The state government has settled on a plan that will slash beach driving speeds, especially around pedestrians

The state government is poised to slash the speed limit on suburban beaches to 40km/h – but an Advertiser poll suggests readers think that’s still too high.

View from Sellicks Beach of a packed beach on January 1st, 2023. Picture: Tom Huntley

A beach driving default speed of 100km/h will be cut to 40km/h and around pedestrians 25km/h, following a string of deaths and injuries.

Police Minister Joe Szakacs revealed the results of public consultation launched this year to find out what beach users wanted from the changes.

“Four in every five respondents provided clear support for a reduction in the default speed limit, with the most preferred option being a reduction to 40km/h and 25km/h when within 100 metres of a pedestrian,’’ he said.

“South Australia is very fortunate to have world class drive-on beaches, but it is clear the current road laws which make this possible are out of date.

“We know that in the period 2017-2021, there were 29 reported crashes on beaches resulting in the loss of one life, 15 serious injuries and 13 minor injuries. Speed was reported as a contributing factor to 50 per cent of these crashes.”

Mr Szakacs said while there was now a preferred action plan, all the feedback from public consultation would be considered and a decision informed by the end of this year.

In February when consultation began an online poll by The Advertiser showed 65 per cent of people wanted speed cut to 25km/h, 28 per cent 40km/h and only 7 per cent wanted the 100km/h on many beaches retained.

The action follows a series of serious accidents on SA beaches.

Paige Prentice, 22, died on December 26, 2019, four days after suffering critical injuries in a crash at Long Beach, near Kingston SE. Her boyfriend, Matthew Emerson, 31, was “snaking” the vehicle up the beach at 70km/h when the tires on one side dug into the sand and the car rolled.

RAA road safety spokesman Charles Mountain welcomed the decision.

“A 40km/h speed limit provides the right balance between a safer default speed limit and the need to maintain sufficient momentum when driving in soft sand conditions to reduce the likelihood of getting bogged,” he said.

The 40/25 option was also backed by the National Parks and Wildlife and South Australian Coastal Councils Alliance.

A system of fines and demerit points has not yet been worked out, but is likely to be similar to the penalties for speeding on SA roads.

Currently, beaches in South Australia are considered ‘road related areas’ under the Road Traffic Act 1961 and the Australian Road Rules.

Mr Szakacs said for beaches where there has already been a reduction or a speed limit of 40km/h or less, the existing rules would remain in place.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport recently approved a speed limit of 10 km/h for Moana, Aldinga and Sellicks beaches and a 40km/h speed limit for Goolwa Beach.