Limit no lower

VICROADS won’t drop the speed limit on Healesville–Kooweerup Road from 100km/h to 80km/h, a decision which Cardinia’s top traffic cop has vowed to fight.
Sergeant Nigel Atkins, head of Cardinia’s TMU, says an 80km/h zone is more appropriate considering the road’s surface, however personnel at the road authority don’t agree.
As reported in last week’s Gazette, Sgt Atkins wanted the speed limit dropped, amid concerns about the escalating number of crashes there.
Regional Director of VicRoads Metropolitan South East Duncan Elliot since said the authority had reviewed the speed limit along the road several times in the past, most recently this month.
“Having assessed Healesville-Kooweerup Road in accordance with speed zoning guidelines, it was determined that a regulatory speed limit of 80km/h is not appropriate,” he said.“Speed limits are determined to provide a balance between safety and mobility while giving consideration to the nature of abutting development and the road environment.”
However, Sgt Atkins said he would pursue the matter further to ensure the safety of motorists. “Any consideration of a speed reduction and implementation would be a bonus to road safety,” he said.
From January to the end of June, police had recorded 11 crashes on Healesville-Kooweerup Road, the same number as for the whole of 2008.