Attitudes towards current and lowered speed limits in Australia

The present study was concerned with gaining a greater understanding of the Australian community's attitudes towards both the current and proposed lower speed limits. An online survey was administered in four states (Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania), with a total of 4100 respondents recruited. The survey focussed on attitudes towards speed limits for four different road types, and the sample was stratified according to age, gender, and area of residence. It was found that most respondents were able to correctly identify the speed limit for local residential streets and major urban arterials, although their knowledge of rural speed limits was considerably lower. The majority of respondents were in favour of the proposed lower speed limits on 100 km/h two-lane undivided rural roads and on rural gravel roads, but only about one-third supported lower limits in urban areas. A cluster analysis revealed that there were varying characteristics between respondents who were more or less likely to support speed limit reductions, across a number of demographic, socio-economic status, and driving behavior variables. These results provided important guidance regarding groups that could potentially be targeted in speed-related interventions, as well as highlighting the potential for lowering speed limits in Australia, particularly on rural roads.