Your views Feb/March 2020

Speeding woes

Renny Grech, Turners Beach

Reading the Your Views article on speeding (Journeys Dec/ Jan 2020), the drive to Launceston is a task, especially with idiots that don’t like doing the speed limit. Then you come to mad truck drivers intimidating cars etc, and roadworks – again, no one gives a hoot.

We need a train system from Wynyard, picking up people who don’t want to drive to Launceston. Imagine a pleasant drive without all those idiots. And the train can carry containers, dropping along the way. I, for one, would take the train to Launceston, not worrying about parking.

Alternatively, duplicate the Bass Highway like we’ve got from Devonport to Burnie.

Doug Willmott, Wattle Grove

I was a little startled to read that, according to Ian Martindale (Journeys Dec/Jan 2020), driving at 20 to 30km/h under the speed limit is ‘both irresponsible and dangerous’. 

The posted speed limit is the maximum allowed. It is not compulsory to stick to it and in fact there are many occasions when driving much slower is both wise and safe.

Examples include dusk to dawn when in many areas the roads are alive with wildlife; also, wet or misty weather requires slower speeds, and in some instances there are posted limits that are too optimistic.

In my area there are various narrow winding roads, and a couple I travel on regularly have limits of 80km/h in one case and 100km/h in another. My speed varies between 50 and 80km/h on those roads, according to the conditions. Traffic does not build up behind me so it seems that other drivers are also driving at a similar speed to me.

As well as my car, I have ridden a motorbike and driven trucks and school buses, and I regard myself as a reasonably experienced and careful driver with no irresponsible or dangerous habits.

I have since contacted Ian for clarification, and he was referring to normal highway driving conditions, not during adverse weather or other challenges – Paula Sward, Editor.

Signalling at roundabouts

David Roberts, South Hobart

I wish to draw attention to the dangerous practice employed by some motorists in giving a left turn signal when entering a roundabout, even when intending to go straight through.

At many roundabouts, motorists now have to rely on left turn signals from motorists already in the roundabout to be able to find a space to enter the roundabout. Under these circumstances a left turn indication by a motorist intending to go straight on through could lead to a serious accident.

The Tasmanian road rules state that motorists should signal left when entering the roundabout if intending to leave the roundabout less than half-way around. While this may be intended to address the possibility of a roundabout with other than four exits, it is quite confusing and it also allows the possibility that a motorist signals left on entering the roundabout but does not exit at the first exit.

Under such circumstance it would be far safer for a motorist waiting to enter if no left turn signal was given at all when entering the roundabout.

In my view it would be safer if the road rules for all states were changed so that no left turn signal was given when entering a roundabout at all but only when leaving at the immediate next exit.