Published on Saturday, 13 September 2025 at 2:10:00 PM
In April 2023, a reduced speed limit of 70km/h was applied to rural residential roads which were not previously speed zoned and therefore were the default speed limit of 110km/h.
Following a fatal car crash on Kevill Road in 2019, the Shire of Augusta Margaret River applied to Main Roads WA to review and apply a posted speed limit to improve safety along the stretch of road.
The default speed limit of 110km/h is not considered a safe speed for Kevill Road due to it being a narrow seal, tree lined with short clear zones, a windy road with no line markings and having a number of intersections and rural property entries. Through consultation with Main Roads WA the Shire applied for an area-wide speed limit reduction on Kevill Road and all the adjoining rural residential roads, as the Main Roads WA policy would not allow a single speed limit to be imposed on an individual road within a network of similar roads.
After assessment, a speed limit of 70km/h was deemed appropriate through Main Roads WA’s speed zoning policy and guidelines, and the speed limit was lowered in April 2023.
Subsequently, under the Safer Speeds Trial, a further reduction to 60km/h was implemented in August 2025. This adjustment was based on a harm minimisation approach, taking into account the physical characteristics of the road environment, human tolerance of crash forces, the presence (or absence) of protective infrastructure and the community demand and road usage. The revised speed limit is aligned with contemporary road safety principles and evidence-based practice to reduce road trauma.
To inform the community, celebrate the success and support the road safety outcome, the Shire promoted the change through media communications. The communications celebrate the successful advocacy and result of the safer speed limit to improve safety on these roads; they also remind drivers to drive to conditions and that a speed limit is the safest speed to travel in ideal conditions.
Informing the community builds support and raises awareness of changes and new interventions also an opportunity to promote best practice road safety and share the effective road safety interventions the Shire is delivering.
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