Speed limits
There are many ways to address safety on dangerous stretches of road, one of them is to assess the speed limit. A speed limit may be changed, and lowered, on a dangerous section of road if it is believed it will help reduce the number of crashes in the area.
Four Queensland roads have been recently targeted for a 10 kilometres per hour (km/h) speed reduction in an effort to improve safety. The new speed limits are well signed and warning signs also alert motorists to a lower speed limit before entering the dangerous section of road. To find out more about which roads have been targeted and why, please view the reduced speed limits on targeted roads fact sheet (PDF, 33 KB).
50 km/h local street speed limit
The default speed limit in built-up areas has been reduced from 60 km/h to 50 km/h.
This means that when driving in a built-up area, you should drive no faster than 50 km/h unless there is a sign stating otherwise. The move was designed to:
- save lives
- reduce serious injury and property damage
- make urban areas more liveable for local communities.
The lower limit has been in place in south east Queensland since 1 March 1999, and was extended to include all of Queensland on 1 February 2003.
A lower speed limit on local streets gives motorists time to react when unexpected things happen. Every single kilometre per hour over the speed limit can affect whether a crash happens and, if so, how severe it might be.
The faster a vehicle is travelling, the longer it takes to stop for the unexpected — like a child running onto the road. Children are no match for a car — at speeds over 50 km/h, most children will die if they are hit.
Other factors, such as road conditions, bad weather and poor visibility can further increase the braking distance.
As drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, we all have a right to use the roads. But, we also have the responsibility to use them safely and legally.
The effectiveness of the 50 km/h local street speed limit will ultimately rely on a commitment from all of us to slow down to help increase our safety and the safety of others.
The 50 km/h local street speed limit rule is simple — in built-up areas drive no faster than 50 km/h, unless you see a sign stating otherwise.
View the
50 km/h local street speed limit brochure (PDF, 767 KB).
The brochure is also available split into two parts:
Does a 10 km/h reduction in speed in local streets make a difference?
About one third of all crashes resulting in injury occur on local streets. Every single kilometre per hour over the speed limit not only affects whether a crash happens, but how severe it is. In some cases, this could mean the difference between life and death.
The faster a vehicle is travelling, the longer it takes to stop. A car travelling at 50 km/h can stop 12–16 m sooner than one travelling at 60 km/h. This means that by the time a car travelling at 50 km/h has stopped under emergency braking, another car braking from 60 km/h would still be travelling at about 40 km/h.
Speed: 50 km/h — stopping distance: 42 m
Speed: 60 km/h — stopping distance: 56 m
Does a lower speed limit increase travel time?
Reducing the speed limit to 50 km/h has little effect, if any, on overall travel times. In most suburban areas you would only drive a short distance on a 50 km/h street before joining a road with a higher speed limit. For most trips, the difference in travel time would be less than 30 seconds.
Are 50 km/h streets signposted?
No. The 50 km/h local street speed limit operates the same way as the previous 60 km/h default speed limit in built-up areas. This means that if you are on a local street in a built-up area and the street does not have a speed limit sign on it, you must travel no faster than 50 km/h.
However, there are occasions when you will see 50 km/h signs, for example, at the end of a school zone.
You may also see 50 km/h signs on traffic carrying roads. These are roads where a 50 km/h speed limit has been deemed appropriate due to the probability of crashes. For example, along foreshore esplanades and through busy shopping and commercial areas.
What is a local street?
A local street is one that usually provides for direct access to private property and/or limited neighbourhood movement. Some industrial and commercial areas also have local streets.
Roads that carry traffic through suburbs and across towns are called traffic carrying roads and these roads will continue to have a speed limit of 60 km/h or higher. The speed limit on these streets will be clearly signed.
Where do 50 km/h local street speeds apply?
The default 50 km/h speed limit applies on local streets in built-up areas throughout Queensland.
Contact your local council for more information.
Why do local streets need a lower limit?
Local streets are areas where people live. What do you see when you drive down your street? Children playing, the neighbour taking their dog for a walk, or a mother walking her child home from school.
These activities take place on local streets, every day of the week, every week of the year. On local streets, motorists should expect the unexpected. Children are unpredictable. When a young child is playing with a ball and it rolls away, their immediate reaction is to run after it. A young child does not think if it is dangerous to retrieve the ball. They only want the ball back — even if that means running onto the road.
How are speed limits set?
Speed limits throughout Queensland must be set in accordance with stringent guidelines. This ensures that speed limits throughout Queensland are consistent and credible. Some factors taken into consideration when determining suitable speed limits for roads include:
- the number and configuration of traffic lanes
- housing density and type of development
- the amount of on-road parking
- access to property arrangements
- traffic signals
- accident patterns that have occurred.
Speed limits are determined after considering a number of safety factors, not simply the standard or appearance of a road.
In Queensland, speed limits are set by the Department of Transport and Main Roads and local governments respectively for the roads under their control.
Road safety is a big responsibility. As drivers, pedestrians and cyclists we all have a right to use the roads. But we also have a responsibility to use them safely and legally.
How is the 50 km/h limit enforced?
As with other speed limits, the 50 km/h local street speed limit is enforced by the Queensland Police Service using conventional speed detection devices.
