By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS: clucadou-wells@mmpgroup.com.au
GREATER Dandenong council has rejected residents’ pleas for guard
rails to protect their homes from out-of-control cars in Dandenong North
because of the danger to car occupants.
People living at the corner of Bakers Road and Alpine Crescent say
the council’s $65,000 reshaped T-intersection, designed to slow traffic
to about 30-40km/h, may instead magnify the danger.
They say the intersection’s traffic islands and S-bends may be an irresistible challenge to hoons.
Residents Greg and Patricia Ashley, who have had four cars veer
into their property, say the road treatment lines cars up with their
house and that of a neighbour, Robert Dufourq. Mr Ashley said he feared
the traffic islands could cause speeding cars to flip.
A metre-high reinforcing brick wall props up their front fence,
which still has gaps from previous crashes. He has spent more than
$38,000 repairing previous damage.
“I haven’t got around to fixing it. As soon as I do get around to
it, it’s wrecked again,” Mr Ashley said. “It’s like my yard’s got a
great big magnet in it.”
Council engineering services director Bruce Rendall said last week guard rails were inappropriate for the situation.
‘‘If a car’s impact is greater than 25 degrees to the barrier,
the car won’t be deflected but may punch through the barrier,” he said.
“It may cause serious consequences for car occupants because the
vehicle could stop abruptly, the rails could penetrate the vehicle and
the car may be launched and roll over.”
Despite this, councillor Maria Sampey said she would introduce a motion for council staff to install guard rails.
In a 2002 traffic study, the council identified speeding and
irresponsible driving as issues at the intersection. The council
abandoned plans for a roundabout in 2009.
In a recent letter to a resident, council transport team leader
Daniel Przychodzki said the council would consider further works “in the
event a significant risk remains”, including speed humps and guard
rails.
Mr Ashley, who has seen cars speeding at close to double the
50km/h speed limit on Bakers Road’s long straight, says many of the
crashes are freak accidents. On one occasion, a driver’s foot stuck to
the accelerator as he cornered. His car burst through the timber fence,
wrecking the pool decking and spa before landing in the pool.
Another errant car mounted the roadside gutter and broke a fire hydrant, which flooded the Ashley family property.
In a letter to the council, Mr Ashley said the council’s solution
“magnifies the threat to our lives and damage to our properties … we
would have no choice but to hold the council solely responsible for such
future events”.
