Living In Fear

Mountain Views Mail | Star News Group Local community news

RESIDENTS along Maroondah High¬way are living in fear that “we will be next” after another collision occurred between Coldstream and Lilydale on 2 July.

Eight people were lucky to have escaped serious injury after three cars collided at the corner of Maroondah Highway and the serv¬ice lane to Tarrawarra Road, by the Domaine Chandon winery.

Residents frequently assist in the man¬agement of traffic when these accidents occur near their home before emergency services arrive.

They said not enough had been done to make the area safe and they want to see a reduction in the speed limit.

But VicRoads said it carried out safety-improvement works along this section of Maroondah Highway and considered the current speed limit of 100 km/h appropriate.

VicRoads’s five-year crash data to Sep¬tember 2009 shows 13 casualty crashes including three fatal crashes and seven seri¬ous injury crashes between Tarrawarra Road and Maddens Lane.

Residents said five major accidents have happened in the past 12 months alone, with two fatalities.

Lucy Staltaro, who lives between Mad¬dens Lane and Tarrawarra Road, said she was too scared to drive any more.

“This stretch is really frightening. We hear bangs quite often and think, Who is it this time?”

Ms Staltaro said she wanted to see the speed limit reduced for the safety of every¬one on the road, even if it only saves one life.

Her partner Tony said they were con¬stantly “living on the edge”.

“It really got to me this time because there was a little child hurt. I could still hear the groaning and crying in my head,” he said.

“We tend to get a lot of traffic – locals who know the road well, tourists not aware of where they’re going, and people turning off the highway to private properties.”

“How long do we have to wait before others get killed?”

Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe said the increased volume caused by weekend tourist traffic was adding to the problem.

“Buses travelling west waiting to turn right from Maroondah Highway into Domaine Chandon or travelling east, wait¬ing to turn right into Maddens Lane, block the single lane causing significant delays for frustrated motorists,” she said.

Widening works were completed by VicRoads at the Maddens Lane intersection in March 2008 and new curve warning signs were placed near Tarrawarra Road.

These included upgraded guide posts and reflective pavement markers, shoulder sealing, improved roadside drainage safety and installation of tactile edge lines and safety barriers including wire rope and a guard rail.

VicRoads said it was monitoring the effect of these safety improvements.