News

Blackspot funding bid after young driver dies

THE death of a young motorist who crashed his car on Horsley Road, Panania, earlier this year, is one of many heartbreaking stories residents have shared with Councillor Linda Downey as they lobby for safety measures along the dangerous stretch of road.

Cr Downey says the road has a well-documented crash history and on many occasions she has had residents contact her, sharing stories of near misses, speeding and their overall concerns with the dangers of the road.
“Earlier this year, in March, a young man was killed on Horsley Road,” she said.
“The impact was felt throughout the community, from his immediate family, to the emergency services that responded, to those residents who witnessed the crash.
“There is clearly an issue with speeding along the Horsley Road and we need structural measures to address it.”
At Cr Downey’s request, the council will apply for funding under the Blackspot Program to address the situation.
The council will also investigate concerns raised by Cr Glen Waud, about safety issues at the intersection of Thomas and Prince streets in Picnic Point.
Residents have questioned whether the safety “measures that are in place are sufficient enough to help considerably reduce the risk of future traffic incidents that result in serious injury or death”.
Cr Waud says residents are concerned about the accident record, speeding vehicles and near collision misses at the intersection, and while there are stop signs and pedestrian refugee islands in place, more must be done.
Bankstown Police Inspector Samuel Nelson says both the locations are frequently patrolled by police, however he encourages the community to make contact with any information concerning anti-social or inappropriate driving behaviour, or if they wish to report matters via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 where callers can also report crime anonymously.
“Bankstown Police and Traffic and Highway Patrol officers patrol the identified areas with a focus of driving down the number of inappropriate driving offences committed in the area,” he said.