The state government is currently rolling out its biggest road infrastructure spending spree, but VicRoads boss John Merritt has admitted not all roads will be able to be fixed immediately. 

Mr Merritt told The Standard more than $300 million was being spent on safety measures such as wire rope barriers, but some roads would miss out. 

“There are certainly roads where the volume of traffic is such that they would be a long way down the list... so I think we need to work with the community and look at what else we can do,” Mr Merritt said.

“Part of the Towards Zero Strategy is trying to work better with communities about where that (reducing speed limits) might be a practical option for them.”

The Towards Zero Strategy is based on the Swedish Vision Zero which has a strong focus on infrastructure. 

Former Monash Accident Research Centre Dr Bruce Corben recently told The Courier Victoria is at least 10 years behind leading countries Sweden and The Netherlands when it comes to designing safe roads that will save lives.

He said painting white lines on 100 km/h roads between cars that will travel at a closing speed of up to 200 km/h is simply not good enough. 

Ideally, Dr Corben said all 100 km/h roads should have wire rope barriers, if not the speeds should be lowered. 

This is the case in Sweden,where research showed roadside dividers were necessary on all roads with a speed limit of more than 80 km/h an hour to achieve zero fatalities. 

“All roads above 80km/h should have a medium divider,” Swedish Transport Administration’s Johan Strandroth previously said.  

“If we are serious in getting close to zero and we want to keep roads 100 km/h and we want to have zero fatalities then we need dividers.” 

“We really need to try and divide the roads on high speeds limits – if there is not enough money or willingness to divide the roads then the speed limit has to go down.”

Mr Merritt said the majority of local drivers already drove to the conditions and infrastructure improvements was the way forward. 

“Two-thirds of drivers who die, die on a country road... It’s fundamental that we get country drivers out of the road toll.”

With The Standard