Liberals defend safety of 110kmh freeway plan

The Liberals have dismissed concerns their proposed 110kmh speed limit on the Princes Freeway between Geelong and Melbourne would lead to more crashes or injuries, arguing advances in road design and vehicle safety have made the increase safe.

The new limit, which the Liberals would introduce if they win November’s state election, would apply on the Princes Freeway and Princes Highway between Laverton and Colac.

Some stretches would keep a 100kmh limit, such as near Winchelsea.

Opposition leader Jess Wilson said the policy was based on the freeway’s high safety rating under the Australian Road Assessment Program, and that it was comparable to Victorian freeways that already have a 110kmh speed limit, including the Hume and Calder freeways.

Victorian Nationals leader and shadow roads minister Danny O’Brien said the move would cut about five minutes from a one-way trip between Geelong and Melbourne.

“It’s about that efficiency,” he said. “It’s not just the benefits for the average commuter but for freight as well, and making the area more attractive for tourists.”

Research has linked higher freeway speeds with an increased risk of crashes causing serious injury or death.

After speed limits on several Victorian freeways were increased from 100kmh to 110kmh in the late 1980s, a VicRoads study found crashes rose by about 25 per cent compared with roads where the limit remained unchanged.

The higher limits were later reversed.

 

A 2014 study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre also projected a 110kmh speed limit on the Princes Highway would result in one more fatality and five more serious injuries every four years.

O’Brien rejected suggestions a higher speed limit would lead to more deaths.

“Over the past couple of decades, this road has been upgraded dramatically,” he said. “We’ve got safety barriers in place now; we’ve got duplication all the way to Colac.

“More importantly, we’ve also got vehicles that are far safer now than they have ever been, whether it’s lane assist or automatic braking – all of those things that actually make it much safer and allow us to do this.

“We think there’s a balance to be struck between road safety and efficiency, and we think in this case, it absolutely is safe to go ahead and do it.”

Dr Afshin Jafari from RMIT’s School of Global, Urban and Social Studies said lifting the freeway’s speed limit from 100kmh to 110kmh was not safety-neutral.

“Higher speeds increase stopping distance, leave drivers less time to react and increase the severity of crashes,” he said.

“Some recently upgraded and lower-volume sections west of Geelong may be suitable for reassessment, but duplication alone does not make a road appropriate for 110kmh.

“Intersections, access points, barriers, road geometry, heavy vehicle traffic and crash history all need to be considered.”