Speed is a factor in almost 30 per cent of crashes in the Blue Mountains, and this month local motorists are being warned to slow down and drive to the conditions or risk being booked.
The NSW Police Blue Mountains Local Area Command will be targeting speeding on many local streets during the ‘Slow Down in My Street’ campaign which started in March and finishes at the end of April.
Fines and demerit points will be issued to any motorist caught speeding.
NSW Roads and Maritime Services data shows that there were 242 recorded crashes in the Blue Mountains local government area in 2015 with speed a factor in 29 per cent of these crashes. It contrasts to speed being a factor in 15 per cent of crashes in NSW and nine per cent of crashes in Sydney.
Slow Down in My Street is a local road safety project jointly funded by the RMS and Blue Mountains Council, with support from NSW Police to make local streets safer for everyone.
Australian research shows that the risk of a serious casualty crash doubles with just a 5 kmh speed increase on 60 kmh urban roads.
Travelling at lower speeds improves a driver’s ability to stop and avoid crashes, especially in residential areas. Where crashes do occur they are less severe, especially to vulnerable pedestrians and passengers such as children and the elderly.
“I urge every driver travelling on Blue Mountains roads to Slow Down in My Street and make our local roads safer for pedestrians, cyclist and motorists,” mayor Mark Greenhill said.
“There is no such thing as safe speeding,” Cr Greenhill added. “Even travelling at five kilometres over the speed limit in good weather conditions can put you, your passengers and other road users at increased risk. It’s simple, the faster you travel the longer it takes to stop.”
“It’s in everyone’s interest to slow down on local streets.”
The campaign will be supported by Slow Down in My Street stickers that will be provided to residents in the area targeted by the NSW Police.
Council is asking residents to apply the sticker to the right side of their red-lidded garbage bin as an ongoing visual reminder for motorists to slow down in local streets.
