THE “Mad Mile” south of Batemans Bay has claimed another crash victim in wet weather.
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The Bay Post/Moruya Examiner can reveal the stretch of the Princes Highway, 5km south of Batemans Bay, has seen 64 crashes in the past five years to January.
These figures do not include a crash in February when a 79-year-old man died in a head-on collision on the notorious stretch of road, nor does it include 2005’s horrific crash in which 44-year-old David Andrew Sheers and his 14-year-old son Timothy were killed.
Of the 64 crashes in the past five years to January, 31 involved injuries, some serious.
Far South Coast Police Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Andrew Palmowski is urging people to drive to the conditions and slow down in the wet.
It comes after a crash at the hotspot in wet weather on Monday where a 75-year-old driver became trapped after her car hit the concrete embankment and rolled on its side.
Mr Palmowski said the two crash “hotspot” areas along the Mad Mile were the last bend coming from the south and just north of the Runnyford Road turnoff.
He said with the heavy rain that came down on Monday, people were still driving to the speed limit and not to the conditions.
“The speed limits are designed for perfect weather and traffic conditions,” he said.
“When it is raining the most sensible thing to do is drive to the conditions.
“When it rains, especially after a long period of time, people need to drive to the conditions to negotiate the road and corners safely.”
Mr Palmowski said after serious injuries and fatalities the barrier in between the lanes was installed, but “people are still crashing, but into the barrier or embankment not head on”.
A Roads and Maritime Service spokesman said safety work was carried out on the Princes Highway between Batemans Bay and Mogo in the past year.
“We upgraded the advisory signs around the curves to help motorists negotiate the highway either side of Lattice Point Road,” he said.
He said the road surface was about six years old and had been assessed as being in a satisfactory condition.
“Roads and Maritime is continually monitoring this stretch of road and reviewing crash statistics for future planning,” the spokesman said.
