Warning signs reduce speeds

Speeds exceeding 160km have been clocked by Brisbane City Council's speed warning signs, but have seen an overall reduction in driving over the limit at installation sites.

At the council's Infrastructure Committee meeting on May 5, data from its portable speed warning signs, which present a smiley face to those within the limit and a "slow down" message for those above the speed, showed the signs had a positive impact in reducing the speed of motorists.

The signs had collected data from almost 27 million motorists in the past 18 months, capturing an entry speed and an exit speed.

A council officer said the 26 signs installed throughout Brisbane had a positive impact on reducing speeds, despite some high-range offences being clocked.

He told the meeting the worst offenders were drivers at Manly Rd, Manly, and Roxwell St, Forest Lake, who were caught at speeds of 169km/h and 166km/h in 60km/h zones.

The cost of installing a sign is about $13,000 compared to the thousands of dollars it would cost to install speed humps and other traffic calming solutions.

Despite the numbers, on average the signs reduced a speeding driver's pace by 9.6km/h. Infrastructure chairman Adrian Schrinner said while council was not responsible to fine drivers, it passed on speeding hot spot information to the police. "That type of speed is just literally unbelievable," he said.

"One was literally 109 kms above the speed limit and I suspect that type of speed would have to be a motorbike ... to get to that speed it would have to be a very long stretch of road.

"We, and a number of councillors, are very proactive about letting Queensland Police know.

"I know locally in my area I sent that information to the local police and they have used that for enforcement purposes.

"If it wasn't for these signs we wouldn't know about it."

Cr Schrinner said the project had not only reduced speeds at installation sites, but had been welcomed by the wider community.

"We're trying to use these signs as an alternative to traffic calming," Cr Schrinner said. "So far the evidence is they continue to be effective over a longer period of time."

The cost of installing a sign is about $13,000 compared to the thousands of dollars it would cost to install speed humps and other traffic calming solutions.

TOP FIVE SPEEDS

- 169km/h, Manly Rd, Manly (60 zone)
- 166km/h, Roxwell St, Forest Lake (60 zone)
- 164km/h, Dorville Rd, Carseldine (60 zone)
- 148km/h, College Rd, Karana Downs (60 zone)
- 147km/h, Oxley Rd, Corinda (60 zone)