State pushes rural rumbles in a bid to save more lives

23 Jun 2017 Wangaratta Chronicle, Wangaratta VIC (General News) RUMBLE strips have been installed along hundreds of kilometres of roads in Northern Victoria as part of the State Governments $1.2 billion safety boost for rural roads. Jaclyn Symes (MLC, Northern Victoria) said recently completed sections within the Rural City of Wangaratta were: Beechworth Wangaratta Road -from Beechworth to Tarrawingee (20km); and Glenrowan Myrtleford Road from Hume Freeway to Great Alpine Road (36km). Ms Symes said centre lines have also been widened on higher-risk roads, separating vehicles travelling in opposite directions by up to one metre. She said across Victoria, six out of 10 crashes involve vehicles crossing the centre line, with fatigue and driver distraction among the major causes. Last year alone, run off road and head on crashes accounted for 159 deaths in Victoria, Ms Symes said. Researchers say that installing rumble strips on two-lane roads can reduce the risk of run-off-road and head-on crashes by up to 20 per cent. Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.