Are there any roads without speed limit in Australia?
Speed limits apply everywhere in Australia with rare exceptions. These speed limits are measured in “kilometres per hour” and are enforced through use of mobile police units, speed cameras, and highway patrol, especially over peak holiday and travel seasons like Christmas and Easter.
On roads where there's no speed limit sign, you must not drive faster than the default speed limit: 50km/h in 'built-up areas' – areas with street lights and buildings next to the road less than 100m apart. 100 km/h for all other roads.
Germany is the only country where some motorways do not have a maximum speed limit. The 130 km/h is sign-posted as a general advisory speed limit for motorways in the entry of the country. Due to those Autobahns, Germany is considered a country without a general speed limit on its highways.
In Australia, we have various speed limits depending on the type of road and level of pedestrian activity. The maximum legal speed a car can travel at is 130km/hour, which exists in a section of a highway in the Northern Territory.
Poland has the world's highest speed limit which is 140kph on motorways, though the Austrians dabbled with having a 160kph variable limit on motorways in 2006.
In the Northern Territory, posted speed limits can be as high as 130km/h, while default speed limits are 60km/hr for built-up areas, and 110km/h in rural areas. In Western Australia, posted speed limits are capped at 110km/h, while default speed limits are 50km/h for built-up areas, and 110km/h in rural areas.
It's a rule which very few Australians seem to have heard of. No matter where you drive here, the right hand lane will almost always be your slowest route and the left, the quickest.
This means that the police are lawfully allowed to speed, drive through red lights and do other acts which would ordinarily be a traffic offence. They can also use mobile phones while driving and not wear a seat-belt. Importantly, however, they can only drive like this if they are performing their duties.
The German Autobahn
Germany has to take the top spot in the world's fastest roads, not least because around 45 percent of the country's autobahns have no speed limit, although the advisory speed limit is 81 mph.
In December 1952 the West German legislature voted to abolish all speed limits, reverting to State-level decisions. However, rising traffic fatalities led to a partial reversal: an urban speed limit of 50 km/h (31 mph) became effective 1 September 1957, despite resistance by the German Auto Club.
What is the speed limit in Dubai?
While speed limits are between 25-40km/h (15-25mph) on residential roads, Dubai also has some of the highest speed limits of anywhere in the world. Both the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain (E22) and Sheikh Zayed (E11) highways have limits of up to 100km/h (62mph)2.
The lowest maximum speed limit in the country is 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) in American Samoa.

The police driver cannot exceed the speed limit or contravene road signs – no exemption should be permitted. Holders of a BASIC driving authority are allowed to drive police vehicles on enquiries only.
The four-way stop sign intersections might not be common in Australia, but they are regularly used in the US and Canada. Better known as all-way stops, drivers in the US and Canada pass through the intersection depending on the order in which they arrived.
According to the NSW Road Rules you cannot drive so abnormally slowly that you cause an obstruction. An example of driving 'abnormally slowly' would be if you were travelling at a speed of 20 kilometres per hour on a road with a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour.
Great Northern Highway — 3195km
Thus brings us to the longest drive in all of Australia — the longest most remote paved road in the world, Great Northern Highway.
Speed limits
Let's start with the reality: even if you drive just 1 mph over the limit, you're still breaking the law. Speed limits are there for a reason, so don't ignore them! Furthermore, speed limits are just that—a limit, rather than a recommended speed.
On major streets, where conditions vary widely, cities can conduct a Safe Speed Study to determine the safest maximum speed limit. In urban areas, a Safe Speed Study will most often result in a recommended maximum speed limit of 20 or 25 mph for major streets.
In most provinces and territories, statutory speed limits are 50 km/h (31 mph) in urban areas, 80 km/h (50 mph) in rural areas. There is no statutory speed limit for grade-separated freeways; however the typical speed limit in most provinces is 100 km/h (62 mph) or 110 km/h (68 mph).
Driving in Australia, like most other western nations, is relatively easy and straightforward - most of the cars you come across are automatic transmission and the road rules are similar to other countries.
Do speed cameras in Australia flash?
This mobile camera or speed camera is used in Victoria and Queensland and can be operated in various manners. Without a flash, the only evidence of speed camera on the outside of the car is a black rectangular box, which sends out the radar beam, about 30 cm by 10 cm, mounted on the front of the car.
The section between Balladonia and Caiguna includes what is regarded as the longest straight stretch of road in Australia and one of the longest in the world. The road stretches for 146.6 kilometres (91.1 mi) without turning, and is signposted and commonly known as the "90 Mile Straight".
You can drive through the middle of Australia by following the Stuart Highway which runs from North to South for 2.834 km (1,761 mi). The road is fully sealed and can be driven by any type of car. It takes about 14 days to complete when you visit all the tourist stops.
If you think you have been flashed by a speed camera, you have to wait 14 days for it to be confirmed or not: that's how long the police have to issue a 'notice of intended prosecution', or NIP. It is sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle – worth bearing in mind if you drive a company car.
What Penalties am I Facing? The maximum penalty for police pursuit is 3 years jail for a first offence, or 5 years jail if you have been convicted of another major offence in the 5 years immediately before.
Section 51B of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) makes police pursuits an offence.
In 1996, the state of Montana reverted to the state speed limit policies that existed prior to 1974 and the National Maximum Speed Limit. The national maximum limit was repealed in December of 1995.
If everyone drove the speed limit, governments would lose a major revenue stream. If governments couldn't save enough from police and EMS layoffs, governments might need to raise taxes to compensate. Slower speeds mean safer roads.
Hawaii's road systems are small. Hawaii's road systems are limited to each island; there aren't even bridges between the islands, let alone to the mainland or foreign islands. As such, there's not really any need to drive 65 to 80 mph to reach your destination like you often would in mainland areas.
In the Northern Territory, posted speed limits can be as high as 130km/h, while default speed limits are 60km/hr for built-up areas, and 110km/h in rural areas. In Western Australia, posted speed limits are capped at 110km/h, while default speed limits are 50km/h for built-up areas, and 110km/h in rural areas.
Which country speeds the most?
Germany has to take the top spot in the world's fastest roads, not least because around 45 percent of the country's autobahns have no speed limit, although the advisory speed limit is 81 mph. The total length of the autobahn network is 7,982 miles, which gives you plenty of space to test the limits of your car.
The two default speed limits are: within built-up areas, 50 km/h (31 mph), except for the Northern Territory which remains at 60 km/h (37 mph) outside built-up areas, 100 km/h (62 mph); two exceptions are Western Australia and the Northern Territory at 110 km/h (68 mph)
References
- https://www.harperfinch.com.au/are-the-police-allowed-to-speed/
- https://www.passmefast.co.uk/resources/driving-advice/drive-above-speed-limit
- https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/speeding-fines/
- https://www.adventurism.tv/blog/2021/9/9/can-you-drive-all-the-way-around-australia
- https://nacto.org/publication/city-limits/the-right-speed-limits/
- https://www.aetnainternational.com/en/individuals/destination-guides/expat-guide-to-dubai/driving-in-dubai.html
- https://www.armstronglegal.com.au/traffic-law/nsw/traffic-offences/police-pursuit/
- https://news.bmwofsilverspring.com/article/fastest-roads-in-world
- https://www.quora.com/Why-are-speed-limits-in-Hawaii-so-low
- https://www.nationalcriminallawyers.com.au/when-do-police-have-to-call-off-a-pursuit/
- https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/is-the-left-lane-the-fast-lane-in-australia/
- https://www.searsimportsnews.com/article/everyone-drove-speed-limit
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country
- https://www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au/driving-tips/australia/speed-limits/
- https://www.wikihow.com/Drive-in-Australia
- https://onroad.com.au/Blog/Speed-Limits-in-Australia
- https://www.deansautoglass.com.au/blog/driving-in-wa/australia-longest-drives/
- https://trid.trb.org/view/667740
- https://www.mynrma.com.au/cars-and-driving/driver-training-and-licences/resources/is-driving-beneath-the-speed-limit-illegal
- https://www.rhinocarhire.com/Drive-Smart-Blog/Speed-Limits-by-Country.aspx
- https://www.allianz.com.au/news-and-articles/car-insurance-articles/speed-limits-and-laws-in-australia.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States_by_jurisdiction
- https://crimebodge.co.uk/are-the-police-exempt-from-road-traffic-laws/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_Germany
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_Australia
- https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/safe-driving/speed-limits-and-cameras/speed-limits
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyre_Highway
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_speed_limit_enforcement_in_Australia
- https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/fourway-stop-sign-stumps-wa-motorists-brings-traffic-to-a-standstill/news-story/1ef6f0332c199c409a454acf2de9ebe7
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_Canada