Casey Council wants to reduce some speed limits in the municipality to stop speeding motorists and curb the number of accidents. Picture: Stewart Chambers.
By Sarah Schwager
CITY of Casey Council will lobby VicRoads to reduce its speed limits and help reduce the number of serious traffic accidents.
The decision was made at the council meeting on Tuesday night after a report was tabled to see whether speed limits were determined ‘politically’ and whether those limits were sensible.
Mayor Colin Butler took the opportunity to request a report on reducing speed limits across Casey.
The council will now prepare a report requesting VicRoads reduce the maximum speed of all unmade roads in Casey to 70km/h and the possibility of introducing 40km/h speed limits in some residential areas.
The council will also present a case to VicRoads to have the speed limits in Tooradin and at the approaches to Cranbourne reduced from 80km/h to 70km/h.
Casey’s 200 kilometres of unmade roads, most of which are in the south, either have 80km/h speed limits or no speed signs at all, allowing people to drive up to 100km/h in some sections.
“We all know the amount of anti-social behaviour that occurs on these roads,” Cr Butler said.
“I don’t know how anyone can travel 100km/h on an unmade road safely.
“The whole community is asking to reduce them (speed limits).
“If we were to reduce the speed limit another 10km/h, maybe we would be able to get people to adhere to the 80km/h speed limit.”
Cr Butler said a recent traffic test taken in Tooradin over a seven-week period showed 35 per cent of people driving through Tooradin towards Phillip Island exceeded the speed limit, as did 30 per cent travelling towards Melbourne.
Councillor Richardson said he thought reducing the limit to 40km/h was too slow and thought the 50km/h limit was low enough.
But Councillor Mick Morland said by lobbying VicRoads to reduce the speed limits, the council was simply looking after residents on unmade roads.
“100km/h if you have got an unexperienced driver is unsafe,” he said.
“And reducing the limit on the approach to Cranbourne is a good idea. It is very dangerous when you come down there.”
Councillor Rob Wilson said if VicRoads did approve speed limit changes, the cost of installing and replacing signs across the municipality would be ridiculous.
But Cr Butler said the cost of road signs was insignificant when considering the cost of lives.
