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Kings Highway to get safety upgrade

A 117 kilometre stretch of NSW road where 30 people have died since the year 2000 is to be upgraded with the aim of reducing crashes.

That road is the Kings Highway, which links the ACT with the NSW south coast.

Transport for NSW announced yesterday (March 5) that the decision to improve the safety of the highway comes after an extensive safety review.

That review included analysis of crash trends, site visits and field inspections, with the local community also consulted in May 2012 for their opinion.

Site inspections were carried out by Transport for NSW, Roads and Maritime Services, NSW Police, NRMA, the Rural Fire Service and representatives of the community.

A new report now details what can be done to make the highway safer.

Member for Bega Andrew Constance explained that one of the recommendations is to lower the speed limit on stretches of road either side of Braidwood from 100 km/h to 80 km/h.

This section of the highway was the site of recent fatalities, and the changes are expected to take place by midyear.

Roads minister Duncan Gay said that in addition to re-evaluating current speed limits, the state government would work on improvements to the road surface and surrounds, to signage and to safety barriers. They would also address the issues of driver fatigue.

"Both speed and fatigue were found to be significant issues on the Kings Highway – half of the crashes involving speed or fatigue involved local residents," Mr Gay said.

The proposed work to improve the safety of Kings Highway will be funded through the Road Toll Response Package.

This is a $170 million fund for investment in NSW road safety over the period 2012-15.

Roads and Maritime Services analysis has shown that 46 per cent of NSW fatal car accident deaths in 2009 involved speeding.

The Road Toll Response Package was designed to fund a range of measures to reduce the incidence of speeding on NSW roads.

This includes road improvements such as route safety reviews and the installation of safety barriers and pedestrian fencing.

Other initiatives include pedestrian safety strategies like countdown timers, timed 40 km/h pedestrian zones and a motorcycle safety program.

Whether you are an occupant of a vehicle injured in a crash on NSW roads or suffer pedestrian injury, you may be entitled to car accident compensation for medical costs, loss of income or more.If you are unsure of your entitlements, no win no fee lawyers can provide you with a free, no obligation assessment of your situation.

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