VICROADS will work with Horsham Rural City Council to review an intersection near Laharum where five people were injured this week.
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Residents in the area called for action after a two-car collision at the intersection of Northern Grampians Road and Wonwondah-Dadswells Bridge Road on Tuesday afternoon.
Five Singaporean tourists were injured when their car collided with another car about 4.30pm.
Two rear-seat passengers were flown to Melbourne hospitals in critical conditions, while another rear passenger was treated at Horsham’s Wimmera Base Hospital. The two front passengers had minor injuries.
The other car driver, a 24-year-old Horsham woman, was uninjured.
Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
Horsham resident Erin Mellington plays netball for Laharum and travels through the intersection daily.
She said urgent improvements were needed.
“I think the problem is the low visibility,” she said.
“Trees need to be taken down and there is big dam on the corner too.
“Every close call I've had has been with foreigners who have stopped to look at the alpaca farm on the side of the road, or truckies who just think it's a country road and won't be busy.
“I'm not sure how VicRoads can come up with a better way to get people to stop, but something needs to be done fast.”
Horsham resident Kate Elphinstone grew up at Laharum, and used to travel through the intersection daily to attend school.
She said there had been many near misses at the site.
”There's a quarry down that road, so trucks often slow down, but not enough to stop,” she said.
“There is an ‘attention – give way ahead’ sign and then a give way sign, but I think it needs to be a stop sign and have rumble strips.
“Maybe even the flashing ‘slow down’ signs?”
VicRoads regional director Ewen Nevett said the authority valued the feedback.
“We are working with Horsham Rural City Council to review the intersection and consider potential improvements,” he said.
“Ensuring the safety of all road users is VicRoads’ highest priority and we monitor our roads to identify where potential improvements can be made.
“In the five-year period to December 2015, there was one casualty crash recorded at the intersection when three people were seriously injured.”
