Proposed speed limit changes

Feedback on these proposed changes has now been reviewed, and an external independent analysis has been undertaken considering community feedback, road network and safety factors.

The changes listed below will now be formally submitted to the Department of Transport and Planning for approval. Pending approval, updated signage will then be installed.

Horseshoe Bend Road, Torquay (South Beach Road to The Esplanade)

• Current: 60kph signed speed limit
• New limit: 50kph signed speed limit

The primary reasons for this recommendation are as follows:

• High pedestrian/cyclist activity along Horseshoe Bend Road.
• Vulnerable road users expected due to presence of primary school and child learning centre in the vicinity
• Quay Reserve located adjacent unprotected on-road bicycle lanes
• High number of driveways due to surrounding residential areas.
• Significant crash history involving cyclists
• Vehicles manoevuring in/out of Horseshoe Bend Road to access the indented, parallel parking bays
• Buses expected along the route manoevuring in and out of bus bays.

On the 60km/hr segment of Horseshoe Bend Road there were eleven injury crashes over the past ten years of which one resulted in death and three resulted in serious injuries. See stats across the network using interactive crash maps

Blackgate Road, Horseshoe Bend Road to Point Impossible Rd

• Current: 100kph default limit
• New limit: 80kph signed speed limit

The primary factors influencing this recommendation are as follows:

• High number of cyclists along this route, with cyclists required to ride in the relatively narrow shoulder of the traffic lanes
• Lack of turn lanes into Torquay Airport leading to a higher risk of  for rear-end collisions
• Significant crash history along this section of Blackgate Road
• Significant vegetation parallel to the road along this section
• Ties into the 80km/h speed limit on the eastern approach to the intersection with Horseshoe Bend Road

Blackgate Road had eleven injury crashes over the past ten years of which four resulted in serious injuries. See stats across the network using interactive crash maps

Feedback on the proposed changes has now been reviewed, and an external independent analysis has been undertaken considering community feedback, road network and safety factors.

The changes listed below will now be formally submitted to the Department of Transport and Planning for approval. Pending approval, updated signage will then be installed.

Atkins Road, Winchelsea - East of Mathisons Road

• Current: 100kph default limit
• Retain existing: 100kph default speed limit east of Mathisons Road.

The primary considerations which influenced this recommendation are as follows:
- Wider carriageway width and shoulders
- Blackspot project funded to provide additional barrier to protect roadside hazards
- Straight Road Alignment
- Road Safety Treatments such as rumble edge lines, shoulders and barrier reduce crash risk
- Relatively low traffic volumes, straight alignment and few vulnerable road users

Atkins Road, Winchelsea - West of Mathisons Road (where road narrows)

• Current: 100kph default limit
• New limit to be adopted: reduce speed limit to 80kph west of Mathisons Road

The primary considerations which influenced this recommendation are as follows: 

- Curved geometry around Orchards Road
- Lack of sealed shoulder and edge line treatments through this section
- Roadside hazards present close to the road including utility poles and vegetation
- Poor pavement condition in some sections

For further details on the analysis and recommendation please refer to link to the analysis report below.

Atkins Road had four crashes over the past ten years of which one resulted in death. 
See stats across the network using interactive crash maps

Buckley Road South, Atkins Road to Cape Otway Road

• Current: 100kph default limit
• Retain existing: 100kph default speed limit

The primary considerations which influenced this recommendation are as follows:
- Wider carriageway width and shoulders
- Limited driveways/ access points along this route
- Straight Road Alignment
- Road Safety Treatments such as rumble edge lines and shoulder reduce crash risk
- No recent crashes on this route

Cape Otway Road, Moriac township

• Current: 60kph signed speed limit
• New limit to be adopted: 50kph signed speed limit

The primary considerations which influenced this recommendation are as follows:
- Vlimit assessment recommends 50kph speed limit as standard treatment
- Pedestrian activity expected around the town centre, with the general store and public toilets on either side
- On-road bicycle lanes with undefined roadside edges
- Level crossing at town centre
- Driveways along road with residential properties adjacent
- School children present with Moriac Primary School in the vicinity

Thirty eight injury crashes occurred on Cape Otway Road between 2010 and 2020. Four people lost their lives in these collisions and twenty resulted in serious injuries. 
See stats across the network using interactive crash maps

Cape Otway Road, Taylors Road to Shire Boundary

Cape Otway Road, Between Buckley Road South and west of Taylors Road

• Current: 100kph default limit
• Retain existing: default speed limit of 100kph east of Buckley Road South to west of Taylors Road

The primary considerations which influenced this recommendation are as follows:
- Wider carriageway width and shoulders through this section
- Relatively Straight Road Alignment
- Road Safety Treatments such as rumble edge lines and shoulder reduce crash risk
- Reduction in crash rate observable since road safety upgrade works undertaken between 2017 and 2022. Will need to continue to monitor as traffic grows.

Cape Otway Road, Between Buckley Road South and Winchelsea Deans Marsh Road (where road narrows and around reservoir)

• Current: 100kph default limit
• New limit to be adopted: reduce speed limit to 80kph between Buckley Road South and Winchelsea Deans Marsh Road (where road narrows and around reservoir)

 The primary considerations which influenced this recommendation are as follows:
- Sharp curves along the route particularly around reservoir
- Narrow carriageway width and no shoulders through a significant portion of this segment
- Significant crash history, with 5 crashes occurring in five years (2 leading to loss of life, 2 serious injuries and 1 other injury)
- Drainage issues leading to pooling and polished pavement surfaces (section parallel to the Wurdiboluc Reservoir)
- Road side hazards close to edge of road with little protection (only small sections have barrier treatments)
- Gravel spill onto the carriageway from unsealed driveways.
- Several priority-controlled intersections along the route, which require motorists to slow from 100kph to safely navigate the intersection
- Presence of vulnerable road users based on local school bus activities

Cape Otway Road, West of Winchlesea-Deans Marsh Road to Salk Creek Lane

• Current: 100kph default limit
• Retain existing: default speed limit of 100kph west of Winchelsea-Deans Marsh Road to Salk Creek Lane

The primary considerations which influenced this recommendation are as follows:
- Limited driveways/ access points along this route
- Relatively Straight Road Alignment
- Lower traffic volumes on this portion of the route leading to reduced cross traffic crash risk
- Lower ten year crash rate along this portion of the route than adjacent segment

• The risk of an injury crash doubles with each 5km/h increase in speed over 60 km/h.
• In normal conditions, a car travelling at 80km/h will take 68 metres to stop in an emergency.
• Injury levels during a crash are determined by the impact speed (i.e. what speed have you slowed to by the time you impact an object such as a tree or power pole.) Serious or fatal injuries can happen as a result of a:
  • Head on collision at 70km/hr
  • Side impact collison at 50km/hr
  • Side impact collision with tree 30km/hr
  • Impact with pedestrian 30km/hr
• The higher the speed the longer it will take to reduce your speed in the event of a potential impact.
• As volumes of traffic on a high speed route increase, risk increases and the ability to select a safe gap when accessing properties reduces. The arterial road network such as the Princes Highway is designed to cater for higher volumes of high speed traffic with wider road reserves and service roads to cater for property access.

Why are changes being considered?

• High number of crashes identified along these routes and high speeds are a contributing factor to crashes.
• Increasingly diverse road users including vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists and cyclists. Likely outcome of a high speed crash is death or serious injury.
• Increasing community requests for a speed change and safer road environment.

Council have sought a third party review of the proposed speed zone changes providing independent, detailed and considered advice on a best practice approach to speed limit setting on each route being considered.

The third party review of the proposed changes to speed zones has included a review of the following:

1. Community feedback
2. Road network data
3. Transport efficiency
4. Road Safety Considerations and Crash Patterns
5. Alignment of speed zone changes with speed zoning principles and guidelines
6. Current use and operation of the routes in question

For details of the outcome of each of the reviews and actions planned on particular roads please refer to sections below.