RENEWED calls to reduce the speed limit on the Princes Highway, near the Tuross Head intersection, have been forwarded onto Roads and Maritime.
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This comes after a two-car crash at the Hector McWilliam Drive intersection on October 6.
Tuross Head resident Lei Parker sent an email to Eurobodalla Shire Council Traffic committee members, asking them to consider changing the speed limit at the intersection to 80 kilometres per hour.
At the committee meeting on Thursday, October 8, councillor Danielle Brice raised the issue,
It was passed onto RMS, who will review the intersection, because speed limits are a State Government issue.
Mr Parker said there were “lots of near misses” at the intersection.
“We have brought this forward a couple of times before, but it has only ever got to the traffic committee,” he said.
“Based on the RMS review, they may put actions in place.
“Council traffic counts say there is a lot of traffic, on a daily basis, leaving Tuross and heading north.
“As the population increases and ages in Tuross, so too might the accidents.”
The older demographic of Tuross Head contributed to the safety issue of the intersection, Mr Parker said.
“Tuross Head has the oldest demographic in the shire,” he said.
“Because there is no public transport from Tuross, you have a higher number of older people still driving on the highway.
“Many have restricted area licenses and that is scary.”
Mr Parker said highway traffic needed to be more mindful of older drivers.
Chairman of the traffic committee, councillor Neil Burnside said there has not been a serious accident at the intersection since 2006.
“If you look at the statistics, which are based on people taken to hospital after an accident, only two accidents have occurred at that intersection in ten years,” he said.
Cr Burnside said at first glance, it “didn’t look like a big issue”.
“There is turning lanes on the left and the right,” he said.
“More warning signs may need to be put in place to warn people an intersection is coming up.
“It is pretty well sign posted though.”
Cr Brice said she would not put a motion to council on the issue.
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