Road Safety: Inaction by our local and state politicians and relevant authorities … (3)

The last article touched on the 2013 Legislative Council Select Committee on Rural Road Speed Limit Reduction from 100kph on Sealed Roads ( HERE ) that changed the previous policy from a reduction to 90kph maximum on rural roads.

The first finding in this report determined “support of the decision of the Government not to proceed with the proposed reduction in speed limits to 90 kph on non-urban sealed roads and believes that the decision reflects strong community opinion on the issue.” This will be challenged within these articles through surveys undertaken on residents of Huon Road and businesses located along the Huon Trail.

The fourth finding was where “the majority of serious and fatal crashes on non-urban roads are attributable to a variety of causes in which speed is not a factor. This is supported by analysis completed by the RACT and by statistical information provided by Tasmania Police.” It is worth noting the Premier’s and Minister’s own Press Release on the 2015 Road Toll nominates speed as the highest cause of fatalities and serious injuries.

The twelfth finding was that “changes to speed limits can be made by the Government without the need for regulatory amendment by simply replacing the current ‘End Speed Limit’ signage with 90 kph signs. The Committee also notes the assurances of the Minister that this will not occur except in those cases where local communities clearly support changes to speed signs.” This is challenged with respect to local community opinion on Huon Road.

Finding number sixteen was “RSAC stands by the recommendation to reduce default speed limits on some 100 kph roads despite the Government’s decision not to proceed with the recommendation.”

Finding seventeen was “the Committee noted the assurance from the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (now DSG) that the default rural speed limit would not be changed by administrative direction but would only occur on a case-by-case basis along with community agreement.”

In summary, no changes to speed zones will be initiated or implemented by the Minister or his department without community agreement. I have wondered what DSG employees tasked with the responsibility to assess and change speed zoning actually do in earning their salaries. How many community requests to change local speed limits have been supported and implemented statewide? This brings us to some specific examples of rural roads, the level of community support and the current process to even consider change.

What is the region covered by the Huon-D’Entrecasteaux example?

The map below shows current speed zones in the affected area and how they are dependent on council boundaries. For example, Old Huon Road from Fern Tree to Neika (Hobart City Council) is 60kph along the flat contour then 90kph to Longley (Kingborough Council) down a steep incline. The Channel Hwy has a maximum speed of 100kph within the Huon Valley Council region but 90kph in Kingborough. The Cygnet Coast Road from Cradoc to Cygnet is a published cycling route but has higher speed limits (100kph on Lymington Road with 90kph/80kph defaults on the sealed/unsealed sections) than the parallel Channel Highway being a constant 80kph. The confusion along the Channel Highway will be the subject of the next article in this series.

Old Huon Road – Why the resistance?

The Pipeline Track Carpark before the steep descent is part of the 90kph zone

Huon Road climbs from South Hobart to Fern Tree before winding along a contour to Neika. It then descends to Longley before climbing again to Lower Longley. Its speed zones vary from 50kph in South Hobart to 60 kph with a short stretch of 70kph through bushland to Strickland Avenue. It is then a constant 60kph through Fern Tree to Neika. Recent signs by DSG now advise 90kph from Neika to Longley with Longley to Lower Longley unsigned and a default 90kph speed applies.

Along with Leslie Vale, Sandfly, Allen’s Rivulet and Margate it forms part of the residential commuter ring road to Hobart. It is also a designated “High Priority High Use Cycle Route” by DSG itself and forms part of the Huon Trail for tourists. The Huon Highway runs parallel and concentrates higher speed commuters and business vehicles further diminishing any need for higher speeds on Huon Road. Over the years Kingborough Council would have approved subdivisions for rural residential development apparently with little consideration of speed limits. Simply, there is no need for high speeds on Huon Road.

Why the resistance? Why do the local and state authorities and politicians refuse to accommodate the wishes of local residents? Is it due to a backroom deal with a lobbyist like the Wrest Point sponsored Targa, Motorcyclist Association or RACT? Is it an unspoken Liberal Party policy and the government fears a precedent? Is it just a macho resistance to change or the need for speed?

Some representatives of the Department of State Growth and Kingborough Council expressed concerns regarding perceived resident support for any reduction from the new 90 kph speed zone on Huon Road. We therefore undertook a survey of local residents on Huon Road which showed overwhelming support at 88% for a reduction to 70 kph or less.

The question posed: “Do you agree with the 90 kph speed zone on Huon Road? Please nominate your future speed limit preference on Huon Road from Neika to Lower Longley from 90, 80, 70 or 60 kph.”

We spoke directly with nineteen residents and mail boxed a further ten residents. The results (26) are:

At a meeting with Shane Gregory, Commissioner DSG, he pointed to the two outliers as an example of failing to gain community consensus. At a meeting with Kingborough Council the community sentiment was again ignored claiming complaints have not been received. Kingborough Council does not record complaints made by phone. Several respondents to the survey stated they had previously complained to DSG and council but were advised to “drive to conditions.”

One email summed up the sentiments of many:

“I live at X on Huon Road at Longley and wish to make my views known as to the wisdom of reducing the speed limit to 60 kph from the current 90 kph. The proposed reduction should be endorsed by Council in line with every safety principle ‘towards zero’. Council is totally inconsistent in accepting the current dangerous speed limit.

The road is not of a high standard for automobiles let alone the increasing usage as a tourism, and recreational road owned by Council. The road is increasingly used without any safety facilities by bicycles, people walking and exercising with dogs, or riding horses. The road has become a place of high road kill including Tasmanian devils and other endangered species. This is all identified by Council signs as dangerous besides the entry points to the Sandfly and Lower Longley as highly dangerous.

Local residents are very aware of points in the road that represent a fatality site. As well the road has become a regular hooning spot that is not policed or reviewed due to the movement of hoons from urban areas in the Municipality to the isolation and danger of a remote rural road.

The use of Huon Road by Targa with no speed limits is encouraging an irresponsible ‘speed’ culture that State government and Council applaud. This culture is attracting use of the Huon Road by users that endanger the lives of local people.

This situation also applies to the attraction of the Longley International Hotel as a legal place to drink that is not open to regular police review as in urban areas. I would ask that the request to reduce the speed limit is supported by Kingborough Council in part of its role with the State Government to encourage road safety and responsible road usage by multiple users that are not necessarily compatible.”

DSG and Kingborough Council also claimed Huon Road was a rural road and, therefore, has its advisory speed set at 90kph. No satisfactory explanation has been given as to why the speed limit in the Kingborough section differs dramatically from the Hobart section. We conducted a count of driveways, side roads and car parks from Fern Tree through to Longley. The results (see table below) demonstrated a constant within both the Hobart and Kingborough municipality sections of Huon Road. It is contended the entire length is an urban road as clearly understood by Hobart City Council in its determination and should be subject to a consistent 60 kph speed zone.

Ironically, Mr Hidding stated to a Legislative Council Estimates Committee regarding Port Sorell,

“It is my experience before I became minister that where there was an issue identified through crash history or an event, or pressure from people who live on that road, that you would write to the minister and the minister may or may not trigger some interest in that. For instance, with the Port Sorell/Main Road, in the area towards Devonport from the winery on there is a group of houses there. Somebody counted up, with the farm gates and tractor and things and the rest of it and in a small area there were 40 access points to the road along 100 kilometres.

They made a case. I wrote and asked that to be looked at, and in fact the Latrobe Council, as an example of local politics, declined to support a speed limit change. I wrote as a local member to say I think the government should look at this and before long it was announced they had agreed to a reduction and dropped it 80 kph and blamed it on me. Adam Brooks is still barely speaking to me but the people who lived there had a very strong case for their safety, from my point of view…which is again, reasonable mobility at an acceptable risk.”

The residents of Neika to Longley, Huon Road, have 57 driveways over less than 8 kilometres. In our survey residents complained of the difficulty in using their driveways and I can personally attest to the danger as we conducted the survey with many blind access points and the reality of motor vehicles closing at speed.

What influence does Targa Tasmania have on our driving behaviours and governance?

Coroner recommends alcohol testing for all Targa Tasmania drivers

January 20, 2016 Mercury:

“All Targa Tasmania drivers should undergo compulsory alcohol testing before each stage of Targa Tasmania, a coroner has recommended.

Releasing his findings yesterday into the death of 71-year-old John Ernest Mansell on April 17, 2013, Coroner Simon Cooper criticised organisers for a ‘surprisingly amateurish ¬approach’ to the event. He said standing reg¬ulations of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sports Tarmac Rally should have been in place.

Mr Mansell was killed when his 2009 Porsche Cayman S left Porters Bridge Rd near Deloraine at more than 200km/h and crashed into a tree. His navigator, Tristan Catford, was seriously injured but has recovered.

Mr Mansell’s body was found after his death to contain alcohol (0.012 per cent). ‘While I do not conclude that the level of alcohol in his blood contributed to the crash occurring, he ought not have been driving at all,’ Mr Cooper said.”

Targa Tasmania car rally breath testing and speed limit devices recommend by coroner

January 20, 2016 ABC:

“Among the coroner’s eight recommendations was fitting speed limiting devices to control a car’s top speed. There are closed sections of the rally circuit that allow drivers to travel on public roads without speed restrictions, where times are recorded.”

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-20/targa-tasmania-inquest-findings-breath-testing-speed-limits/7101806

The old Huon Road is not a shortcut and has been replaced by the Huon Highway for commuter and business traffic. Kingborough Council has decided against a review by DSG of the Huon Road speed zone. One can only speculate as to the reasons but a number of residents directed their concerns at the Wrest Point sponsored Targa Tasmania. As several residents agreed,

“Before and after Targa there is an endless stream of drivers practicing for months. There needs to be a greater police presence” and

“The use of Huon Road by Targa with no speed limits is encouraging an irresponsible ‘speed’ culture that State government and Council applaud. This culture is attracting use of the Huon Road by users that endanger the lives of local people.”

There has been considerable recent expenditure by the state government on safety barriers from Neika to Longley.

One can only hope limited road improvement funds are not being directed to the Targa route through local councils while local residents have to live with the consequences for the other 364 days of the year. It does, however, go some distance in explaining the resistance to change.