Researchers are using social media as the primary platform to find out why Canberra motorists speed, and where, in a new survey funded by the ACT government.
Despite having some of the highest fines in Australia, Canberra drivers are perceived as having a relaxed attitude toward what is described as "low level speeding".
In a 2018 survey, 20 per cent reported that they "sometimes" exceeded the speed limit by 10km/h or more, and over 40 per cent said they did so "very occasionally".
The majority of surveyed Canberra residents (85 per cent) - even learner drivers - also viewed it as acceptable to travel over the posted speed limit in a 60km/h zone, most taking the view that 5km/h over the limit was acceptable.
Police in Canberra issued 3980 speeding infringements during the 2020-21 financial year, down 21 per cent on the previous year. But the huge decrease in traffic volumes, and a redeployment of traffic officers for much of the year to border and other duties as a result of the pandemic, greatly distorted the data.
The latest speeding study is being conducted by a researcher at the Queensland University of Technology and is funded through the ACT Road Safety Fund.
It is separate to the ACT government's recent three-year evaluation of its speed camera program, which closed to public feedback last month. This comprehensive evaluation will also examine Canberra drivers' attitudes to speeding and will be released mid-year.
Canberra enjoys relatively uncrowded, high quality roads compared with other jurisdictions, with the vast majority of respondents (87 per cent) to the 2018 survey believing some degree of tolerance toward speeding in a 100km/h zone was warranted. They also thought that 7km/h over the limit (107km/h) was an acceptable tolerance before attracting a speeding fine.
The same survey also found that 41 per cent of Canberrans thought the risk of being caught speeding in the territory was low, and over half those endorsed "cautious" speeding, in which they thought that if they were careful with their speeding, the risk of being involved in a crash was low.
Efforts to modify this attitude through various campaigns such as the ACT's "think speeding is okay" have been largely unsuccessful.
The latest Queensland University study is seeking out "individuals' opinions and experiences regarding speeding in order for more effective countermeasures to be developed".
To participate you must be over 18, live in the ACT, and have driven a car within the past three months. Participants all go into a prize draw to win $100 gift certificates.
The survey takes about 20 minutes and like the Monash study, seeks to find out in what scenarios people find it acceptable to speed, and what they believe is the risk level in getting caught.
Under its current road safety action plan, the ACT government is already taking a fresh look at speed limits across the territory's road network, such as reducing some limits from 40km/h down to 30km/h and introducing more mobile speed camera vans.
WA, NSW and Victoria are all trialing 30km/h zones in specific residential areas, saying that this reduction in speed has a significant mitigating effect if a vehicle hits a pedestrian.
