Following a number of crashes on this stretch of the Warrego Highway, the speed limit is being reduced to help improve safety.
On the Warrego Highway between Summerholm Road and Fairway Drive at Hatton Vale, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has reduced the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h.
Being a major freight route into Brisbane, the Warrego Highway has experienced a large growth in traffic volumes from residential and commercial property development in the Lockyer Valley in the last five years.
TMR undertook a speed limit review of the road following calls from the local community to reduce the speed limit on the busy stretch of highway.
According to TMR, reducing the speed limit will decrease the number and severity of crashes and create more frequent and bigger gaps in traffic flow to allow road users to safely turn across oncoming traffic.
Southern Queensland regional director Bill Lansbury commented: “In the last five years, there have been 22 injury crashes on this 2.62km section of the major freight route, which has experienced a large growth in traffic volume over this period.
“We urge all road users to observe the new speed limit and to always drive to conditions.”
The reduction in speed has been endorsed by the Speed Management Committee which includes representatives from the Queensland Police Service, Lockyer Valley Regional Council and TMR.
TMR says it will continue to monitor the speed and crash numbers at this location and investigate further if required.
All this because people do not know how to drive.