SYLVANIA residents are demanding urgent safety measures on a Princes Highway section where up to 10 serious road accidents happened in the past two years.
There have been two near misses in the past week, with a shopkeeper and a year 6 pupil narrowly avoiding being hit by speeding traffic outside Sylvania Heights Terrace shopping centre.
Roads and Maritime Services admits there were 10 reported southbound crashes on the 200-metre length of Princes Highway directly to the north of Young Street, Sylvania, in the five years to June 30. Five of these crashes resulted in injuries to six people.
Hong Huynh, proprietor of Sylvania Hot Bread, was putting an advertising flag outside the shopping strip on Wednesday, July 16, when he was nearly hit by a car that shot across the footpath.
Mr Huynh’s daughter, Judy, said her father had come out of the shop a little after 7am to put out the flag. ‘‘As he was walking away he heard a noise as a car hit a pole. He turned and saw a car heading towards him and started to run,’’ she said.
Sylvania Heights Public School student Daniel Jordan, 12, just missed being hit by a semi-trailer on the previous afternoon.
Daniel was on the pedestrian crossing just south of the shopping centre on his way home from school.
Daniel’s father, Trent Jordan, said his son waited for the green light and went across three lanes to the median strip.
‘‘There were were no cars coming southbound. He went to the middle and stopped,’’ he said.
‘‘Two cars going northbound stopped on the inside and outside lanes. Then a semi-trailer travelling northbound sailed down the centre lane.
‘‘We need warning lights approaching the crossing saying there is a red light ahead and to slow down. This crossing is used by quite a lot of younger students, which is the worry.’’
Residents said the number of accidents was higher than quoted by RMS.
The Sylvania Heights Terrace owner, who did not want to be named, said there had been at least five accidents in the two years he had owned the centre.
A car lost control on June 1 and hit a light pole at the shopping centre. An Australia Post mail box was hit three times and has been removed.
‘‘Cars have hit the bus stop twice in the the morning, at 1am and 4am. Next time there could be someone sitting there.’’
Sutherland Shire Council has written to the RMS, seeking an investigation. An RMS spokesman said it would investigate concerns and review the bend’s speed limit.
‘‘[We] will also consider the request for additional enforcement on this section of the Princes Highway,’’ he said.
Do you think safety measures should be introduced along this stretch of road?
