King's Highway accidents - road or drivers?

[JC]

This article appeared in the Australian:

Calls for review of highway's safety after five killed

by: Mitchell Nadin
From: The Australian
March 12, 2012 12:00AM

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A NOTORIOUS stretch of road on the NSW far south coast claimed the lives of five people in just 48 hours on the weekend, prompting calls for a review of the highway's safety.

The Kings Highway, which connects Canberra with the coast, claimed its latest victims yesterday when a car carrying three Chinese citizens, believed to be in their late teens or early 20s, veered out of control and struck a gumtree 20km east of Braidwood.

Police said a witness claimed the car was overtaking in a section marked with double lines on a blind corner when the driver apparently lost control and sent the car into an embankment.

Two of the male occupants were killed and a third was rescued by emergency personnel and flown to Canberra Hospital where he remained in a serious but stable condition, suffering non-life-threatening abdominal injuries.

The men were believed to be students at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Jindabyne musician Brian Berdette, 52, and his daughters Skye, 8, and Kayla, 10, were killed when their Ford Falcon crossed to the wrong side of the road and slammed into an oncoming 4WD at about 4.30pm on Friday, not far away from yesterday's crash.

Four occupants of the 4WD, including girls aged 11 and 13, were taken to Canberra Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Kings Highway has long been the subject of criticism from both sides of politics.

But yesterday NSW Premier Barry O'Farell said "finite" money in the state's budget would mean Kings Highway upgrades would require funds diverted from other highway upgrades in the state.

Mr O'Farrell said he would seek advice on whether to pledge extra money for the dangerous stretch of road.

"Which road are you going to take money from - the Pacific Highway, the Princes Highway?" he said in western Sydney yesterday. "There is a finite budget. It's a finite budget under pressure because of the floods."

Inspector Phillip Brooks blamed "poor driver behaviour" for the latest crash, with "speed and fatigue also major factors".


I have driven that road many times - it is not what I would consider a dangerous road. in fact, these days it's usually in a pretty good state of repair. The first crash on Friday was apparently caused by the falcon driver veering onto the wrong side of the road - certainly not the road's fault; I'd suggest the driver was going too fast for the conditions, or had a micro sleep. In the second case, it appears the driver was overtaking on double whites on blind curves - certainly not the road's fault (again).

It is unfortunate for the drivers, and those killed, and the families of all involved, that these accidents happened (condolences to those affected). But to blame the road? Do we really live in a "It's not my fault, so it must be "X" world"? In this case, the X being a road, despite the driver having the responsibility of being in control, not the road.

Sometimes, I think we are so caught up with the speed kills thing (it's actually the sudden stop in the case of an accident that gets you, not speed, which is simply distance over time), and people are so used to travelling at the posted limit, they don't drive to conditions. I can see what might happen with this road - we'll get a knee jerk reaction and the limit will be dropped to 80 or 70 (I think it's either 90 or 100 ATM). This despite thousands (long weekend for Canberrans) travelling to and from the coast this weekend, and all but 3 carloads making it "safely".

/rant. condolences where required. back to your regular programs.