Uphill Battle For Safety On The Pass
Illawarra Mercury
Monday October 24, 2005
EFFORTS to improve safety on Macquarie Pass took a blow yesterday when a truck crash blocked the road for more than five hours.
No-one was injured when the small removalist truck rolled onto its side, but the 44-year-old South Australian driver was charged with negligent driving.Acting Sergeant Allan Rhodes, of Bowral Police, said the truck was at the top of the Pass, heading east near the old railway bridge, when it crashed at 7.40am."The truck ran off the left-hand side of the road and when the driver tried to correct it, it rolled onto its right side, completely blocking the Pass," he said."Because of the light metal walls on the truck, when we tried to correct it, the furniture (on board) was tearing through the walls. So, while no-one was injured, it took a number of hours for the truck to be unloaded so the vehicle could be uprighted and the road reopened."Macquarie Pass was closed until 1.10pm, with traffic diverted along Jamberoo Mountain Rd.The crash occurred just weeks after the installation of new RTA signs at each end of the Pass, warning motorists of the road's hazards. The removalist truck had passed the new signs before it lost control.The Macquarie Pass Safety Group was formed earlier this year, including local government road safety officers, police, the RTA, the Motorcycle Council of NSW and the Illawarra Riders Association. The Group had collected more than 600 signatures on a petition calling for action to reduce accidents which have caused five deaths and many serious injuries in the past five years. The RTA was trialling extra signs and centre line markings after consultation with the safety group.Southern Region Police traffic co-ordinator Michael Timms said a wide range of vehicles used the Pass, which was a popular weekend touring route."We really need to work hard on raising driver awareness of the hazards of the Pass, where crashes seem to be so common," he said."The education needs to get through soon because, with the reopening of Lawrence Hargrave Dr, it is fair to say that drivers will use the Pass as part of a popular loop to and from Sydney and through the Illawarra."
© 2005 Illawarra Mercury