Every time it rains, locals near this road bend in the Dandenongs brace for crashes, fearing it’s only a matter of time until a day-tripper or local is killed.
Those living nearby say they have lost count of collisions on Belgrave-Hallam Road near Park Drive, just a few minutes from Puffing Billy near Belgrave, and worry their concerns have been overlooked.
“It’s a picturesque drive but very treacherous,” resident Arek Rainczuk said. “We’re having bets now with neighbours. If it’s raining on the weekend it’s like how many crashes are going to be there?”
Rainczuk’s wife and son were in a vehicle hit by another at the intersection a few years ago, and he said while locals knew the risks, visitors often found out too late.
“Someone spray-painted on one of the barriers, saying ‘crash here’ because that barrier has been replaced so many times,” he said.
The winding road dips near the intersection and a bridge. Vehicle debris and tyre marks are embedded into the ground just metres from a bus stop.
The speed limit on the road is 60km/h, but motorists are advised to drop to 40km/h through the hilly stretch and warned that the road can be slippery in the rain.
The end of the safety barrier is noticeably shiner than the rest of the railing.
Fourteen people have been injured in six crashes on Belgrave-Hallam Road near the Park Drive intersection since 2016, according to the Department of Transport road crash data map that tracks deaths and injuries.
That jumps to 30 crashes on the state-owned road about 400 metres either side of the intersection.
Local Savannah Jensen, then 17, was hospitalised overnight as a precaution in 2022 after her friend’s car swerved going downhill in the wet a few hundred metres from the intersection, crashed and flipped over.
Her parents warned her the “notorious” spot was one of the worst in the hills and Jensen said nothing could have been done to avoid the accident as her friend was not speeding.
“It was really, really scary,” she said.
“At one point, as we were flipping through the air, I had a moment of, ‘I’m going to die right now and my mum is going to be so angry’,” she said.
Jensen’s accident is not included in the government’s public crash tally, nor are a dozen others photographed by locals provided to The Age, including one involving a burning car.
Crashes must be reported if they involve an injury, death, or property damage where the owner isn’t present.
Locals say while some accidents trigger an emergency response, many others go unreported if a car can be towed away.
Suggestions about how to improve safety vary from more safety signs to rumble strips, a bigger intersection mirror, speed cameras or even changes to the layout of the road.
What locals who spoke to The Age agree on is crashes will continue without change.
Sharon King has lived near the blackspot since 1975 and has urged safety upgrades for years, including in a 2015 exchange with the office of then local MP James Merlino.
“I can’t live here much longer, because I’m getting older and the cars are getting faster,” King said.
Volunteer road crash responder and local Louise Draper is fighting for change after helping dozens of people escape from their cars.
She noticed traffic increased once a nearby playground was renovated, and emails from Transport Victoria in January last year noted many requests for safety upgrades were received and prioritised.
“I often just hear the crash, I run out of my garden, get in the car and go down to the intersection to see if I can help get someone out,” Draper said.
“I feel like we’re really just waiting for somebody to have a serious accident.”
Belgrave Traders Association president Joshua Kinnes said he was so worried someone would die there he had nominated the road for upgrading under the federal government’s blackspot program.
“It’s so well known that it wouldn’t surprise anybody to know that there’s been a car crash there,” Kinnes said.
“With a lot of roads in the hills, people underestimate that they could be more challenging.”
Local state Labor MP Daniela De Martino encouraged anyone involved in or witnessing an accident along the section of road to contact her office to help build a clearer picture of safety issues.
A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said necessary safety upgrades would be considered and noted crash data relied on police and some reported crashes were still under investigation.
“Safety is our top priority, and we’re working to reduce, and eventually eliminate, deaths and serious injuries on Victorian roads,” the spokesperson said.
Local federal Liberal MP Aaron Violi vowed to push for road upgrades for the safety of residents and tourists.
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Rachael Ward is a journalist in the City team at The Age. Contact her at rachael.ward@theage.com.auConnect via email.
