Frustrated residents are pushing for an urgent speed limit reduction on a Huon Valley road they say is too dangerous for its current 100km/h limit.
A petition with 78 signatures went before Huon Valley Council last night, calling for the speed limit on Nicholls Rivulet Road to be slashed between Smith Road and Abbots Road.
Locals say the road, which connects Cygnet to Oyster Cove, has seen 12 reported crashes in the past five years, including two serious injuries and four minor injuries.
Petition organiser Stefan Becks-Phelps believes the stretch of road does not meet the requirements for a 100km/h zone.
“I would go as far to say that Nicholls Rivulet Road is actually a high-risk road,” he wrote in a letter to the council.
Becks-Phelps said he had spoken to almost every household along the road, with all but one supporting the speed reduction.
Parents have also raised concerns about dangerous overtaking near the school bus during pick-up and drop-off times.
One property at 1240 Nicholls Rivulet Road has had six crashes into its garden in recent years, with four resulting in hospitalisations.
“… All due to driving too fast for the road conditions,” the letter states.
Council officers noted the road is relatively narrow, with sharp bends, concealed entrances and limited hard shoulders.
They said the Department of State Growth, which manages the state highway, has already indicated support for reducing the limit to 80km/h across 8.6 kilometres.
The change would bring the road into line with nearby sections of the Channel Highway between Kettering and Huonville.
Council officers recommended supporting the petition and formally writing to the state government backing the speed reduction, along with additional warning signage for wildlife, the school zone and sharp corners.
A council report found the change would pose no financial risk to the council and could help reduce wildlife strikes and noise for neighbouring properties.
