Queensland To Review Roadwork Signage To Reduce Driver Frustration

QUEENSLAND MAIN ROADS Minister Craig Wallace announced this week that the State Government will review signage around roadwork sites in an effort to reduce driver frustration and improve safety.

Mr Wallace said the Government would work to ensure smoother speed reductions, as well as investigating electronic variable-speed signage to allow higher speeds when work sites are inactive.

"You can't spend $18 billion on roadworks like we're doing over the next five years without causing a bit of disruption," Mr Wallace said.

"We know we can reduce driver frustration by ensuring smooth reductions in speed around worksites and by ensuring speed reductions through inactive worksites at night and on weekends are only in place when required for safety due to changed road conditions."

Mr Wallace said that areas to be reviewed included the type and placement of signage used, the number of speed limit changes around roadwork sites and opportunities to increase speed limits around inactive sites.

Mr Wallace said the major issue is safety. Between July 2003 and March 2008 there were six deaths and 22 injuries related to roadworks.

From 2000 to 2005, over 430 crashes occurred in traffic each year around roadwork sites.

While the Minister claimed that safety around roadwork sites had come a long way, thanks to new protective barriers and reduced speeds, he acknowledged that more could be done to improve safety and reduce driver frustration.