VicRoads is cutting the speed limit on a main Truganina road that has been the scene of 32 casualty crashes in the past five years.
From October 21, the speed limit along Hopkins Road between Dohertys and Greigs roads will be reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h in line with VicRoads’ “toward zero” road safety strategy.
This 7.5 kilometre section, which turns into Derrimut Road from Boundary Road onwards, is a major thoroughfare between the cities of Wyndham and Melton.
Casualty crashes are defined as a crash that results in at least one road user being injured or killed.
Police have recorded 32 casualty crashes along the stretch of Hopkins Road in the past five years, including three fatalities and nine serious injuries.
In March this year, Jesus and Alma Remo were killed when their red Mazda four-wheel-drive and a truck collided head-on on Hopkins Road.
Their 19-year-old daughter, Jesa, survived.
Melton divisional road policing adviser Ross Burbidge said this year’s fatal crash was the catalyst that prompted police to apply for a speed reduction.
Senior Sergeant Burbidge said speeding and inappropriate overtaking were driving up the collision rate along that stretch of road.
“People take risks because they’re in a 100km/h zone and don’t see the oncoming vehicles and that’s when we have head-on collisions,” he said.
“We supported VicRoads in reducing the speed limit along there because of a number of collisions over a number of years.
“It’s still only a two-way, single-lane freeway. We’ve got a lot of truck movements coming in out of the [Boral] quarry there, and we think that it’s inappropriate for a 100km/h speed zone.”
VicRoads considered increased traffic volumes along Hopkins Road, the high number of fatalities and serious injuries, current road conditions and residential growth in making the decision.
