Have your say !

Brandi S, 29-12-10 11:19:

You wanna slow people down, put in traffic lights! I think the speed limits on the Cook Highway are crazy and need to be stabilized better. It's pretty scary sometimes when you see people pass you. Especially when a bus comes around the corner. I think the speed limits should be no more than 90. Then like all other small towns in queensland, it should be slowed to 60. I think peoples lives are far more important than feeling like a race car driver for an hour!

anthony buckley, 25-08-10 08:48:

A roundabout is the only answer(though not going in the direction as illustrated on the yellow sign at the top of the page!!)
depending on what time of day one is approaching the Port Douglas turn off from Craiglie it is impossible to distiguish which cars are coming through travelling south and those supposedly pausing at the give way sign.Likewise those waiting in Port Douglas road turning right to Mossman cannot see the overtaking cars beside those indicating they are turning right.
The average speed of cars passing the intersection is 80 and some a lot faster. Large 60 kph need to be installed at Craiglie and enforced with speed camera near the intersection until a roundabout is built.I regret to have to agree with one of the other correspondents that there will be have to be at least two deaths before the DMR will be confronted with their stubborness and bloody minded stupidity.

Lee Denison, 18-08-10 09:43:

I think Mike Mabbutt makes some very good comments on this issue. I agree that speed is not the major factor here but the drivers themselves. I cannot believe that in the article the reporter cannot believe "It happens too regularly for it to be lack of attention by all these drivers." Where is it you drive because I see either a lack in concentration, ignorance or arrogance on a daily basis.I would like to see some statistics on the accidents at this junction. Are they being caused by cars turning into or out of Port Douglas Rd, which direction did they come from, are they locals or foreign drivers etc.I don't believe that adding roundabouts will address the issue as this is only another type of junction and where a driver has to make a decision on whether to pull out into traffic or wait, mistakes will be made. These are driver errors not poor junctions or speed related accidents so we need to address the issue and not spend thousands making it worse not better (as with the current layout of the junction). No matter what is done there will be no one quick fix. One major issue we need to address is the way we teach learner drivers. At present most kids have a some lessons with an instructor and then 80 or 90 hrs with mum or dad. Compulsary lessons with a highly trained instructor is a must, which means that instructor training needs to be improved. A 2 week training course (with no external testing) is not adequate to cover all the necessary components required to train learner drivers. I spent 3-4 months in the UK to qualify as an instructor (with 3 external tests) and a further 6 weeks to become a government registered instructor trainer. Here I've talked to people who don't even know what an 'emergency stop' is never mind how to perform one. We need to have proper consultation with locals and experts before we spend money unwisely and carry on discussing this issue for years to come.

Chris Buse, 18-08-10 08:34:

Rod - there aren't any developers left in Port for the local government to rape and plunder upon.

Rod Davis Davis, 17-08-10 17:08:

The State Govt are attrocious hypocrites, requiring two $800,000 roundabouts paid for by developers at Bale and Steve Thomas's subdivisions, where the need for a roundabout is far less demanding than at the blood splattered highway, where the State must pay.The issue has been simmering for 8 years. The State hogs on the income from the GST that Port Douglas produces, but wont fund a thing... nothing for the needed roundabout, nothing for the waterfront, and when they do spend money on a project, a new cop shop, they tell the locals to stick it, when we suggest a better spot. With Jason ONo' living next door to me, dont hold it agianst me if I've move to Bali. If the toad Enstch gets elected, deem me in permanent exile. Rgds, His Rodlimess

Jason O'Brien, 17-08-10 17:04:

Thanks very much to the Newsport for running this survey. Can you please also send a copy of the final results to me.

Chris Ryan, 11-08-10 13:43:

Put a speed camera on the corner of Port Douglas road and the highway, this will slow the traffic down. Put a notice either end of the stretch just before the servo in Craiglie and just after Port Douglas Road going towards Mossman. No need for more traffic lights or a roundabout for a few inconsiderate drivers.

John White, 11-08-10 12:51:

What’s really needed is for the same handful of perpetually selfish drivers to show some consideration for other road users & current road conditions. I’ve driven much of Australia, many countries on several continents & our local roads are generally comparatively good. Some of the local drivers, as with other places I’ve driven in the world, are “unreal”. All of us make mistakes from time-to-time & we mostly get away with it, that is until there’s one of the handful of selfish drivers nearby at the time! So I’m against any physical changes other than perhaps some better signage & perhaps better deterrents for persistent road rule breakers.

liz , 11-08-10 08:56:

Mike - very well said. I agree with you.

Mat Churchill, 11-08-10 08:42:

I think one of the problems is that a lot of people are trying to break the land speed record between Port and Cairns. Man there are some crap drivers around. Not me though obviously.

Mike , 10-08-10 16:43:

I agree with the 2 roundabouts or at least one at the main entrance for sure. Also what is with the right turn into the Craiglie servo it is a shocker . ...this needs to be stopped. If you need fuel that bad go down the road and turn into the industrial estate then do a u turn and come back. People turning right out of the servo heading south need a proper slip lane to pick up speed and merge properly .

Nick Marshall, 10-08-10 16:40:

In many small British villages, the roads department have used paint to make it appear that the road is narrowing down. This is usually done in bright yellow. This visual trick slows traffic down considerably. They also put large circular signs with speed limit directly onto the tarmac of the road. Might work over here?

Will Devlin, 10-08-10 16:15:

Sadly, your poll doesn't allow for multiple options! My view - having attended two crashes on this stretch of road in two days recently - is that the area is better served by two roundabouts - one at the IGA entrance (for want of a better term) and the other at the Old Port Road entrance. Combine that with 60km/h speed limits - policed as regularly as possible - and the problem ought to be overcome. I take your point that the IGA entrance to Port Douglas is a 'simple' junction, but drivers who might have left a plane in Cairns after a long flight and rented a car to drive north might not necessarily be across all road rules. Further, the notion of a single lane, 70km/h speed limt road that allows drivers to turn right into a Petrol Station is probably unparalelled anywhere in the western world. Witness Ellis Beach where double white lines prevent south bound vehicles making a right turn, across 60km/h traffic, into the cafe. I am all for 2 roundabouts and (max) 60km/h. While we're on the subject (more later) what about 60km/h through Mossman South?

Lawrence Mason Mason, 10-08-10 16:05:

A lot of the problem is that no-one wants to give way. I drive the highway regularly and from Wonga Beach to Port it is not unusual to have drivers slow on the side roads, look at you and then pull out anyway. I have suggested that cameras be developed to penalize fools who fail to give way, but my suggestions have been ignored for years. I don't really think a 60 zone will help, it will just help raise revenue for Anna Bligh, if you are too stupid to give way at 70, you are also too stupid to give way at 60.

Mike Mabbutt, 10-08-10 16:04:

Dear sir/Madam,

Being a regular user of this stretch of road(over 23 yrs) I'm at a loss as to why you feel suddenly that because someone's poor driving ability resulted in an accident, everyone else must pay the penalty for one person's lapse of concentration. Authorities are only too quick to legislate road rules, often only to justify their beauracratic role. One only has to look at the farcical situation that exists at all the Cairns Nth. Bch roundabouts where the speed is drastically reduced far too early prior to the roundabout, just because poor drivers have not been able to negotiate the roads properly. Why not reduce the speed limit to 20kph? That would reduce to virtually nil the amount of accidents! Of course this is a totally inappropriate decision, just as the current speed limits are at the roundabouts. What is actually needed is better driver education, starting with the mindset and abilities of the driving schools, whose standard in the Far North is atrocious. And as for whether the speed limit through Craiglie is "studiously observed", a police radar at various times might bring local driving habits more into focus. For the visitor, perhaps more well marked slowdown lanes in the middle of the road turning into the garage may help. But please, no reducing the speed limits to a snails pace, it's not just the rainforest that's dense in Queensland and no amount of help will alter that type of persons driving habits!!

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Tue 10 August 2010

Will only death bring Cook Highway changes?

The third Capt Cook Highway accident in just under 2 weeks occurred at the weekend when a car was rear ended turning right into the Mobil Servo.

The major Port Douglas 'black spot' is actually a little further up the road at the Tee Junction near the IGA and Wildlife Habitat turnoff but the effects of the speed that people travel along the Highway through that junction are more far reaching. At the moment the speed limit is 70K but it is not a respected speed limit. The speed limit when coming from Mossman quickly reduces from 100K to 80K before further being reduced sharply to 70K just before the junction.

From the Cairns direction, the speed limit reduces a little more sedately from 100kph to 80K to 70K through Craiglie but whether it is studiously observed is another matter 'cos it's a lovely stretch of straight road.

Perhaps the speed limit needs to be further reduced to 60kph through to and from Craiglie in a similar fashion to the narrow Ellis Beach roadway, where of course they did have a fatality some years ago which focused the attention on vehicle speed. Before we experience a similar death.

Isn't it better to deal with the matter now having learnt from some recent near misses as well as the history of other similar locations.

Or is the solution a roundabout? Is a roundabout really out of the question? It certainly slows things down on the outer approaches to Cairns through the myriad of roundabouts that they have had to endure.

Just while we're discussing these problems, dare we raise the subject of traffic lights similar to the Clifton Beach junction near the shopping village. Traffic having to stop would certainly reduce the acceleration speed through Craiglie where there are often cars situated in the centre of the highway turning right into the Servo.

There must be a solution to the mystifying reasons why this junction has become infamous for traffic accidents. And there is nothing gained by pointing the finger of blame at individual drivers. It happens too regularly for it to be lack of attention by all these drivers. Of course that may play a part but it isn't the complete answer.

Please vote for one of our suggestions in our poll over. We'd like to collate the results and pass them down to the traffic department in Cairns for some immediate consideration.

We really do not want a death at this rogue junction if it can at all be avoided with a little speed governing or other constructive solution.

And please don't be shy in making any other suggestions in the 'other' column that we may have overlooked.

Also please feel free to post any constructive comments below. This is a serious matter and needs all our attention.