You obviously haven't driven from Brisbane to Cairns. !!! Most of it is still single lane each way.
No I haven't Bryan, and after your comment I don't think I want to now! I could handle the drive, but it is the idiots coming towards you which I do not trust!
No I haven't Bryan, and after your comment I don't think I want to now! I could handle the drive, but it is the idiots coming towards you which I do not trust!
It's not too bad Stephen, until there's a huge cross wind blowing you into the path of the on-coming semi.
The duel highway is slowly creeping north from Brissy. It's almost up to Gympie now I think.
But Gympie's only 2hrs drive from Brissy. Cairns is 2 days drive from Brissy.
A bit of trivia, Did you know that Melbourne is closer to Brisbane than Cairns is???
I do not want to bag anyone from NSW, but I recently drove from Melbourne to Young, and the NSW half of the Hume Freeway is 20 years behind Victoria's half. What a shocking road for a National Highway! What has your State Governments been doing all this time????
We have some pretty poor planning down here in the Nanny State but at least we have an efficient and reliable train system. Oh wait....
Hello glenluceskies,
I have to puff my chest out a little here. My grandfather was an engineer working on the roads in Victoria, so i can proudly say that my Grandfather had a lot to do with the quality roads down there. By the way, whenever he came to NSW he used to complain about our roads bitterly.
On the subject of speed, its a known fact that in the NT when they didn't have speed limits on the majority of roads they had less accidents. Also the roads there aren't as good for the speeds people drive, but the accident rate and road toll are far less, meaning that the roads aren't the problem, its the idiots on them.
Paul
This was mentioned in another thread and I looked up more info but I forget whether I posted it. Basically, what you say is true but incomplete. The NT is small enough that a small number of accidents can significantly change the overall statistics. In first couple of years after the speed limit was introduced there was a spike in accidents on remote roads. Roads where speed, or at least the speed limit, is not an issue. On the major roads where the limit has been applied the accident rate has remained constant. I think there is good reason for that. The 130kmh limit hasn't changed the way most people drive but it does (perhaps) allow the coppers to weed out the true idiots.
Maaate. They have on the take in NSW for years. Sadly I'm serious. No-one could be that incompetent.
Sadly, I think you're right (at least from what we hear in the media over the years). But I think all State Goevenments suffer their share.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louwai
....A bit of trivia, Did you know that Melbourne is closer to Brisbane than Cairns is???
Not immediately Bryan, but now I think about it (and recall a plane flight to Cairns in '99), that would make sense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Starman73
...I have to puff my chest out a little here. My grandfather was an engineer working on the roads in Victoria, so i can proudly say that my Grandfather had a lot to do with the quality roads down there. By the way, whenever he came to NSW he used to complain about our roads bitterly.
Paul
Paul, Whilst I cannot comment on many other State's roads (except for NSW), I have extensively driven all around Victoria in my 25 years of driving, and although I think our state network certainly has some shortcomings, on the whole, the job the Country Roads Board (and later Vic Roads) acheived was incredible for their day and certainly laid the foundations for a decent road network. You should be rightly proud of your Grandfather.
You obviously haven't driven from Brisbane to Cairns. !!! Most of it is still single lane each way.
A few years ago we did Sydney->Cairns->Undara->Hughenden->Mt Isa->St George->Sydney in 2 weeks. Once the Bruce Hwy dropped to one lane each way the traffic volume had dropped to the point that overtaking was not really an issue. Except for one escorted convoy with some huge piece of farm machinery we were stuck behind for over an hour. There was nowhere the police could stop the southbound traffic to let the hundred or so vehicles pass.
The biggest scare we had was meeting a road train on a narrow bridge near St George. He appeared around a blind curve after we were both committed to crossing the bridge. My mirrors went under his.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glenluceskies
I do not want to bag anyone from NSW, but I recently drove from Melbourne to Young, and the NSW half of the Hume Freeway is 20 years behind Victoria's half. What a shocking road for a National Highway!
It is much simpler to build a good road from Melbourne to Albury than from Albury to Sydney. It is not all that far and is relatively level terrain. From Albury it runs continuously through the Great Dividing Range until you get to Picton.
The same holds true for much of the Princes, Pacific and Bruce Hwys.
On the other side of the mountains the Melbourne to Brisbane roads (eg Newell) run along the plains and are much better for the volume of traffic they carry.
A few comparison Vic/NSW stats I worked out. Not to be taken as gospel. It's easy to see why Victoria can have better roads.
...It is much simpler to build a good road from Melbourne to Albury than from Albury to Sydney. It is not all that far and is relatively level terrain. From Albury it runs continuously through the Great Dividing Range until you get to Picton.
The same holds true for much of the Princes, Pacific and Bruce Hwys.
On the other side of the mountains the Melbourne to Brisbane roads (eg Newell) run along the plains and are much better for the volume of traffic they carry.
A few comparison Vic/NSW stats I worked out. Not to be taken as gospel. It's easy to see why Victoria can have better roads.
Yes Andrew, the topography is a very big factor. We are blessed to some degree with a relatively flat State.
It is much simpler to build a good road from Melbourne to Albury than from Albury to Sydney. It is not all that far and is relatively level terrain. From Albury it runs continuously through the Great Dividing Range until you get to Picton.
The same holds true for much of the Princes, Pacific and Bruce Hwys.
You should see the freeways they have in Europe among other places in far more mountainous regions. A few hills is no excuse for crap roads.
Generally, Australian roads are pretty crap by 1st world standards. There is STILL no continous freeway even from Melbourne to Brisbane, and the sections that are freeways have several at-grade intersections.
At the very least, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide should be linked by a dual carriageway.
It's not a matter of how many vehicles use the road per day, it's about safety.
You should see the freeways they have in Europe among other places in far more mountainous regions. A few hills is no excuse for crap roads.
Generally, Australian roads are pretty crap by 1st world standards. There is STILL no continous freeway even from Melbourne to Brisbane, and the sections that are freeways have several at-grade intersections.
At the very least, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide should be linked by a dual carriageway.
It's not a matter of how many vehicles use the road per day, it's about safety.
Very true, but I suppose we have one up. Australia has some of the most rugged vehicles in the world which have been manufactured specifically to deal with the crap roads.
In the trucking world, Australia has THE largest & most durable trucks / Prime Movers in the world. (Road registered that is). Nowhere else in the world do they have 1 prime mover pulling up to 6 trailers down the highway. http://spluch.blogspot.com/2007/03/w...est-truck.html
You should see the freeways they have in Europe among other places in far more mountainous regions. A few hills is no excuse for crap roads.
Generally, Australian roads are pretty crap by 1st world standards. There is STILL no continous freeway even from Melbourne to Brisbane, and the sections that are freeways have several at-grade intersections.
At the very least, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide should be linked by a dual carriageway.
OK, I've added some figures for Europe. Every European taxpayer/road user/etc pays for the upkeep of around 25% of the length or road your average Vic or NSW one does.
To be honest, I'd take the NSW roads in preference to the European population density.
Also they've been building roads for around 2500 years. Not 200.
Quote:
It's not a matter of how many vehicles use the road per day, it's about safety.
Fatalities per 100,000 population per annum for Western Europe appear to average out at around 6 to 7. The latest figure I can easily find for all of Australia is 8.8. If believe NSW and Vic are lower.
You, who routinely drive faster than 160 kmh in a 30+ year old car, and have never died yet, just wait. Needs a little bit more of time.In general I agree with you.
And instead slowing down traffic every day, authorities should make some more efforts to teach pupils how to cross the street. Those who cannot learn that, should go to special schools.
When you see how guys in Italy drive, you will be freaked out, back on ozie roads. When green light is on, one by one, is starting moving here.
We need better driving schools here! Driving is not for anyone, anyway.
Cheers Nev
You should see the freeways they have in Europe among other places in far more mountainous regions. A few hills is no excuse for crap roads.
Most of the freeways in Europe have tolls and are very expensive. Also they're all condensed in relativey small areas compared to the distance a typical interstate road has to cover in Australia. Finaly the population paying tolls per year is probably NSWx20 for France alone. Plenty of Money to maintain and expand roads.
Very true, but I suppose we have one up. Australia has some of the most rugged vehicles in the world which have been manufactured specifically to deal with the crap roads.
In the trucking world, Australia has THE largest & most durable trucks / Prime Movers in the world. (Road registered that is). Nowhere else in the world do they have 1 prime mover pulling up to 6 trailers down the highway. http://spluch.blogspot.com/2007/03/w...est-truck.html
Gotta say one thing. Australians adapt........
Ironic that we have the largest trucks in the world, yet they have to drive on tiny and unsafe roads because the retard premiers/PMs of past and present didnt invest in road infrastructure. For example...look at John Bumbly's solution to Melbourne's east-west traffic crisis....no, we won't build that tunnel from the Eastern Fwy to the ring road...we'll squeeze in an extra lane on the Westgate bridge.
2 things wrong with this most ridiculous of proposals:
1. The Westgate bridge doesnt have room for 5 lanes each way
2. the REST of the freeway will still be only 4 lanes each way....so you'll have merging issues coming up.
OK, I've added some figures for Europe. Every European taxpayer/road user/etc pays for the upkeep of around 25% of the length or road your average Vic or NSW one does.
To be honest, I'd take the NSW roads in preference to the European population density.
Also they've been building roads for around 2500 years. Not 200.
Fatalities per 100,000 population per annum for Western Europe appear to average out at around 6 to 7. The latest figure I can easily find for all of Australia is 8.8. If believe NSW and Vic are lower.
Freeways have only emerged in the 1930s world wide. Paved roads probably in the 1900's. Any roads before then were nothing more than dirt tracks, which anyone with an atom of brain matter since the dawn of humanity would know how to construct.
You, who routinely drive faster than 160 kmh in a 30+ year old car, and have never died yet, just wait. Needs a little bit more of time.In general I agree with you.v
Well Nev, if you look at the Avatar, you'll see where I drive at over 160 kmh, that picture is the 30yo car lifting a front wheel off the ground going around the final turn at Sandown racetrack. The car has a full rollcage, raceseat and five point 3" harness, I'm also wearing a racesuit and helmet.
Doing this helps me to keep to the speed limits on the roads, it doesn't stop me going fast around corners though, always within (or on) the speed limit though.
Freeways have only emerged in the 1930s world wide. Paved roads probably in the 1900's. Any roads before then were nothing more than dirt tracks, which anyone with an atom of brain matter since the dawn of humanity would know how to construct.
Umm...
The Roman empire was making paved roads BC, unless I'm mistaken that's around 2000 years ago.
I could handle the drive, but it is the idiots coming towards you which I do not trust!
