The City of Greater Bendigo is asking residents to complete a survey about the state-of-the-art internally illuminated chevron alignment markers (CAMS) that have been recently installed along high risk bends on Sutton Grange Road between North Harcourt Road and Axe Creek Road.
Users of Sutton Grange Road can complete the survey on the City's Let's Talk Greater Bendigo web site at https://letstalkgreaterbendigo.com.au/safer-rural-roads-night until Friday March 31, 2023.
City of Greater Bendigo Manager of Engineering Ian McLauchlan said the CAMS have been installed as part of a world first road safety technology trial that has been funded by the Australian Government's Road Safety Innovation Fund.
"The new illuminated signs have been developed by OmniGrip Direct in Australia, for Australian conditions using innovative hybrid reflective, photoluminescent and solar-charged LED technology to make dark, high-risk, rural roads safer for motorists and riders at night," Mr McLauchlan said.
"Greater Bendigo is the first place in the world to experience and benefit from the installation of this innovative, safe and sustainable illuminated road sign technology and now we want to know what local motorists think.
"OmniGrip Direct, who applied for the funding, worked closely with the City of Greater Bendigo to identify the trial site.
"Sutton Grange Road is a rural road with a poor crash history. There have been four crashes on the road between 2017 and 2019, including three single vehicle run-off road crashes with two occurring in low light conditions.
"The signs are internally illuminated by photoluminescent wafers, which store sunlight through the day. To boost their brightness, a small solar-powered light recharges the photoluminescence for small intervals through the night. At night, the stored light energy is slowly released, providing an internally illuminated sign that is more noticeable to drivers than a standard sign.
"The feedback received from the Sutton Grange Road trial will help verify the technology's effectiveness and may open the door for road agencies to improve night-time safety on other high-risk roads using illuminated signs."
The Road Safety Innovation Fund is providing $12M over four years to support road safety research and the development of new road safety technologies to reduce harm and trauma-related crashes on Australian roads. The intention of the program is to contribute to the realisation of 'Vision Zero' - zero fatal and serious injuries on Australia's roads by 2050.
