Entrances to regional Victorian towns will receive installation of eye-catching signs and road markings in the coming months.
The cosmetic additions are part of a $1.4 billion investment into reducing road trauma across the state, with gateways already a welcome addition to the entrances of almost 170 towns in regional Victoria since 2019.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll said the road markings and striking red, green, and white speed signs at town entrances provide a strong visual reminder to drivers they need to slow down.
Before the end of the year, gateways will undergo installation on entry to a further 37 towns where the speed limit drops by at least 20km/h or greater and is reduced to 50 or 60km/h on entering the town.
Community gateways are designed to reduce speeds, increase driver attention, and boost safety for all vulnerable road users, including around main streets and boulevards where 24 per cent of pedestrian serious injury crashes occur.
Similar community gateway treatments have already reduced crashes by 26 to 35 per cent in New Zealand towns.
The gateways project supports Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, which sets ambitious targets to halve road deaths and significantly reduce serious injuries by 2030 and sets us on a path to zero road deaths by 2050.
Another 24 additional towns to receive signs and line marking are expected to be installed by the end of July with the remainder by December.
A further seven towns in northern Victoria will also get gateways installed this year under the joint Victorian and Commonwealth funded Road Safety Program, bringing the total number of new towns getting gateways in 2021 to 44.
“We’re delivering these community gateways to ensure more Victorians make it home safely every day – boosting the safety of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians right across the state,” said Minister for Roads and Roads Safety Ben Carroll.
“Through our investment in better safety infrastructure – and more broadly through Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy – we’re taking action to increase awareness and visibility on our roads.”