Police want action at black spot

Dunsborough police will push Main Roads to fast-track action on a black spot intersection of Caves Road after another accident this week.

Three people were treated at Busselton Hospital after the two-car collision at the road’s intersection with Cape Naturaliste Road on Wednesday morning.

Police said the injuries were minor but there was significant damage to the cars.

Sergeant Craig Anderson said one vehicle turned right in front of an oncoming vehicle because it wasn’t clear if they were going straight or turning left.

The intersection is the second most dangerous in the shire and the most dangerous in Dunsborough with 29 accidents recorded and almost $1.2 million in estimated costs between 2005 and the end of 2009.

Crashes involving a vehicle turning right in front of an oncoming vehicle were the most common type of crash, accounting for 20 of the 29 accidents.

Dunsborough police sergeant Craig Anderson said the intersection was fast becoming a black spot.

“We’re finding a lot of people are confused, there is Naturaliste Terrace and Cape Naturaliste Road and there are a myriad of signs as they come into town and they don’t know where they are,” he said.

“If you’re confused at an intersection you’re much more likely to crash.”

Sgt Anderson said police had asked Main Roads to do a survey of the intersection but the only response received so far had been a suggestion to put in a set of traffic lights.

“That will affect the whole flow through aspect of the town, but Main Roads say a rear end collision is safer than a 90 degree collision,” he said.

Sgt Anderson said indigenous land rights issues had prevented them putting a roundabout at the intersection.

“We’ve asked about putting in some meter high fluoro borders to better define the intersection, so when people turn into the left hand lane they are committed to it,” he said.

Traffic services officer Andy Rowlands said Main Roads had proposed to install bollards to more clearly delineate the turn lanes and while traffic lights were an option it was unlikely the decision would be made to install them.

“We’ll also be doing a revision of the signage at the intersection to make sure it’s more effective for road users,” he said.