Ah\u2026the thrill of the open road. A chance to see what your car can really do.<\/p>\n
But before you put the pedal to the metal, check out our five reasons why speeding could see more than the wind blowing in your hair \u2013 it could also blow your finances.<\/p>\n
Chances are you\u2019ve checked out the numbers at the far end of your car\u2019s speedometer, and thought \u201cI wonder\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n
Yes, it can be tempting to see what sort of speed your car can really muster up on the highway.<\/p>\n
The catch is that while your speedometer may show a top speed of, say, 200km per hour, the legal speed limits on Aussie roads are far below this.<\/p>\n
According to the RACQ, Australian Design Rules require your car\u2019s speedo to display the maximum speed of your type of vehicle<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n But there are five smart reasons not to give in to the urge to burn some rubber and check out just how quick your car can be.<\/p>\n Topping up your car at the bowser is pricey enough. Why add to the bill by driving at high speed?<\/p>\n Riding the accelerator can rapidly turn your car from a sipper into a slurper. In fact, driving at 110km per hour can see your car guzzle 25% more fuel than if you cruise at 90km per hour.<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Fuel is expensive these days, so who wants to be speeding all the way to the service station every few days to fill up? Not us!<\/p>\n When you first learned to drive, it\u2019s a fair bet mum or dad (or nan and pop) waved a knowing finger, warning, \u201cSpeeding won\u2019t get you there any faster\u201d. Pretty annoying, huh? But it turns out they were right.<\/p>\n Research shows drivers experience what psychologists call \u2018time saving bias\u2019<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span>. It means we overestimate the time we could save by driving faster, and underestimate the time savings of driving at a more moderate speed.<\/p>\n Not convinced?<\/p>\n Think of it this way. A 30 kilometre journey is going to take half an hour if you stick to a speed of 60km per hour. Push the accelerator a little harder to, drive at 65km per hour, and you\u2019ll only cut two minutes from the drive time<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n So, despite driving over 8% faster, you\u2019re only scoring a 6% time-saving.<\/p>\n Speed adds to your car\u2019s wear and tear. Motoring body NRMA<\/span>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span> says driving fast over uneven surfaces is a particular tyre killer. And on any road surface, sharp braking can impact everything from your brake pads to the fuel supply.<\/p>\n More generally, regularly driving fast will see the engine, suspension and other components of your car wear more quickly<\/span>6<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Long story short, while many newer cars can certainly handle high speeds, your car maintenance budget may not be so well-equipped to cope with the extra costs.<\/p>\n Speeding is the number one cause of road fatalities in Australia, causing around 70-plus deaths each month<\/span>7<\/sup><\/a><\/span>. And there\u2019s a reason for that.<\/p>\n Driving at high speed ups the stakes of being involved in a crash. The faster your car is travelling, the longer it takes to slow down<\/span>8<\/sup><\/a><\/span> – and the greater the potential for serious damage if you connect with a car, a stationary object like a tree, or worst case, a pedestrian.<\/p>\n Figures from the Queensland State Government<\/span>9<\/sup><\/a><\/span> show that if you\u2019re driving at 60km per hour and need to break suddenly, you\u2019ll scoot along for 25 metres before hitting the breaks. Add an extra 20 metres for the car to reach a stop, and the total stopping distance is 45 metres.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ripping along at 110km per hour, your reaction distance will be around 46 metres. Braking distance is a whopping 67 metres. So, the total distance to come to a halt is 113 metres \u2013 that\u2019s over one-tenth of a kilometre just to bring the car to a standstill!<\/p>\n Add in wet roads, poor visibility or a few driver distractions and braking times can be even longer.<\/p>\n The time taken to screech to a halt when you\u2019re driving at high speed explains why Australia has strict rules in place around road speeds.<\/p>\n There are still parts of the Northern Territory such as the Barkly Highway, Stuart Highway and Arnhem Highway where the top speed limit is 130km per hour<\/span>10<\/sup><\/a><\/span>. But on many roads, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll be limited to at least half that speed.<\/p>\n Speed limits vary according to where you\u2019re driving even within the same state or territory. The \u2018go slow\u2019 areas tend to be around schools and in built-up suburban areas. Luckily, there are always road signs to let you know the legal limit.<\/p>\n Regardless of where you\u2019re driving, the moral of the speeding story is that you can be left seriously out of pocket if you get caught.<\/p>\n In Queensland for instance, the average speeding fine is $210 \u2013 that\u2019s about five hour\u2019s work. Drive 40km per hour over the speed limit though, and you could be up for a lot more, like $1,286 plus a 6-month driving suspension. Who needs that?<\/span>11<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Not to mention the impact on your driving record. Law enforcement doesn’t take licence related offences lightly. You may only cop a hefty fine but chances are, that dangerous dash could have some serious consequences when it comes to your demerit points.<\/p>\n Plenty of drivers have learned the hard way: The simplest solution to avoid speeding fines is sticking to the limit.<\/p>\n Sure, there are a few apps to identify speed traps that can help you game the system. But they may not be much help if there\u2019s an unmarked patrol car sitting on your tail.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t plan to rely on a far-fetched yarn to get off the hook when flashing blue lights appear in the rear mirror.<\/p>\n Chances are the cop you\u2019re dealing with has heard it all before \u2013 including some of the dodgiest excuses listed on Patrol1.com like \u201cI wasn’t speeding, I just got a haircut and it makes me look fast\u201d or \u201cI wanted to get to McDonald’s before the breakfast menu ended\u201d<\/span>12<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Can a speeding fine impact your car cover? Yes\u2026and no. If you get caught speeding, you\u2019ll earn a few demerit points. According to insurer AAMI<\/span>13<\/sup><\/a><\/span>, insurance companies don\u2019t usually base your premium on the number of demerit points you\u2019ve racked up.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a different story if you\u2019ve accumulated so many points that your licence is suspended. When that happens, AAMI says you could be seen as a high risk driver, which will likely bump up your premiums.<\/p>\n Remember, when you\u2019re organising cover, the insurance company will often ask about your driving track record. If you don\u2019t answer truthfully, any claims can be refused.<\/p>\n Car insurance doesn\u2019t come cheap, and if you\u2019re strapped for cash to pay for cover, a Nimble AnyTime Mastercard can come to the rescue, providing funds at top speed to pay the premiums pronto.<\/p>\n1. Fuel economy<\/h2>\n
2. You won\u2019t get there faster<\/h2>\n
3. Damage to your vehicle<\/h2>\n
4. Greater likelihood of a crash when speeding<\/h2>\n
5. Speeding fines \u2013 they\u2019re going to hurt<\/h2>\n
Average speeding fines<\/h3>\n
How to avoid speeding fines<\/h3>\n
Impact on car insurance if you\u2019re caught<\/h2>\n