A large section of the Northern Territory’s medical community is calling for the end of open speed limits. 

The Northern Territory branches of the Australian College for Emergency Medicine, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) are pushing the Northern Territory Government to eliminate open speed limits, which they say send the wrong signal to drivers.

They used World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims falls on 15 November to reflect on the patients they have treated in the aftermath of road accidents.

“Quite often the victims of road trauma are innocent bystanders, children in cars, people driving minding their own business, when they're struck by another vehicle driving at an excessive speed,” said David Read, the NT RACS representative.

“It can be very confronting to see and have to deal with this great effect on people and their ongoing lives, knowing there's a chance these accidents could have been prevented.”

Dr Read said speed was the central cause of NT road accidents, which are in turn the biggest killer of people from ages 5 to 45.

On a per capita basis, the NT’s road toll is three times that of the rest of Australia.

The RACP says research has shown that a five per cent increase in speed creates a 15 per cent increase in serious injury crashes.

The same research also found a crash with a 22 per cent increase in speed is usually fatal.

“The culture of speed is insufficiently addressed, surgeons feel,” Dr Read said.

“We're almost encouraging drivers to drive at unsafe speeds.”

Mr Read said the Territory Government's recent extension of the open speed zones on the Stuart Highway between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek was a backwards step.

“Although that part of road is not so frequently travelled and is straight, it sends the wrong message to the community that speed is integral in every motor vehicle accident,” he said.

“What we do know from all available evidence nationally, internationally and even from the territory, is that restricting speeds to 130, or even 110 km/hr is going to be safer than having open speeds.”

The Automobiles Association of the Northern Territory says the current 130km/hr speed limit on most sections of the Stuart Highway is fast enough, and it will lobby the Territory Government to get rid of open speed limits.

But NT Transport Minister Peter Chandler denies the open speed limit contributes to the speeding culture.

“You could argue that at 100km/hr people are still having accidents and are still dying,” Mr Chandler has told the ABC.

“The open speed limits so far in the Territory is something that has worked very well, they worked well for decades.

“The difference is that in the Territory, most of our deaths occur in areas where we already have speed limits.

“The truth is in the Northern Territory, the non-wearing of seatbelts, unregistered and unroadworthy vehicles, overloaded vehicles, they're the reasons.”

Mr Chandler said drivers still need to be sensible in open speed limit areas, as police will still pull them over if they're for bad driving.

“It is not a licence to go and speed, it is not a licence to drive any faster than what they're comfortable with,’ Mr Chandler said.

 

A large section of the Northern Territory’s medical community is calling for the end of open speed limits.

The Northern Territory branches of the Australian College for Emergency Medicine, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) are pushing the Northern Territory Government to eliminate open speed limits, which they say send the wrong signal to drivers.

They used World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims falls on 15 November to reflect on the patients they have treated in the aftermath of road accidents.

“Quite often the victims of road trauma are innocent bystanders, children in cars, people driving minding their own business, when they're struck by another vehicle driving at an excessive speed,” said David Read, the NT RACS representative.

“It can be very confronting to see and have to deal with this great effect on people and their ongoing lives, knowing there's a chance these accidents could have been prevented.”

Dr Read said speed was the central cause of NT road accidents, which are in turn the biggest killer of people from ages 5 to 45.

On a per capita basis, the NT’s road toll is three times that of the rest of Australia.

The RACP says research has shown that a five per cent increase in speed creates a 15 per cent increase in serious injury crashes.

The same research also found a crash with a 22 per cent increase in speed is usually fatal.

“The culture of speed is insufficiently addressed, surgeons feel,” Dr Read said.

“We're almost encouraging drivers to drive at unsafe speeds.”

Mr Read said the Territory Government's recent extension of the open speed zones on the Stuart Highway between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek was a backwards step.

 

“Although that part of road is not so frequently travelled and is straight, it sends the wrong message to the community that speed is integral in every motor vehicle accident,” he said.

“What we do know from all available evidence nationally, internationally and even from the territory, is that restricting speeds to 130, or even 110 km/hr is going to be safer than having open speeds.”

The Automobiles Association of the Northern Territory says the current 130km/hr speed limit on most sections of the Stuart Highway is fast enough, and it will lobby the Territory Government to get rid of open speed limits.

But NT Transport Minister Peter Chandler denies the open speed limit contributes to the speeding culture.

“You could argue that at 100km/hr people are still having accidents and are still dying,” Mr Chandler has told the ABC.

“The open speed limits so far in the Territory is something that has worked very well, they worked well for decades.

“The difference is that in the Territory, most of our deaths occur in areas where we already have speed limits.

“The truth is in the Northern Territory, the non-wearing of seatbelts, unregistered and unroadworthy vehicles, overloaded vehicles, they're the reasons.”

Mr Chandler said drivers still need to be sensible in open speed limit areas, as police will still pull them over if they're for bad driving.

“It is not a licence to go and speed, it is not a licence to drive any faster than what they're comfortable with,’ Mr Chandler said.