RESIDENTS and politicians are increasing calls to improve safety on Indian Ocean Drive following two head-on crashes in two weeks.
Opinions are split over whether road conditions or driver behaviour should be targeted.
At this week’s Two Rocks Yanchep Residents Association meeting, discussion turned to road safety on Indian Ocean Drive and Two Rocks Road.
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READ NOWResident Peter Stainthorpe said the number of people using the latter road had “grown exponentially” since it was built.
“The roads do get past their use-by date,” he said.
Another long-term resident, Inga Price, said “driver error” caused most crashes.
“It’s people that are making the deaths; it’s not the road,” she said.
Butler MLA John Quigley’s research officer, Alex Figg, said there was State Black Spot funding for rumble strips on Indian Ocean Drive.
“In the September budget, there will be more measures handed down,” he said.
City of Wanneroo councillor Nat Sangalli said the rest-stop design did not encourage people to “stop and take a break”.
“That road is not encouraging people to slow down and concentrate,” she said.
Cr Sangalli said while there was “nothing wrong with that road”, one third of crashes on the first 40km stretch were likely to be head-on crashes and chances were people would die at the high speed limit.
WA Police caught several people driving between 137km/h and 154km/h on the 110km/h zoned road this month.
Police and Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts said driving at excessive speeds was “completely irresponsible” and put lives at risk.
“We’ve made no secret of the fact police are paying very close attention to Indian Ocean Drive and they will continue to do so,” she said.
Opposition police spokesman Peter Katsambanis said he recently met with residents and wrote to Mrs Roberts and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti with their concerns.
“Residents from areas such as Woodridge, Ledge Point, Seabird, Lancelin and surrounding areas are clearly frustrated by bad driver behaviour that has made their main local road a dangerous place to drive,” he said.
The Hillarys MLA said solutions could include installing rumble strips, increased police presence, more road signs, education for people hiring cars, and a web portal for people to report bad driver behaviour and dash cam footage.
Mr Katsambanis said recent crashes highlight the urgent need for a solution, but that reducing the speed limit would be counter-productive and more likely to increase frustration and risks taken by drivers.
MORE: Police call for information on Yanchep crash
MP starts petition to address road safety
VOLUNTEER ambulance officer and Moore MLA Shane Love has started a petition to address road safety on Indian Ocean Drive.
“With the increase of traffic on Indian Ocean Drive we are attending more road accidents,” Mr Love said.
The MP said that had an impact on emergency workers as individuals but also affected “husbands, wives and children as well the broader community and any innocent bystanders who may witness these accidents”.
“We need better road signage placed along Indian Ocean Drive and rumble strips placed along double white lines in the middle of the road which will alert people if they veer onto the wrong side of the road,” he said.
“The area of (Indian Ocean Drive) that effects us the most is between Military Road, Wilbinga and the Seabird turn off.”
See the petition at http://bit.ly/2x7fuL0 .
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