Speedsters on the radar

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan says the new trial of speed limit projectors is all about safety.

New high-tech devices will detect speeding motorists in Cranbourne with the State Government rolling-out a trial of new, on-road speed limit projectors in Cranbourne.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said the new projectors were being used to warn drivers when they are exceeding the speed limit through the construction zone on the Thompsons Road and Western Port Highway intersection upgrade.

Radar sensors detect drivers travelling over the speed limit and trigger a warning message to be projected on the road in front of the vehicle until they slow down.

The message is projected onto the road 10 to 15 metres in front of the driver, stating ‘Caution, Slow Down’.

The radar sensors do not record a driver’s speed and cannot be used to issue speeding infringements.

If the trial is successful, the technology may be rolled out at other locations across Victoria, improving safety for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and road workers.

The project is being delivered by VicRoads and the TAC as part of the Andrews Labor Government’s $1.4 billion Towards Zero Action Plan which aims to reduce the number of lives lost on our roads to 200 or fewer by 2020.

Mr Donnellan said Victoria continued to lead the world in road safety technology and the projectors were “another example of how we’re working to keep everyone safe on our roads.”

“We’re doing an unprecedented amount of road work across the state – construction speed limits and new technology like these projectors help to protect our road workers so they get home to their families safely,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition Matthew Guy has promised to build underpasses at the Hall Road and Western Port Highway in Cranbourne West and Thompsons Road and Western Port Highway in Lyndhurst if the Liberals win the November election.

Mr Guy said removing the congestion hotspot would “make our roads safer and keep traffic flowing.”

“I want to get Victoria moving again so commuters spend less time in traffic and more time with their families and loved ones,” he said.