Side road safety signs installed in Mount Moriac

A TRIO of high-risk intersections at Mount Moriac are the first in the Surf Coast Shire to get new technology aimed at reducing the risk of crashes.

The side road activated speed (SRAS) signs are now operational at the intersections of the Princes Highway and Hendy Main Road, Princes Highway and Cape Otway/Devon Road, and Reservoir Road and Cape Otway Road.

Under the SRAS system, vehicles get an opportunity to enter or cross main roads safely by temporarily lowering the speed limit to oncoming traffic.

When a car on the side road approaches the intersection, this triggers electronic speed signs on the main road to reduce the speed by 30kmh.

The reduced speed limit will stay activated until there are no more vehicles on the side roads waiting to enter or cross the main road.

The new technology will make it easier for drivers on side roads to choose safe traffic gaps, significantly reducing the risk of high-speed crashes at these intersections.

In the five-year period to January 2021, there were nine crashes across the two intersections on the Princes Highway, eight resulting in serious injury.

Further safety upgrades to these intersections include tree trimming and line of sight improvements, plus barrier modifications and additional barrier installation.

An average of 7,300 vehicles, including 1,500 trucks, use this section of the Princes Highway each day, while 3,200 vehicles travel along Cape Otway Road near Reservoir Road each day.

SRAS technology is a new initiative in regional Victoria and is being rolled out across several high-speed, high-risk intersections.

South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman welcomed the activation of the SRAS signs earlier this month.

“Many families will make their way to the beach this summer using roads such as Cape Otway Road – with the school holidays looming, there is no better time to be rolling out this safer technology,” Mr Cheeseman said.

“These intersections have been the site of a number of crashes resulting in serious injury in recent years; SRAS will reduce the risk of crashes and make journeys safer for all road users.”