many Victorians do not slow down and they like to tailgate and i once had one tooting me and almost sucking my tailpipe he was that close and i pointed to the speed sign and he was itching to get past and as the road went to 2 lanes then blasted past me giving me the finger while hurling abuse.

Just off topic i come across this quite often in Melbs nth west in that the road is perfectly fine with no potholes or any other issue and then without warning you cop a heap of stones hitting the guards the next morning as the road has been resurfaced overnight with tar and loose stones.Does this occur in other cities in Aus or is it a Melb thing.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

im really struggling to think of some footpaths beside some 100k zones. the barriers also arent anchored like the permanent ones.

plenty alongside 80 zones, and you'd have to be going pretty damn quick to move a non-anchored barrier from any glancing-angle collision. you may be tempted to argue a truck could, but again, if we dont care about trucks travelling next to footpaths where kids are walking with zero protection, why is it suddenly a major safety issue if someone is paid to be there?

try working beside a rd with traffic flying past, really fun when you can't see traffic coz your head is down working but you can hear cars going past 700mm away

council workers do so with no speed limits beyond what's posted, at least not here (NSW).

[DJR-351]

I'm buying a Beemer so i don't have to worry about inane stuff like this.

[au350hp]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

I'm buying a Beemer so i don't have to worry about inane stuff like this.

Great quote. My wife regularly says people who drive European cars seem to believe they don't have to indicate or give way etc.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Yeah, I always obey them even if the worksite doesn't look like it's in use.

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by Mainforcepatrol

I obey the speed limit through road works Mercury but yes many Victorians do not slow down and they like to tailgate and i once had one tooting me and almost sucking my tailpipe he was that close and i pointed to the speed sign and he was itching to get past and as the road went to 2 lanes then blasted past me giving me the finger while hurling abuse.

Just off topic i come across this quite often in Melbs nth west in that the road is perfectly fine with no potholes or any other issue and then without warning you cop a heap of stones hitting the guards the next morning as the road has been resurfaced overnight with tar and loose stones.Does this occur in other cities in Aus or is it a Melb thing.

It was in jest....sort of.

An interesting one I came across 12 months ago was coolgardie to southern cross.
200km+ of roadworks sign posted at 80.
I sat on 100 (otherwise it would have taken forever) with an unmarked car behind me the entire time. He just paced me and waved as he went past in merredin when I stopped for fuel.
200 km at once is a bit rich.

[au350hp]

Originally Posted by Mainforcepatrol

I obey the speed limit through road works Mercury but yes many Victorians do not slow down and they like to tailgate and i once had one tooting me and almost sucking my tailpipe he was that close and i pointed to the speed sign and he was itching to get past and as the road went to 2 lanes then blasted past me giving me the finger while hurling abuse.

Just off topic i come across this quite often in Melbs nth west in that the road is perfectly fine with no potholes or any other issue and then without warning you cop a heap of stones hitting the guards the next morning as the road has been resurfaced overnight with tar and loose stones.Does this occur in other cities in Aus or is it a Melb thing.

I lived in Victoria untill early 90's and after coming to Sydney, was amazed at the difference in driving attitudes. The tailgating is a big problem here, esp combined with phone users, sad to hear that Vic appears to be following suit. Regarding the roadworks, I experience what your talking about more on side streets or single roads. The major roadworks tend to be quite clean from recent memory and I think it makes a difference which Government is picking up the bill. Talking about damage to bodywork, one of my personal gripes is petrol blowers & whipper snippers. So many operators have no idea what these things to do a cars paint. I have seen garden contractors 'blowing down' cars parked where they have been mowing etc to get the dirt & debris off them...

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by simon varley

when they haven't bothered to take the signs down

I actually complained to the minister and RTA about this on the Monaro Hwy a few years ago, where they resurfaced the road through the week and left the signs up over the easter long weekend after they were finished.

apparently because there were some loose stones on the road after sealing it, they decided it was enough of a hazard to leave a 40 work-zone in a 100 zone in the middle of nowhere while no one was working for 4 days straight.

I wasn't impressed with that excuse, but the real question is "why are newly sealed roads left in a 'dangerous' state?" (anecdotal answer is RTA are sh~t at building roads)

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

I actually complained to the minister and RTA about this on the Monaro Hwy a few years ago, where they resurfaced the road through the week and left the signs up over the easter long weekend after they were finished.

apparently because there were some loose stones on the road after sealing it, they decided it was enough of a hazard to leave a 40 work-zone in a 100 zone in the middle of nowhere while no one was working for 4 days straight.

I wasn't impressed with that excuse, but the real question is "why are newly sealed roads left in a 'dangerous' state?" (anecdotal answer is RTA are sh~t at building roads)

Many industrial type businesses have rules that state that all vehicles used in 'dirty' parts of the property must be hosed or washed before leaving the property to head on a public road.
Construction crews leaving rocks and dirt everywhere is negligent.

Drive down any country road and you will find gravel driveways that have been spread most of the way across a 100km/h zone.
Not to mention where farmers let cows cross the road. I know someone who crashed into a ditch because they hit cow muck on a rural road in the rain.

If roadwork crews are more messy than cows after their job is done maybe they need to retrain or put in 15 minutes on clean up afterwards.


I like the roadwork crews near my home, they throw up the 40 signs when they are out working and take them down when they leave. They leave the road in good condition so there is no need for the slow speed on a main arterial road.

[The Snout]

There's a mob rule mentality with speed limits these days. You can stick to the limits but you just get run over and around by nearly everyone to the point you just say sometimes 'f*** it' and go with the flow, regardless of how far over you are.