Can you please consider supporting a new road safety petition, to improve the most dangerous corner on Tallebudgera Connection Road via the Queensland government’s website: www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/Petition-Details?id=3750
or using one of the hardcopy paper forms available at the local ‘Man on the Bike’ shops.

Why?

Tallebudgera Connection Road has never been a very safe road however, a specific part of the road is of significant concern to some local residents but not yet Government. Main Roads have responded that they do not have enough major accident data from that area to warrant changes to the most troublesome corner known by locals as Devil’s Elbow. However, a log of accidents in recent years has revealed many more accidents on Tallebudgera Connection Road hill than Main Roads acknowledge have occurred. Incredibly 7 accidents on the deceptive corner occurred during and after rain in January 2020 alone on the corner of most concern. Over 40 accidents have been recorded by locals on the hill often through Facebook.

Member for Currumbin Laura Gerber has kindly requested that Council and Main Roads investigate the road further but has suggested a petition is arranged to support the request. I have agreed to sponsor the petition. If you have any questions about the proposal feel free to contact me directly using this Contact form. Laura has posted more about this petition on her Facebook page here:

Which corner? 

The corner of most concerns appears after you drive north up the hill and past the water reservoir. After the sharpest corner there is a slow and deceptive corner, where over 26 accidents have been logged in recent years. Whilst speeding is a generic issue for all roads, the turn is a surprise especially to those navigating the road in the wet for the first time. The turn of concern is shown in red here:

The road is narrow and when an accident occurs it blocks traffic along the road for quite a while as there is no room to go around. Similarly, it becomes dangerous for people who stop and try and warn drivers approaching up the hill (often doing 70km/h) of the accident to avoid a secondary accident. Local residents tell stories about having to stop their cars and help stranded or injured drivers, in the rain, whilst other cars approach from both sides of the hill in poor visibility. Just stopping near the road in wet weather is dangerous enough on its own.

I believe the road may be faulty and excessively slippery or oily. It is certainly poorly signed. A similar issue was identified on Currumbin Creek Road at the ‘corner of death’ and that was fixed by Main Roads and there has not been an accident there since. We are not traffic engineers but have suggested some possible solutions that a traffic engineer and investigation should consider. MR believes the road is adequate however we are not sure if they noticed the drain near it (which overflows in heavy rain, pushing water onto the corner) or can explain all the accidents to date. We know inadequate signage has been placed in the area, and in the wrong places, as has been agreed with representatives, so that would be an easy initial step. A ‘Slippery when Wet” sign x 2 and ‘High Accident Corner” or similar signage would be cheap. Accident location guide on map:

As shown in the photos below, cars often go off the road and over the edge, only to be stopped by a range of small and large trees.  The photos also show the debris along the road, that has collected from the last few years of accidents at that corner. Most of the large trees bear multiple scars from the accidents in recent years.

I recognise there are a variety of opinions on this road and driving behaviours and respect those. I am merely trying to see if there is support to tackle one particular area and to avoid a potential future road fatality, should a car completely go off the hill next time.

Thanks for reading,

Ben

1 Yagoi Place

Here is the link to the online petition.

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