Will speed drops on regional roads curb the road toll? A WA-first study will find out

The Shire of Augusta Margaret River has backed a plan to drop speeds on 550 regional roads as the state’s road toll creeps towards a 10-year high.

If also endorsed by the City of Busselton at a council meeting in January, the three-year Safer Speeds Trial will see speeds drop on more than 1800 regional roads in the state’s south-west.

The trial – the first of its kind in WA – will be a collaboration between RAC, Main Roads WA and the two local governments, and will take an evidence-based approach to find out if decreasing speed limits has a direct impact on road deaths and injuries.

Between 2019 and 2023, 136 people were killed or seriously injured on roads in Busselton and 59 in Augusta Margaret River.Credit: John Crux Photography

Between 2019 and 2023, 136 people were killed or seriously injured on roads in Busselton and 59 in Augusta Margaret River.

The state’s road toll climbed to 173 last week – the highest since 2016.

Of 244 responses to a Shire of Augusta Margaret River survey that asked if lower speeds improved survival chances in a crash, 77 per cent strongly agreed.

79 per cent said travelling at a lower speed increases reaction times to avoid potential crashes and 54 per cent said they were concerned about other drivers travelling too fast.

Shire President Julia Meldrum said a study of 16 routes showed the average journey would increase by between 62 seconds to less than two minutes.

“While the trial may result in a slight increase in travel times, the safety benefits far outweigh this,” she said.

“This is about saving lives and making our roads safer for everyone.”

Roads west of Bussell Highway with existing speed limits between 80km/h and 110km/h, from Wonnerup to Cape Leeuwin, will drop to 70km/h and 80km/h.

Major roads entering or travelling through built-up areas, such as Bussell Highway through Busselton and Bayview Drive entering Gracetown with a current speed limit of 60km/h and 70km/h will drop to 50km/h and 60km/h.

Roads with speed limits of 70km/h through peri-urban places including Quedjinup and the area between Margaret River and Prevelly will be set at 60km/h.

Town centres, such as Busselton and Augusta with high pedestrian activity, will also see signs changed to 40km/h.

A full list of speed zone reductions can be found here.

In an opinion piece published by this masthead in November, RAC president Allan Blagaich said 60 per cent of road fatalities happened in the regions, with WA the only state in Australia with a default 110km/h speed limit.

“Speed is the single element of road safety that gives us a chance to save as many lives as possible and achieve our road safety targets within existing timeframes and budgets,” he writes.

The staged implementation of the speed limit signage changes will take at least three months beginning early 2025.

RAC social and community impact group executive Terry Durant praised the decision of Shire of Augusta Margaret River council to back the plan.

“RAC strongly welcomes Council’s support for implementation of the Safer Speeds Trial and we look forward to working with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River and Main Roads WA on the next steps over the months ahead,” she said.

“We know speed is a major contributor to road trauma and the aim of the trial is to create safer roads for everyone.”

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