L wer limit

By Melissa Grant
CARDINIA’S top traffic cop is calling on authorities to drop the 100km/h speed limit on Healesville-Kooweerup Road, amid concerns about the escalating number of crashes on it.
Sergeant Nigel Atkins, head of Cardinia’s TMU, says an 80km/h zone would be more appropriate considering the road’s surface, and has asked VicRoads to review the current limit.
From January to the end of June, police had recorded 11 smashes along Healesville-Kooweerup Road – the same number as the whole of 2008.
Sgt Atkins said it didn’t make sense that the current speed limit on the road between Pakenham and Kooweerup was the same as that of the Pakenham Bypass.
“The bypass is a supreme road,” he said. “Then you come onto a second-class road and you’re still permitted to do 100km/h.
“You just have to have consideration for people’s safety.
“The crashes are increasing and that’s the concern.”
Kooweerup Township Committee chairman Ray Brown has welcomed the review, but hopes he won’t have to drive at ‘80 clicks’ the whole way.
Mr Brown said the road’s surface was particularly bad near the Kooweerup township right down to Island and Manks roads, but a blanket 80km/h zone wasn’t the answer.
“I’d welcome it (80km/h) in the bad areas and you can easily identify those.
“Having 80km/h all the way is a great opportunity for fund-raising. There are some areas of that road where you can do 100km/h.”
The volume of traffic on Healesville-Kooweerup Road has increased since the opening of the Pakenham Bypass in December 2007, with many truck drivers using the arterial road as a route to the South Gippsland Highway to bypass Cranbourne.
As highlighted in the Gazette, residents have been campaigning for a Kooweerup Bypass to reduce the number of vehicles on Healesville-Kooweerup Road, but have had little success.
In the meantime, Mr Brown said the road’s surface had to be addressed before tragedy occurred.
“It’s bumpy and it throws you all over the road and when you have B-doubles … it’s a recipe for disaster,” he said.
Sgt Atkins urged motorists to drive to conditions, regardless of the road they were travelling on.
“Just because the speed limit says 100, it doesn’t mean you have to drive at 100km/h,” he said.
VicRoads failed to respond to inquiries from the Gazette before going to press.