Talks on region’s road deaths spike

WA’s Road Safety Commissioner Kim Papalia will visit the Great Southern this week to attend the second annual Road Safety Conference in Cranbrook.

The Great Southern has emerged as one of the worst regions for road safety this year with 17 fatalities so far in 2016. The conference will follow up on issues arising from a stakeholders’ workshop in April.

Police, WA Local Government Association, Department of Transport, CBH Group and local councils will attend.

Road Safety Commissioner Kim Papalia said he would follow up on an issue raised at the workshop.

“The Shire of Cranbrook has worked to successfully reduce the number of heavy vehicles using the Cranbrook-Frankland East Road but there’s an essential requirement for a properly equipped rest bay for drivers who still use the route,” Mr Papalia said.

“While in Cranbrook, we’ll have a look at the area and scope what’s needed.”

The Shire reduced heavy vehicle movements on the road, known locally as the Northern Two Mile Road, amid concerns about proximity to a school zone.

By putting restrictions in place, heavy vehicle movements were reduced from 15,185 in the 2014-2015 harvest season to just 1513 in the latest season.

The result was a reduction of 88 speeding trucks a day to just five per day.

Mr Papalia said the results were staggering and praised the council’s initiative.

“At the end of the day Cranbrook is a safer community, with an alternate route provided for heavy vehicles which previously travelled perilously close to a school zone, often at speed,” Mr Papalia said.