Speed limits under review
Speed limits are reviewed for many reasons, including requests from local council, Police or the community, because of development, or due to changing road environments.
Speed limits can only be changed by the Commissioner for Transport. The Commissioner will review a speed limit if they receive a speed limit change application from the relevant road manager.
What’s considered when reviewing a speed limit?
Many things are looked at when a speed limit is reviewed, including:
- safety concerns
- crash history
- the condition of the road
- what the road is used for
- how many people use the road
- whether it is used by vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians
- the number of accesses and intersections
- compliance with AustRoads and engineering guidelines.
We may also ask the community and stakeholders such as police, local councils and the RACT whether they support a change to the speed limit.
How do I request a speed limit review?
If you want to request a review of a speed limit on a State road, contact us at info@stategrowth.tas.gov.au
If you want to request a review of a speed limit on a council road, contact the local council.
Speed limit changes
Bass Highway, Chasm Creek
What is the decision?
The speed limit on the Bass Highway near Chasm Creek is being reduced from 100 km/h to 90 km/h for 2.3 kilometres. The speed limit will be reduced in both directions of travel between Chasm Creek and Heybridge.
What are the reasons for this decision?
The Bass Highway carries high volumes of traffic and in the past five years there have been 33 vehicle crashes on this section of the road.
The majority of these were single vehicle loss-of-control crashes. Of the 33 crashes, one resulted in serious injury, eight in minor injury and three in the need for first aid treatment.
In making the decision to lower the speed limit, consideration was given to the crash history, road characteristics and the relevant national standard for speed management.
New speed limit signs will be installed in early October 2021, at which point the new speed limit comes into effect.
Updated: 5 October 2021
Blessington Main Road, White Hills
What is the decision?
The speed limit on Blessington Main Road at White Hills is being reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h for one kilometre at the White Hills Road intersection. The speed limit will be reduced for 500 metres in either direction of the intersection.
What are the reasons for this decision?
The Department of State Growth investigated the speed limit on Blessington Main Road following requests from the community. A reduction was justified and approved by the Commissioner for Transport according to national standards.
Research shows even small reductions of 10 km/h in travelling speeds can lead to a 25 percent reduction in serious casualties.
Please observe new speed signs, which will be installed in coming weeks.
Updated: 6 May 2020
Huon Highway, Vinces Saddle/ Sandfly
What is the decision?
Vinces Saddle
The Department of State Growth is reducing the speed limit from 100 km/h to 80 km/h on the Huon Highway at Vinces Saddle for about 4.1 kilometres, in both directions, from the cemetery at Lower Longley travelling towards Hobart. This will add approximately half a minute to travel time through this section.
Sandfly intersection
The Department of State Growth did not apply to have the speed reduced at the intersection.
What are the reasons for this decision?
Vinces Saddle
There is a clear case for reducing the speed limit at Vinces Saddle on the Huon Highway for safety reasons. This section of the highway is steep, winding and has one of the highest crash rates on the entire State road network.There have been 81 reported crashes on this section of road in the last five years. The most common type of crash is loss-of-control involving a single vehicle, which indicates that motorists are travelling too fast. The crash history shows vehicle crashes are evenly distributed across the year and at different times of day, with no apparent links to particular weather conditions.
Sandfly intersection
A number of factors informed the Department’s decision, including the relevant Australian road engineering standards, feedback from road users and the Department’s commitment to upgrade the intersection.
Consultation Findings
The full Community Consultation Feedback Report is available here. In total, 296 people submitted feedback. At Vinces Saddle, 78 per cent of submissions expressed opposition to the speed limit change and 22 per cent supported it. At Sandfly Road intersection, 64 per cent of submissions opposed the speed limit and 36 per cent supported it.
Updated: 5 February 2020
Midland Highway, Southern Outlet Launceston
What is the decision?
The Department of State Growth is reducing the speed limit on the Launceston Southern Outlet from 110 km/h to 90 km/h for about 2.2 kilometres from the Bass Highway Interchange and Howick Street, travelling in both directions. The speed reduction will add an extra 16 seconds to road users travel time
What are the reasons for this decision?
A fatality on this section of highway in November 2018 initiated a review of the speed limit. Key stakeholders and road users were consulted on the speed review in May 2019, the Consultation and Findings Report is available here. Mixed opinions are expected when asking road users about speed limit reductions, and most road users opposed the speed reduction.
This section of the highway carries about 28 000 vehicles a day and is on a very steep hill. Since 2013 there have been 137 reported crashes on this section of Highway. Traffic flow is disrupted by slow moving trucks and merging vehicles. There is a high nose-to-tail crash rate on the Southern Outlet indicating motorists are travelling too fast. A speed reduction will improve safety for all road users, and have the additional benefit of reducing crash related congestion on the Southern Outlet.
Variable speed signs will not maximise improved safety benefits for all road users. Although crashes on this section of highway are more common during peak hours they happen at all times.
Research indicates that even small reductions of 10 km/h in travelling speeds can lead to 25 per cent reductions in serious casualties.
Updated: 13 November 2019
Huon Highway, Dover
What is the decision?
The speed limit on the Huon Highway at Dover is being reduced from 80 km/h to 60 km/h for 1.83 kilometres from Francistown Road travelling south.
What are the reasons for this decision?
The Department of State Growth investigated the speed limit on the Huon Highway at Dover following a request from a local resident. A reduction was justified and approved by the Commissioner for Transport according to national standards.
Research shows even small reductions of 10 km/h in travelling speeds can lead to a 25 percent reduction in serious casualties.
Please observe new speed signs, which will be installed in November 2019.
Updated: 13 November 2019