Speed Alert: 1km Over – You can be Fined

On 18 June 2013, the Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart announced that the Queensland Police will be cracking down on speed tolerances to motorists exceeding the speed limit.

Commissioner Stewart has stated that Police Officers will be more ‘ruthless’ in applying the speed limit.

What this means for you?

The designated speed limit is the maximum speed you may travel at, and you may now be fined for exceeding that limit by even 1km/h.

Queensland’s speed margins were previously lower, as the State’s camera system was old and could be inaccurate.

What variations can your speedo have?

Prior to July 2006, Australian vehicle speedometers (“speedo”) were required to have an accuracy of +/- 10%. This means that a speedo could indicate a speed of between 90km/h and 110km/h for a true speed of 100km/h.

From July 2006, newly introduced vehicle models and newly manufactured cars are not allowed to indicate a speed less than the speed the car is travelling at, however they may indicate a speed of up to 10% higher, plus 4km/h. This means that a car travelling at a true speed of 100km/h, may have a speedo showing 100km/h to 114km/h.

What can you do?

If you have a GPS in your car, you may have noticed that the speed of your vehicle as shown on the GPS is rarely the same as the speed shown on your speedo. This is likely to be indicative of the inaccuracy of your speedo.

Make sure you check your speedo’s accuracy to avoid a hefty fine, and remember that the Queensland Police can, and will, book you for travelling even 1km/h over the designated speed limit.