IT’S obvious to anyone who’s ever been near a road in this country that the Aussies struggle to drive their cars in a straight line. The country has road accident statistics that would make a impoverished South American country look safe.
So when champion racing driver Mark Skaife suggested Victoria should raise the speed limit to 140km/h in a bid to save lives, the politician backlash was as predictable as Emile Heskey shanking a sitter into row Z.
Premier John Brumby said: “You will never lower your road toll if you have a top speed limit of 140km/h — indeed, if you drive at that speed in Victoria you will lose your licence. It is a hoon driving offence.”
Skaife, however, didn’t just want to raise the speed limit in order to ‘hoon’ around the state. It was merely the most controversial part of an overall plan to change Australia’s approach to driving.
“He’s missed some of the critical pillars of what I was saying — improved driver training, better roads and maintenance and encouraging people to drive safer cars,” said Skaife.
“If these things are done we can. On the better quality roads we have in Australia, there is absolutely no problem in having an increased speed limit.”
