VicRoads will conduct a speed limit review of the Princes Freeway from Werribee to Winchelsea, as a campaign to raise the limit from 100/kmh to 110/kmh gains momentum.
South Barwon MP Andrew Katos, who has been advocating on the issue for several months, is conducting an online survey asking motorists if they would like change to be implemented.
So far, more than 80 per cent of respondents support raising the speed limit.
VicRoads acting south-western regional director Emma Miller-Olsen said a speed limit review of the Werribee to Winchelsea section of the freeway – which is about 55 kilometres long – would be undertaken once the roll-out of flexible safety barriers was finished.
The state government is spending $450 million to install the wire rope barriers along 20 of Victoria’s high-risk roads in a project that has been designed to reduce off-road accidents.
The installation of the barriers is due to finish by the end of next year. The Princes Freeway speed limit review would not begin until then.
VicRoads has previously undertaken crash-risk modelling of a speed limit increase – from 100/kmh to 110/kmh – on the Princes Freeway between Werribee and Corio.
The modelling has shown that an increase in the speed limit could potentially result in a 30 per cent increase in fatal and other serious injury crashes.
Werribee MP Tim Pallas said the state government had asked VicRoads to undertake a speed limit review on all roads where the flexible safety barriers were installed to enhance the continued safety of motorists and “address community concerns”.
“Speed directly contributes to at least 30 per cent of all deaths on Victoria’s roads,” Mr Pallas said.
“For this reason, maximum speed limits exist and are enforced throughout Victoria.”
Go to andrewkatos.com.au/freeway110/ for details of the survey.
