Speed limit Raised to 160 km/h

AAndy · Post by **AAndy** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:06

Austria is trialing an increase to its motorway speed limit, upping it from 130km/h to 160 km/h........for, initially 2 weeks I think just on a 12 km section. But if its succesful then it may become more widespread.
The goverment have set-up weather stations as the 160 limit is only applicable in good conditions.

Wow...though, this is very interesting news I think!!

( just seen a report on bbc bews 24 )

jamesd · Post by **jamesd** » Tue May 02, 2006 13:10

More information can be found at this website: http://www.tempo160.at/. It's got maps of the stretch, pictures of the stretch, and also AADT figures.

Should be going through there on the 21st of May, so I'll post some feedback. According the website above it's for 2 months, so hopefully it'll be sunny

It's a fairly easy stretch of motorway, reasonably flat and straight, which is surprising given the more northerly landscape, and seems deserted when I've been down it before; although I understand on the first saturday of the summer holidays it's jam-packed with all the germans heading down to the Adriatic.

Truvelo · Post by **Truvelo** » Tue May 02, 2006 15:56

We need to have a trial 100mph limit of our own, maybe on the M45

But that's still 60mph short of what my bike's capable of

Bryn666 · Post by **Bryn666** » Tue May 02, 2006 16:12

Not convinced by a fixed 160km/h limit.

People will treat that as a target not a limit, whereas if there was no speed limit at all (although, say, a recommended 150km/h) there might be more sensible driving displayed?

wibble · Post by **wibble** » Tue May 02, 2006 16:48

jamesd wrote:More information can be found at this website: http://www.tempo160.at/. It's got maps of the stretch, pictures of the stretch, and also AADT figures.

It's a fairly easy stretch of motorway, reasonably flat and straight, which is surprising given the more northerly landscape, and seems deserted when I've been down it before;

It looks like any rural German autobahn where the regular speed limit would be derestricted. What I find interesting is the scientific approach that they are taking - 4 levels of wetness, windspeed, and temperature are all taken into account when setting the speedlimit!

jamesd wrote: although I understand on the first saturday of the summer holidays it's jam-packed with all the germans heading down to the Adriatic.

And in this case you'd be lucky to move, let alone manage 160km/h!

If anyone needs a translation of any of the site, let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

paully · Post by **paully** » Tue May 02, 2006 23:29

wibble wrote:What I find interesting is the scientific approach that they are taking - 4 levels of wetness, windspeed, and temperature are all taken into account when setting the speedlimit!

What about fog?

wibble · Post by **wibble** » Wed May 03, 2006 09:55

paully wrote:What about fog?

Humm, I was going to say that was part of the "wetness" tests, but the website actually says

Folgende sicherheitstechnische Parameter dienen zur Steuerung des Verkehrstelematiksystems
Nass-Trocken Verhältnis
Nebel
Lichtverhältnisse
Fahrbahn-Mindesttemperatur
Zeitliche Beschränkung (Lärmschutz)
Geschwindigkeitssteuerung

<loosely_translated>

The following safety parameters are used to control the use of the traffic telematic systems.
Wetness / Dryness state
Minimum visibility in fog
Light levels
Minimum temperature of the road surface
Time limits (noise limitation)
Speed determined

<translation_end>

The time limit parameter is an interesting one - this is often used on German motorways to allow different speed limits at different times of the day (e.g. overnight). This can either slow down the traffic (e.g. to reduce road noise, to allow people to sleep in local housing!), or to increase speeds from lower daytime (heavy traffic) limits.

I think the "speed deteremined" parameter means that the automatic speed control takes into account of the traffic when setting the speed limit. Obviously if the traffic is going slowly, there is no point in signing 160 km/h!

Richard Walker · Post by **Richard Walker** » Wed May 10, 2006 19:12

From what I gather, mist Australian cars are built for torque, not speed, so you probably wouldn't get that many people driving right up to the limit. It is worth baring in mind the roads in the NT are already derestricted, even if they are not of a very high standard.

bob@romiley1 · Post by **bob@romiley1** » Wed May 10, 2006 19:29

Richard Walker wrote:From what I gather, mist Australian cars are built for torque, not speed, so you probably wouldn't get that many people driving right up to the limit. It is worth baring in mind the roads in the NT are already derestricted, even if they are not of a very high standard.

Um. This thread is about Austria not Australia.

c2R · Post by **c2R** » Wed May 10, 2006 23:11

bob@romiley1 wrote:Um. This thread is about Austria not Australia.

Hehe (o;

wibble · Post by **wibble** » Thu May 11, 2006 09:28

bob@romiley1 wrote: Um. This thread is about Austria not Australia.

Reminds me of a t-shirt I saw in a shop in Salzburg (or was it Innsbruck?) once - the logo read something like
"Austria - There ain't no Kangeroos here"

M1 · Post by M1 » Thu May 11, 2006 10:41

wibble wrote:
bob@romiley1 wrote: Um. This thread is about Austria not Australia.
Reminds me of a t-shirt I saw in a shop in Salzburg (or was it Innsbruck?) once - the logo read something like
"Austria - There ain't no Kangeroos here"

My friend has that shirt: It has a yellow diamond saying 'No kangarros in Austria' in it, along with the kangarro symbol apparantly seen on signs there...

Richard Walker · Post by **Richard Walker** » Thu May 11, 2006 20:38

bob@romiley1 wrote:
Richard Walker wrote:From what I gather, mist Australian cars are built for torque, not speed, so you probably wouldn't get that many people driving right up to the limit. It is worth baring in mind the roads in the NT are already derestricted, even if they are not of a very high standard.
Um. This thread is about Austria not Australia.

That'll teach me to skim-read!