By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
THERE’S a section of Nettle Drive in Hallam that could be a perfect design for a racing car circuit: a 200-metre straight ending with a sharp bend and a chicane.
Unfortunately, it’s part of a 50km/h residential street — but that hasn’t stopped hordes of speeding drivers. At least four times in the past 18 months, drivers have left the corner and crashed into terrified residents’ front yards.
Lloyd Nigli’s yard has been breached twice. On the most recent occasion, a south-bound sports car slammed into his yard’s only gum tree, metres from his house.
The car spun and ricocheted 20 metres away onto the opposite side of the road. “My wife was at home in the afternoon and she just heard this mighty kaboom,” he said. “If the tree wasn’t there, it would have struck our house. We just want to feel safe.”
There are no signs warning drivers to slow around the corner, or speed humps or other measures, such as guard rails to protect their homes and families.
Last month, a south-bound out-of-control car rammed Reg Vannitamby’s letterbox and concrete base out of the ground. Mr Vannitamby lives next door to Mr Nigli. The car’s tyre tracks across his nature strip still remain.
The most serious close call happened three doors down. A north-bound vehicle crashed into a four-wheel-drive in the driveway.
A solid wrought-iron fence has been recently erected on the lot, but most neighbouring houses are open to the street.
Residents have filled out surveys from Casey Council while waiting more than a year for the council to improve safety at the corner. The council says it is making a detailed plan before conducting further community consultation.
Casey’s transport manager Paul Hamilton said the council was considering rubber speed humps for both approaches on the bend, as part of “traffic calming measures” in Nettle and Saffron drives.
Senior Sergeant Paul Marshall of Endeavour Hills police said he’d create a “task” for police to set up radar traps and gather intelligence on the drive, and work with the council to improve the bend’s safety.
He suspected neighbouring residents were the main speeding culprits because the drive wasn’t used as a shortcut by passing motorists.
Community safety manager Caroline Bell says people who witness or have information on hoon driver behaviour should call Casey’s hoon hotline on 1800 18HOON (1800 184 666).
What do you think? Are there other streets in Greater Dandenong that have sparked your safety concerns? Let us know at greaterdandenongweekly.
What do you think? Are there other streets in Greater Dandenong that have sparked your safety concerns? Post a comment below.
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