Council
23 May, 2024
Concept could heighten road safety, MP says
A NEW CONCEPT to help keep drivers mindful of their speed was floated in Parliament last week.
Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur suggested the use of painting speed limit reminders on roads to help combat the increasing death toll the state has experienced.
The markings have grown increasingly prominent in the United States and Europe, with numerous road safety advocacy groups reporting positive outcomes on roads with the markings.
While the line markings would not be legally binding in place of traditional road signs, it could serve as an additional reminder to drivers to monitor their speed.
Mrs McArthur used a constituency question to ask if Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne would consider the possibility to adopt the markings in Victoria, which were not currently considered usual practice.
“Personally, I find lane directions painted on the road very helpful, and I believe the same is true for speed limit reminders,” she said.
“I appreciate that this marking alone would not constitute legal direction, nor should it be universally applied, but there are numerous towns in my electorate where residents suffer unsafe speeding, and this option would surely be a practical and affordable additional control.
“The department’s speed zoning technical guidelines note that the usual practice is to avoid the use of speed limit pavement markings on arterial roads.
“Minister, will you reconsider this judgement and adopt the markings as successfully applied elsewhere in the world?”