Is Vic Roads slowly coming to its senses
4 March 2020
The appalling road accident statistics across the state of Victoria has prompted the Legislative Council to launch a Parliamentary Inquiry into the 2019 road toll.
With the Mornington Peninsula Shire having the highest number of fatalities of any other municipality in the state, the Victorian Government has taken up the Shire’s offer of an immediate Safety Trial by lowering speed limits.
Current Mayor Sam Hearn and the previous Mayor Cr David Gill were quick to call upon Vic Roads to correct unrealistic speed limits across the Shire.
During 2019 there were 14 deaths and 100 serious injuries, compared with 2 deaths on the Peninsula in the previous year 2018.
Vic Roads has since responded by reducing speed limits to 80kmh on 38 roads within the Shire. New limits include a small section on Boundary Road in Dromana, and a large section along Old Moorooduc Road, between Nepean Highway and Balnarring Road. Others include Browns Road, Stanley’s Road and Point Leo Road.
This is a sensible step in the right direction, but there are many other roads that are clearly not designed for 100kmh.
Above: Fast exit out of Flinders towards Cape Schanck
One example is the exit speed out of the village of Flinders. After leaving the 50kmh main street, motorists move into a 60kmh zone before changing to 100kmh.
Most alarming is Boneo Road along the coastal scenic tourist route from Flinders to Cape Schanck. This is a road that twists and turns on hairpin bends through hilly ravines and gullies but remains set at 100kmh all the way.
How can this be safe?
The last fatality on Boneo Road was recorded in June 2019.
While the Shire can propose changes to its roads, the State Government is the ultimate authority that approves speed limits.
In 2015, a campaign to reduce speeds was led by the then Red Hill Ward councillor Tim Wood, who successfully persuaded Vic Roads to lower Balnarring Road all the way to Tuerong. Shoreham Road and parts of the Mornington-Flinders Road in Red Hill were also lowered. These roads were reduced from 100kmh to 80kmh.
Cr Wood also lobbied Vic Roads to lower Sandy Point Road, from Balnarring to Somers but without success. Finally, albeit four years later, it has been done.
What took Vic Roads so long?