LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
I HAVE read many articles about how road safety barriers are meant to save lives.
A recent article stated ‘facts’. Let’s be clear on facts.
Stating there have been 21 fatal crashes is a fact, but over what period of time was this?
Later in the same article it states there were only five people killed in 2016 and six in 2017.
VicRoads makes the numbers sound much greater than they really are.
It states it is investing in things it “knows” saves lives.
Please tell us where non-flexible metal barriers have been installed on both sides and down the centre of the road, and then show some facts on how road trauma was reduced in that area.
Some dangerous situations have been created by metal barriers.
The single lane of one side of the road that now has metal barriers on each side of the lane is going to create a larger accident.
This is because if a vehicle veers into the hard barrier on either side, it will bounce off and back into traffic that is following.
Every article keeps talking about flexible barriers.
When VicRoads refers to these flexible barriers, I take it that it is referring to the wire rope barriers.
Why is it then that the only thing VicRoads seems to be installing is hard metal barriers?
If the wire rope barriers were in place rather than the ridged metal barriers, not only would the barriers be less intimidating, but would take less room, leave more side road area for breakdowns and most likely absorb a vehicle veering into the barrier rather than throwing it back into the roadway.
Another thing brought up in these articles but is never responded to is, how much the road conditions are a cause of the road trauma accidents.
In my 20ish years of driving on country roads, it is quite clear that the poor condition of the road is a significant factor.
As the standard quality of road over the years gets lower, it makes driving on the same roads over time more dangerous.
It is clear that as regional drivers, the road quality and condition is significantly less than metropolitan areas.
The proof in this is in many spots.
Within two weeks of putting these metal barriers in place and widening the road there were at least three pot holes in the new part of the road.
Further down the highway toward Stratford there was a section about 200 metres long that had degraded, with pot holes and road surface lifting needing to be repaired.
It was repaired with a layer of bitumen on top of the already rough surface.
It was not flattened first, it was not dug up and properly laid again, it was so badly repaired it is now more dangerous to drive on than when it had pot holes.
My last example of lower road quality on country roads is on some of the new divided road that has been made between Sale and Traralgon — pot holes and degradation of the road surface began within weeks of the road being opened.
Why not put this money into improving the road surface and making a safer and better quality road surface?
Also, why put barriers down the centre of the road where overtaking is allowed?
Is VicRoads saying country drivers are only allowed to overtake in overtaking lanes?
If this is the case, many more overtaking lanes should be put in place before installing barriers.
