The lowering of the Heathcote Rd speed to 90km/h is as per usual in this city, yet another backward resolution.
So an accident forces the RMS to 'think', and their result - lower the speed for the thousands that use it each and every day.
What about actually fixing that road ? Nope. Never. Don't widen it, even though the recent bushfires highlighted the vast and available space to add extra lanes. Nope, 12kms and barely a few sections to pass, worse heading towards Liverpool.
Oh, but a 10km reduction will resolve everything - that's the usual approach, as we have seen on the King Georges's Rd as well - let's here from those other commentators that might even suggest that we drop the speed to 60kms, just in case.
Even the new bridge built at Sandy Point- single laned - highlights there is no interest or desire to fix any part of Heathcote Rd - clearly it's a case of just leave it as a single lane road for the next several decades.
The whole management of this road reeks of "We at the RMS don't care" - with the introduction of left turning traffic lights at the Illawarra Rd intersection - adding to traffic jams in peak periods.
Never has there been so much available land to allow expansion of the road or intersection - with the election coming up, will any Federal MP stand up for this road, I guess Craig Kelly wont be bothered with it.
Tony Greaves, Sylvania
Lee Evans MP, Melanie Gibbons MP this isn't the solution! Listen to the people, get on the phone to whichever dimwit at the RMS came up with this stupid idea and have it stopped.
A head on at 100km/h and a head on at 90km/h will have exactly the same effect.
Get the concrete barrier installed and stop reducing speed limits just because the RMS incorrectly think that's the answer.
Daniel O'Keeffe
I fail to understand how a 10km/h decrease is going to help? People currently ignore the fact that the speed limit is 100km/h and go much faster. So rather than drop the speed limit how about putting in place speed cameras, lane dividers, expand the road to 2 lanes each way.
Steve Smith
The speed limit isn't the cause of the accidents that have happened on this road. Honestly, why don't we just reduce the speed limit to 40km/h on every road because there have been accidents.
You know what, even at 40km/h people have accidents, because they're terrible drivers.
The most recent fatalities were caused by factors other than speed - a medical episode (heart attack I believe) and a drug affected driver who lost control on the narrow Woronora River bridge. Other accidents have mostly been the result of travelling too close to other vehicles, wildlife, and inattention.
I'm sure there have been some accidents where speeding was a factor (although likely not just speed alone) but in the majority of cases other factors played the major role.
Lowering speed limits fixes nothing, better training and driver education is the answer to reducing the road toll.
Wade Cattley
I don't see reducing the speed limit by 10km/h will solve the problems. You will still see people overtaking driving at 90km/h. Government needs to make it two lanes both ways and at the same time put in concrete barriers in the middle so head-ons can be prevented. There is enough land to add the extra lanes but that would mean the government would have to put their hands in their pockets.
Briony Nilan
Drive this road every day .... speed ain't the issue! Interesting though that the area where the new speed limit applies is where the highway patrol guys and mobile camera vans sit.
Yuri
It's not the road that's the problem. It's drivers. Put some kind of barriers up please.
Sandra Mihopoulos
The only thing this will achieve is to raise revenue for the government. Not a single life will be saved. They should build a road the 2km from the quarry to the Bangor Bypass and reduce traffic along it.
Craig Armstrong
Cheapest way of them thinking they are solving the problem and lives. Listen to the ones who use this road all the time. What price are lives actually worth. At 90km/h the same carnage can occur. If someone has a medical episode the same tragedy will occur. Barriers of some sort, regardless of cost are a better preventative measure.
Gregor Dumbrell
I travel a lot of roads in Sydney and surrounding areas and the speed limit in the shire are the lowest around they need to think about this the lower the speed more inpatient drivers will take more risks.
John Lambley
How is the speed limit going to change anything? Drivers are still going to over take on double lines and on corners. I drive in this road daily and have seen so many near misses from impatient drivers.
Belinda Usov
Lee Evans do your job and push for the road to be divided!
Craig Kenworthy
Pretty sure that's what most people were doing already. Maybe that had something to do with the problem. Single lanes where people don't do the speed limit tends to lead to dangerous driving.
Jamie Mcdonald
I will not use Heathcote Road because of major safety issues.
Drivers do not understand a speed limit of 100 means max speed and you do not drive anything above.
It is not the average speed as many appear to take. This road needs a lot of resources spent and the government just does not put it high enough to gain the resources it needs.
It needs billions of dollars not millions to fix.
In part it is a new bridge across the river in a new location and it will not come cheap. A freeway to link it all up.
It appears there is plans for the future, but we need them done now!
Grahame Barclay
I note the recent change in speed limit on Heathcote Road from 100km/h to 90km/h, in response to the recent fatality. As a frequent user of this road, I'm afraid this will have no affect on safety on that stretch of road, other than perhaps increasing the risk of reckless overtaking. I believe this change will not lessen the likelihood of a crash, and will have virtually no affect on injury or survivability.
The action was taken solely so that the RMS could appear to have taken action.
Neil Hendy
