Third arrester bed, lower speeds for motorists on the table in freeway safety summit

All motorists could face a speed limit reduction on the South-Eastern Freeway, as an urgent safety solution is sought after another truck crash.

Adelaide Hills commuters could be asked to slow down in a bid to increase safety on the South-Eastern Freeway.

Reduced speed limits, a third arrester bed and increased education were all discussed during a round table between the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, SA Police and the state government on Wednesday.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said a 40km/h limit for large vehicles would be modelled as an immediate solution for the freeway’s safety issues, with a look to implement changes in October-November.

The speed limit on the freeway’s downtrack was cut to 60 for larger vehicles and buses, and to 90 for cars.

SA Road Transport Association executive director Steve Shearer said a 40km/h speed-limit reduction was tabled after the deadly Cleanway crash in 2014, but never implemented.

The scene of the crash at the bottom of the freeway at the intersection of Glen Osmond and Portrush roads in July. Picture: Lynton Grace

“The trucking industry proposed some years ago a speed limit of 40, but the government modelled that and found the queue would back up past the arrester bed entrances, making it unsafe,” he said.

Mr Shearer said truck drivers would welcome any changes, but they would also mean reduced speeds for other road users.

“I ask the community to get on the same page as us,” he said.

“If speed limits for trucks are reduced … motorists have to understand that for those few minutes of their life every day, they are going to have to work to a lower speed.”

RAA road safety expert Charles Mountain backed a proposed reduction for both trucks and motorists as part of an “overall safety package” but acknowledged it would be unpopular with regular drivers.

“It certainly won’t be palatable for people who use the road on a daily basis but, at the end of the day, if you’re going to reduce the speed limit for heavy vehicles, you have to reduce the speed of surrounding vehicles,” Mr Mountain said.

SA Police Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said police were “well-resourced” to target speeding truck drivers and would look to support any road safety changes.

The truck ploughed through the intersection, hitting seven cars and a bus but no one was killed. Picture: Lynton Grace

A third arrester bed was also high on the agenda, with Mr Koutsantonis saying the option was being considered.

But Mr Koutsantonis said safety issues stemmed from “0.001 per cent” of truck drivers, namely untrained operators of smaller vehicles between four to 15 tonnes.

He said the South-Eastern Freeway was one of just three continuous decline descents in the nation, making driver education key when it came to saving lives.

“The truth is, the crashes that happen at the bottom of the freeway start the moment the driver puts their key in the ignition,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

Among other solutions tabled were:

• Increased education for truck drivers
• A third arrester bed at the base of the freeway
• Point to point speed cameras
• Licence and vehicle registration identification before descent
• On-the-spot fines and police intervention at the top of the hill
• A dedicated lane for heavy vehicles
• Tougher competency standards for heavy-vehicle licences
• A bypass for heavy vehicles
• An incline at the base of the Freeway
  

The meeting comes a month after another serious truck crash sparked pleas for increased safety at the bottom of the freeway, including the installation of a third arrester bed.

On Tuesday, Opposition Leader David Speirs called for the state government to scrap its election promise for a $120m ramp at Majors Rd on the Southern Expressway and instead invest in safety measures on the freeway.

A third arrester bed has long been explored as a safety measure, with a parliamentary committee hearing last month that the Department of Transport and Infrastructure worked with a Queensland university to develop a “catch-wire system” after an inquest into a fatal crash involving an out-of-control truck.

Mr Koutsantonis said all options would be considered before the summit reconvened in four weeks’ time.