New speed limit for trucks on the Monash

A new speed trial that will see trucks travel at 90km/h along a 10km section of Melbourne’s Monash Freeway commenced today

Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan welcomed the start of the trial, which will run for 18 months between Huntingdale Road and Jacksons Road.

From today, motorists along this stretch of road are asked to pay attention to the new signs in place showing the change.

In a press release, Mr Donnellan said that reducing the speed of trucks will create greater distances between cars and trucks to reduce tailgating and allow cars to navigate more safely around trucks, reducing the likelihood of rear-end and side-swipe crashes.

A second trial phase involving banning trucks from the right-hand lane in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the two measures together, will occur at a later date depending on the trial’s progress.

The Monash Freeway is a key arterial road carrying in excess of 200,000 vehicles per day.

Mr Donnellan’s press release went on to say that “Improving the interactions between cars and trucks along this important route will reduce crashes and delays, benefitting both motorists and the freight industry”.

We wonder how reducing the speed of trucks will increase traffic flow and benefit the freight industry as the limit applies 24 hours a day – even when there are virtually no cars on the road.

Mr Donnellan said that the change will only increase a truck’s travel time by a small margin: "Reducing the speed of trucks on the Monash will only increase their travel time by one minute, but make it safer and boost the reliability of the freeway."

Victorian Transport Association CEO Peter Anderson said he supported the speed cut: "We support the Monash Speed Trial because we believe speed reductions here have the potential to create productivity and safety improvements for operators, which is good for business."

New speed limit for trucks on the Monash

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