Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House that current Queensland highway speed limits of 100 km/h were set in 1974 based on the braking ability of a 1967 Ford Cortina and highways that were single lane cattle tracks with give way bridges. 50 years later, highways are surveyed, engineered and constructed with safety in mind and road fatalities have reduced by ⅔ in total and by more than 80% per capita.

Furthermore, there have been significant improvements in vehicle safety and design over the past 50 years include: inertia seat belts, air bags, ESC, pre collision systems, blind spot detection, adaptive cruise control, ABS, suspension & tyre technology, and ANCAP safety ratings. For further information please review the ‘Access to Road Safety in Australia Submission 48’ presented to Federal Parliament in 2022.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to follow the example of the majority of First World countries and increase highway speed limits along the vast majority of our modern highway network to an appropriate 130 km/h and stop using speed limits for fundraising. Doing so would improve traffic flow and reduce congestion freeing up the movement of citizens and the transport industry. Furthermore, faster flowing traffic leads to reduced highway repair and repatriation costs.