Three roads get speed audit

DUNOON Rd is one of three North Coast roads to be examined in a Government audit of speed zones on 100 roads across the state.

DUNOON Rd is one of three North Coast roads to be examined in a Government audit of speed zones on 100 roads across the state.

The Pacific Hwy from Ballina to Tweed and The Coast Road at Ballina will also be inspected in the speed zone audit, which will be completed by March 2012.

Owner of the Modanville store, Ian Hall, was one of 11 residents who made a submission about Dunoon Rd.

Speed limits were reduced in March from 80kmh to 60kmh around Modanville, despite Mr Hall collecting 500 signatures against the plan.

"There was a major outcry because you're talking about a long stretch of country road," he said.

Mr Hall said varying speed limits on Dunoon Rd confused and annoyed many drivers.

"A lot of people from Dorroughby and Dunoon now bypass Dunoon Rd so they can cruise at a decent speed on Duncan Rd and Numulgi Rd.

"That road is 100kmh but it's less safe so there will probably be an accident there now."

Lismore City Council's road safety officer Lisa Marshall welcomed the review but cautioned that speed limits are needed to reduce crashes.

"The problem with Dunoon Rd is there are a number of varying speed zones and I think that's why it would have come up," she said.

"Council would definitely support a review of that road to make it consistent along the whole piece of road instead of just looking at pockets."

Speed zones

• The audit comes in response to public complaints that there are too many varying speed zones across NSW
• More than 2,600 public submissions have been received
• The review will take into account road layout, the number and type of vehicles using the road, development around the road and crash history

Originally published as Three roads get speed audit