Crash highlights call for speed change

CAMPAIGNERS for a lower speed limit on the Princes Highway at Gerringong said last weekend"s accident highlighted the need for safety improvements.

On Sunday afternoon a collision occurred between a bus travelling south on the highway and a truck that was turning right out of Belinda St.

This is one of the intersections campaigner Margaret Lester told the Kiama Independent three weeks ago was highly dangerous.

"This shows we really need to slow (the traffic) down," Mrs Lester said of the latest accident.

"You would suppose if the traffic was coming around that blind corner 20km slower there would have been more of a chance to avoid the accident."

Mrs Lester is one of the organisers of a petition to change the speed limit on that section of the highway from 100km/h to 80km/h.

The Kiama Coachlines driver, a 31-year-old Warrawong man, was trapped for about 90 minutes before being freed by the State Emergency Service. He was flown by helicopter to Wollongong Hospital with a suspected broken leg.

Kiama Coachlines owner Gerard King said he had spoken to the driver a number of times since the accident and that he was in a good condition. He refused to give the driver"s name.

The 46-year-old semi-trailer driver was taken to the same hospital in an ambulance with suspected abdominal and back injuries. A NSW Ambulance spokesman said he was in a serious but stable condition.

Mrs Lester said it was fortunate no one was killed; a sentiment echoed by Mr King.

However, Mr King said he did not think lowering the speed limit would have made much of a difference.

"I would always err on the side of caution; a slower speed is always a better speed," he said.

"But I think people would get a misplaced sense of security because they would think people were doing 80 there."

Mrs Lester said that after Sunday"s accident a number of people had told her they "really want the petition to work".

She said the petition already had hundreds of signatures and would be presented to Member for Kiama Matt Brown on Friday next week.

People wanting to sign the petition will find it in the chemist, deli, bakery, Cronin"s Hotel and Adam"s butchery at Gerringong.