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It is a known fact that vehicle speedometers are deliberately faster than actual road speed if the vehicle is post 2006. Pre 2006 the law is less stringent.
Basic interpretation of ADR (Australian Design Rule) 18 (2006 Revision) indicates that a motor vehicle can never be going faster than shown on the speedo. So, if the speedo indicates 80kph, the vehicle must be doing 80kph or less.
Manufacturers always build an error into the speedo and we guess that some of these reasons would include protection for the consumer so they never get booked for speeding and also to reduce the impact speed in an accident. There is also some unproven speculation that it helps them fudge the fuel economy figures as those advertised are generally never achievable in the real world. This has an effect on the actual odometer reading which is also covered by an ADR. Tyre and rim modifications have also been legislated around this to provide better protection to consumers and states that you can fit any tyre and rim package to a vehicle you like as long as the new package is within + or - 15mm of the original rim package, which again limits the amount of error tyres and rims can induce into a speedo.
Yes, your GPS is more accurate, but why bother running the risk of its inaccuracies when your vehicle is designed to protect you if you are obeying the road laws.
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