MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors are almost certain to approve an experiment to cut speed limits on peninsula roads with the carrot of $100,000 from the Transport Accident Commission.
Councillors must approve the strategy before the end of the financial year, after which the offer will be withdrawn.
The last meeting at which this can occur is next Monday, two days before the end of the 2009-10 financial year.
The $100,000 cheque is sitting on a TAC desk, waiting for the shire's OK. It will be used to replace or install speed signs as well as pay for scientific evaluation by ARRB Group, formerly the Australian Road Research Board.
The bold plan comes from shire officers who run Peninsula DriveSafe, the shire's 10-year road safety strategy adopted last year.
A report from the shire's traffic and road safety strategist Doug Bradbrook and road safety co-ordinator Robin Tiffany states evidence from around Australia and overseas shows that significant casualty crash reductions of 15per cent can be achieved by lower speed limits.
Fourteen people were killed on peninsula roads in 2008, an unwanted record, seven last year and three this year, but an average of 230 people have been seriously injured in traffic accidents on the peninsula each year over the past five years.
There have been 165 casualty crashes, including eight fatalities and 84 serious injury crashes on arterial (secondary) roads, which have cost the community $33million.
On shire residential streets, there have been 268 casualty crashes, including 116 crashes in which people were seriously injured, costing the community $46million.
The experiment will see the speed limit cut from 50 to 40km/h in a section of streets in Rosebud known as the Avenues - bounded by Eastbourne, Jetty, Pt Nepean and Boneo roads.
The 40km/h limit could be introduced in nine other residential areas on the peninsula.
Speed limits on 10 rural roads in the north of the shire will be cut from 100 to 90km/h and three will be cut from 100 to 80km/h.
The second stage would see speed cuts on rural roads in the south.
Mr Bradbrook estimated the community would save about $12million from the reforms.
Mr Tiffany said it was common knowledge that driving more slowly added a small amount of time to a trip.
"We've conducted tests driving two cars from Hastings to Mornington, a typical journey on the peninsula. The car sticking to the 100km/h limit beat the 90km/h car by two minutes or less.
"A car doing 40 that hits a cyclist or pedestrian on a residential street does far less damage than one doing 50."
Some councillors debating the plan two weeks ago at a council meeting said residents would not accept the 40 limit, but others disagreed saying it was a good concept.
VicRoads and Victoria Police support the trials.
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