CHANGES to the traffic light sequencing at a troublesome Munno Para intersection are being considered to curb the number of car accidents in the area.

Playford Council’s Strategic Planning Committee discussed a report into signal sequencing at the Curtis and Peachey road intersection at its meeting earlier this month.

The report revealed there had been 56 accidents at the intersection between 2015 and 2019, 27 of which were “casualty crashes” resulting in minor or major injuries.

Last week, the RAA named the intersection equal ninth on its list of the most dangerous in Adelaide, along with two other Playford intersections.

The report also showed 29 of the Curtis and Peachey road casualty accidents were rear-end crashes, while 19 were right-hand-turn smashes, all of which occurred when drivers were turning right
from Curtis Road onto Peachey Road in a south-east direction.

Crash data also showed a 13 of the right-hand turn casualty crashes occurred during “off-peak” times when Curtis Road was typically quieter.

Currently, motorists travelling along Curtis Road at all times can turn right onto Peachey Road during a “controlled” right-turn phase – when a green arrow is showing – and a “filtered” phase when the straight traffic light is green but the right-turn arrow is blank.

Council’s report suggested changing this sequencing so motorists could only turn right when a green right-turn arrow is shown during off-peak times.

During peak periods – which would be 8am-9.30am and 2.30pm-6.30pm on weekdays and 11am-4pm on weekends – the traffic light sequencing would remain as normal.

“Traffic analysis and modelling indicates that the implementation of a right turn phase (green arrow) during off peak periods will not require changes to the intersection layout because there is adequate capacity (i.e. no infrastructure changes),” the report read.

“The analysis and modelling indicates that a right turn phase (green arrow) cannot be implemented in peak periods because the right turn storage lane does not have sufficient capacity to contain
traffic queues.

“This safety improvement is also not necessary because 87 per cent of the right turn casualty crashes occurred during the off peak period.”

At the SPC meeting, elected members voted to receive the report.

Councillor Clint Marsh said the proposed changes would be a welcome safety upgrade for Curtis Road.

“I acknowledge and agree with our community there is a requirement and need for investment into fixing Curtis Road, due to the design and construction of the road.

“The road has become an arterial road and no longer a local residential connector road.

“As a local government the cost associated with upgrading the road to keep up with growth and demand is beyond the council’s ability to fund and requires assistance by the State and Federal Government.”

Curtis Road is currently the subject of negotiations between Playford Council and the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure to transfer its ownership to the State Government.

Playford intersections among most dangerous

THREE Playford intersections have been named amongst Adelaide’s most dangerous, including one which is set for a $3.5 million revamp.

The RAA released its list of the Adelaide intersections which recorded the most casualty crashes across the past five years, with crossings in Edinburgh North, Elizabeth Park and Munno Para featuring in the top 10.

A casualty crash includes any accident which resulted in someone involved receiving a minor or major injury.

At the Womma-Stebonheath road intersection at Edinburgh North, 33 casualty crashes have been recorded between 2015 and 2019.

This was enough to place it third on the list, with the Main North Road-Phillip Highway-Yorktown Road intersection at Elizabeth Park recording 32 crashes and coming in at equal third.

The Peachey-Curtis road intersection rounded out the top 10, with 27 accidents happening at the site during the five-year period.

RAA insurance claims manager Hayley Cain said traffic volumes and the complexity of intersections contributed to the number of casualty crashes.

“We are urging motorists to be vigilant whenever they are behind the wheel,” she said.

“Traffic can stop abruptly and result in rearend collisions, so RAA is reminding drivers to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of them to avoid becoming a crash victim.”

According to the RAA, 40 per cent of the recorded crashes across the top 10 most dangerous intersections were rear-end collisions.

The next two most common types of crashes were right angle collisions (28 per cent) and right turn accidents (26 per cent).

Work is set to begin either later this year or in early 2021 on a $3.5 million roundabout at the Stebonheath-Woma road intersection and is scheduled for completion in the middle of next year.

It comes after a petition was launched calling for an upgrade to the intersection and gathered 5000 signatures.

Past traffic accidents at the Edinburgh North intersection include an August 2017 crash which left a family in hospital after their collided with a truck and an incident in May of the same year where a woman was left in a critical condition.

The Britannia roundabout in Kent Town, near Adelaide, recorded the most casualty crashes, with 52 accidents.