Dangerous corner

IN RESPONSE to Kath Gannaway’s article on the dangerous corner near Graceburn Aqueduct (Mail, 8 April), I am enraged by this news.
My husband had an accident at this corner in early January this year.
Four emergency vehicles attended.
Fortunately, my husband was not injured.
I visited the Healesville police station later only to be told that unless someone was injured or killed, they were not required to forward a report on to the relevant authorities.
I placed an online report to VicRoads.
I received an email in return asking for further details, which I produced.
I received a further report, ‘responding to my inquiry’.
Since that time, we have become aware of at least five drivers from Alexandra alone who have come to grief on that particular corner.
If all ‘minor accidents’ (in VicRoads’ terms) were logged, it would become apparent this particular strip of road is dangerous and, as their mission statement is to provide safe arterial roads, VicRoads do not appear to be carrying out their duty of care.
When does their duty of care begin?
When 20 people have had an accident on that corner?
When four people have died on that corner?
When emergency staff have been called out 100 times?
When the cost of emergency responses reaches $30,000?
When unsuspecting drivers have paid excesses of $10,000 or even more?
It’s about time VicRoads were brought to task.
With winter approaching, I worry that when members of my family travel this road (which they do often), it doesn’t matter that they are extremely careful as the driver coming from the opposite direction may not be aware of any danger, which means they are all put at risk.
Drivers who have ended up ‘over the side’ have had their confidence diminished, their bank balances reduced and their faith in authorities carrying out their duties undermined.
I’m afraid I do not have a copy of my first notification to VicRoads but I do have the second email which my husband sent to VicRoads attached.
I applaud Kath’s effort to highlight this dangerous ‘blackspot’ and hope that it brings pressure to bear on VicRoads to actually rectify the problem.
Yvonne Millar,
Alexandra.