Residents install signs for notorious stretch

Residents frustrated with deaths and constant crashes on a notorious stretch of South Western Highway have placed warning signs on the road in a bid to gain Main Roads support for a speed cut. Big placards were placed on the verge of the 1.8km strip of the highway from Hynes Road to just past Condello’s Liquor Store in the area where there have been two recent fatal crashes. The signs, which will be securely staked into the ground, include messages such as “unsafe road ahead”, “lives lost on this road” and “Main Roads must take action”. “Main Roads and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti are not listening, so we have had signs made to warn motorists to stay safe and that lives have been lost on this road,” Community Action Group chairman Greg Homer said. “There are multiple, frightening near misses every day between trucks, cars, utes and buses — who is not going to come home next?” “There are 12 entry points from roads or businesses onto South Western Highway over a 1.8km strip where drivers are flying along doing at least 100km/h. “All of the evidence shows that the impact of a crash is greatly reduced at lower speed limits, so why would the State Government not lower the speed limit immediately and be planning now to make other road improvements?” About two weeks ago a truck driver from Cookernup was killed on the same stretch of road just eight weeks after the death of a woman who was just metres from her home at the Waterloo Village Caravan Park. When Main Roads was contacted following the latest incident, media manager Dean Roberts was firm on where the organisation sat. “The last review of this section of highway, based on traffic data and road environment, determined that a speed reduction was not warranted,” Mr Roberts said. Mr Roberts said speed limits across the network were continually assessed to ensure they met driver expectations and achieved a balance between traffic safety, land use amenity and transport efficiency. Mr Homer said the group would not give up the fight when people were taking their lives into their own hands every day just to get in and out of their driveways. “Two recent tragic deaths in eight weeks highlights that this road is a death trap and it is outrageous that no action is being taken to immediately lower the speed limit,” he said.