TWO of the North East’s top traffic cops have backed a push for speed limits on undivided country roads to be dropped from 100kmh to 90kmh.
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The head of Wangaratta and Wodonga’s traffic management units, Sen-Sgt Bill Gore and Sgt Cameron Roberts, say the move would help reduce road trauma across the Border, which has seen nine fatalities already this year — one of the worst tolls in 10 years.
The debate has been ignited by a Monash University study published this week that found 75 per cent of motorists would support such a move.
And RoadSafe Victoria says speed limit reductions should be taken further, with more 40kmh and 50kmh zones.
“We’d like to see more reductions in speed limits in built-up areas — around shopping and residential areas — whether from 60 to 50, or 50 to 40,” RoadSafe North East road safety officer Robert Allen said.
“Those urban reductions are of great benefit and they don’t influence journey time very much.
“The ‘Wipe off 5’ program has had a big influence on the amount of pedestrians injured and school zone reductions have been of great benefit.”
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Sen-Sgt Gore, while pointing out these were his views and not those of Victoria police, said reducing speeds on country roads would be a welcome move.
“The idea is good,” he said.
“My dad used to be in the police force and he would say ‘it doesn’t matter how unroadworthy your car is, how drunk you are or tired you are, it’s how hard you hit’.”
And Sgt Roberts said police were concerned some roads in the region were incorrectly zoned 100kmh.
“We notice from time to time some limits are perhaps not quite right when looked at in relation to environment and conditions,” he said.
“Certainly, some windy and gravel roads.
“But with any undivided road where you are only inches away from oncoming traffic, if you were to lower the limits you would make it safer.”
But while Mr Allen’s organisation supports “any reduction in speed”, he said the priority was lowering urban limits rather than those on country roads.
“It’s not really one that’s talked about, that’s not the area that is of concern,” he said.
“I don’t think most road safety groups would support that (a reduction from 100kmh to 90kmh) and I wouldn’t have thought drivers supported that.
“And there is not a lot of research available (to measure its efficacy in reducing accidents).”
The Monash survey involved 4100 drivers.
About 80 per cent of city drivers backed the 90kmh limit compared to 61.8 per cent of country motorists.
It also found 82 per cent supported an 80kmh limit on unsealed country roads.
Research fellow Bruce Corben said the results signified a big change in motorists’ attitudes towards lower speed limits, which had historically been hostile.
“It’s quite a dramatic change and one that we support on road safety grounds,” Dr Corben said.
