A solution has been proposed for dangerous driver behaviour through our regional townships.
Langhorne Creek-based couple, David and Vivienne Freestone, are calling for the Statewide implementation of ‘Township Entry Treatments’, a successful road safety system used interstate and overseas.
The treatments include very clear and prominent marker indicators at the entry point of a regional township, including, for example, a red strip on the ground and a big road sign featuring information about the town (pictured above).
David Freestone said he is calling on Liberal Member for Hammond, Adrian Pederick MP, to take the proposal for Township Entry Treatments in SA to the State Government.
“They were brought in in 2015 and there’s over a 120 Queensland towns have these currently installed, they’re also in New Zealand and the UK and the statistics with AustRoads are telling us that its reducing car crashes by 26 per cent,” David Freestone said in an ARN radio interview with Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman this week.
Pederick has told ARN that he supports the proposal and has contacted the Minister for Regional Roads.
“We’re asking that they have a look at this because it will highlight, especially in the case here of Langhorne Creek that even though it is a main thoroughfare, that you are actually entering a town, and make it really stand out. Whether its applicable or not, we’ll find out, but I think its certainly worthy of investigation,” Adrian Pederick said in an ARN radio interview.
The Freestones have launched a petition, calling for a reduction in speed in the town from 60km/ph to 50km/ph, and a consideration of implementing Township Entry Treatments.
“We’ve got a township of approximately 400 residents and we’ve got a primary school with approximately 100 children, and the trucks are going through it, the cars and caravans are going through it, sometimes more than 60 kays (an hour),” David Freestone said, adding that it is a problem for tourists and operators too.
“We have a beautiful horse and cart that goes through on the weekends and takes tourists out to the wineries and the heritage sites and we’ve observed a couple of occasions where motorists just haven’t had any regard for the horses or the carts or the people on the carts.”
Their paper petition is available to sign at the Langhorne Creek General Store.
Hear David Freestone talk about his bid for greater safety in his town via the audio play window below:
Hear the response from Member for Hammond Adrian Pederick MP below:
