While I will admit that the nanny state rules and the less than perfect state of our roads annoys the crap out of me I know the changes made the laws over the last ten year are there for a reason and have made a difference.
In NSW the fatality rate is much lower than in other states (6.0/10K versus 7.7 for rest of Australia) and compares well to all but the best of countries (which are sit in high 4s/10K people). In 1980 the rate was over 25 fatalities per 10K people. Much of the reduction is due to improved cars, but much is also due to changes to enforcement. Yes I know the accident rate has not dropped, but over the same time frame road usage has soared and we now have one of the highest car ownership rates in the world (only USA and Luxumberg have higher).
And it is because of that stat that using using some of the other stats becomes a case of "there are lies, damn lies and statistics." The fatality stats are a significantly misleading as all of the lowest fatality rate countries have MUCH lower car ownership rates
(Car Ownership) than Australia. So if you factor that in Australia actually has one of lowest fatality rates in the world.
So at the end of the day whether we like the changes to the rules or not, between improved cars and the rules we are all safer (if a little more frustrated).
That being said... I don't know about you guys but my pet hate are the roads where the speed limits chop and change repeatedly and they stick a speed camera in the middle of that.