Councillor Liu’s Motion on Notice, Kangaroo Island Council, 2011.05.11
A proposal to introduce a lower speed limit for hire cars on KI roads
”That in light of the recent fatal accident on Hog Bay Road near Penneshaw and an alarming number of vehicle crashes on Kangaroo Island roads involving visitors and international tourists, Council recommends to the ‘hire car operators’ that they give consideration to implementing a policy on overseas drivers to travel at 10kph less than the speed limits on open roads and a maximum speed of 80kph on unsealed rural roads as a rental condition, and further that the Minister for Road Safety be requested to support Council’s initiative to reduce vehicle accidents on Kangaroo Island roads.”
The proposed motion is intended to:
· Improve road safety;
· Reduce road kills;
· Minimise potential risk of vehicle accidents;
· Reduce road crashes involving visitors; and
· Encourage motorists to travel at 10kph slower on open roads and a safer speed on unsealed rural roads.
Accident statistic on KI roads has shown:
· 46% (almost half) of all vehicle crashes involved visitor drivers and 6% of them lived in overseas countries.
· 65% of fatal and serious road crashes occurred on 110kph speed limit roads while 23% were on roads zoned 70-100kph.
· 82% of all road crashes were single vehicle accidents compared to 43% for the whole of the State.
Comments:
· The alarming high incidence of single vehicle crashes suggests that poor unsealed road surfaces and large numbers of wildlife on carriageways could be the key contributors to the accidents.
· Travelling at 10kph slower on 110kph roads could significantly reduce the number and severity of road accidents.
· Imposing a 10kph slower vehicle speed limit on hire car drivers would undoubtedly minimise the potential risk of vehicle crashes.
· Restriction of driving speed to 80kph on unsealed rural roads imposed on hire car drivers will also reduce single vehicle accidents.
Moved Cr Liu
Seconded Cr Chirgwin
That in light of the recent fatal accident on Hog Bay Road near Penneshaw and an alarming number of vehicle crashes on Kangaroo Island roads involving visitors and international tourists, Council recommends to the ‘hire car operators’ that they give consideration to implementing a policy on all visitors to drive at 10kph less than the speed limits on open roads and a maximum speed of 80kph on unsealed rural roads as a rental condition.
LOST. 3 For, 6 Against
Cr Liu called for a division
For: Crs Walkom, Liu & Chirgwin
Against: Crs Boxall, Davis, Willson, Denholm, Clemens & Connell