Moves afoot to hit speedsters

By Sarah Schwager
A STRING of accidents on two connecting Cranbourne North streets, including three in the last week, has prompted residents to call for action.
Both Huon Park Road and Hazelwood Avenue have had problems with drivers speeding and ‘hooning’ through the streets.
Just a couple of weeks ago Huon Park Road resident Claude Bangard’s car was written off after a driver lost control and slammed into his car in the middle of the night.
On Saturday, the State Government introduced legislation that will see drivers caught drag racing, performing ‘burnouts’ or engaging in other dangerous ‘hoon’ acts lose their cars.
But the new laws are only being trialed in selected locations in Victoria and are not expected to come into force in Casey for at least another two months.
Hazelwood Avenue resident Rod Teal said many drivers used the connecting roads to cut the corner from Thompsons Road to the South Gippsland Highway, avoiding five sets of traffic lights.
A traffic counter placed on the stretch by police found 3500 cars travel the road each day, or 25,000 a week.
Mr Teal said the long stretch of road encouraged drivers to speed.
“They lose control at the corners. There are 150 burn-out marks on the road that is less than a kilometre long,” he said.
Mr Teal said the ‘Dob a Hoon’ sign installed on the street did not seem to have helped.
Last week a pole was taken out after a car hit it.
A bus sign was also found lying on the road with tyre marks across it.
Casey councillor Steve Beardon said the installation of bus cushions (a type of speed hump) on Huon Park Road would help alleviate the problem.
The works are expected to be completed soon.
Cr Beardon said money had also been set aside in the council budget to install a seagull island in the middle of the road on a section of Hazelwood Avenue.
“If this saves a little child’s life, it’ll make me a very happy councillor,” he said.
Senior Sergeant Michael Wearne from Cranbourne Police said police would be trying to stop this poor driver behaviour, and would apply the hoon legislation when it came into force.
“We will be using all resources available to us including TMU, marked and unmarked cars,” Sen Sgt Wearne said.
“But as long as you have 18-year-olds with a licence, there’s going to be a problem.”
Mr Bangard said he had been impressed by the amount of police presence on the road.
“When they’re here the lights flash and it warns people away. But when they’re not here the drivers go crazy,” he said.
Mr Bangard, who has lived in the street for 15 years, said it used to be very quiet but with more and more people moving into the area, drivers were using the stretch to escape the traffic.
“I just want it to stop. This is a blackspot area.”
Huon Park resident John Foley said it was lucky that kids did not play on the streets or the accidents could have been much worse. Hazelwood Avenue also connects with Courtenay Gardens Primary School.