There's no such thing as safe speeding
- Speeding was a factor in 8.8% of all crashes in the Cumberland City Council area over the three year period 2021-2023.
- In NSW speed is a factor to around 18% of all crashes but 41% of road fatalities and 24% of serious injuries each year.
- Current crash data for Cumberland City Council shows a slight downtrend in the number of speed related crashes. Comparing with the previous year (2022) speed related crashes were reduced from 9.8% to 8.4%.
- Over the 3 year period from 2021 to 2023 the largest number of crashes occurred on roads with a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour (42.1%).
65.8% of all excessive speed causing crashes occurred on roads with a 50 kilometre per hour speed limit.
Why speeding is an issue
If you are travelling just a couple of kilometres per hour over the speed limit, the risk of injuring someone increases dramatically. While speeding may not be the primary cause of all crashes, its influence may help instigate a crash, or worsen the outcome.
Speeding is not just an issue of exceeding the speed limit. It also includes driving at speeds inappropriate for the conditions, even well below the speed limit.
All Australian States have introduced a 50 km/h urban speed limit to reduce injuries and deaths caused by speeding. Research shows that a car travelling at 50 km/h has a stopping distance 10 m shorter than a car travelling at 60 km/h. This is enough to save a life or avoid serious injury.
Higher speeds also greatly increase impact forces and therefore increase the likelihood of injury and death.
In the Cumberland City Local Government Area
- Urban speed limit within Cumberland Council is 50 km/h unless signposted otherwise.
- The lower speed limit in Cumberland area is 40km/h in school zones and on streets with high pedestrian numbers including the city centres.
- A 50km/h speed limit has been shown to have only a marginal impact on travel times in built-up areas.
Courtesy speed checks will be set up in streets across Cumberland Local Government Area where speeding has been identified as a problem. This is a setup you might have already seen on our roads.
The electronic display board (which is connected to a radar unit) displays the speed you are driving. A courtesy sign in front of the unit presents a speed limit on that section of the road.
The Council's courtesy speed check display is not intended to book drivers, but will remind you to watch your speed and obey the speed limit. Pay attention to your speed because Police will be enforcing the speed limit after Council's courtesy speed check equipment has been used.
Remember that speeding can result in loss of licence, serious injury or can have fatal consequences.
How we can help
Contact our Road Safety Officer via email rso@cumberland.nsw.gov.au to inform us of any road issues you have..