THE use of Mount Panorama by both walkers and vehicles provides the ingredients for a ‘perfect storm’ that could end in tragedy, according to Bathurst Highway Patrol Sergeant Peter Foran.
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The Western Advocate last week revealed the fears of a number of residents on the Mount that it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously injured while walking around the circuit.
And Sgt Foran has echoed those concerns.
He said it was always possible that speed, poor visibility, and careless behaviour by pedestrians and drivers could combine to result in a fatality on the famous circuit outside of race meetings.
Sgt Foran said it was up to both pedestrians and motorists to follow traffic guidelines to ensure that everyone who uses Mount Panorama does so safely.
The highway patrol officer said there were definitely NSW road rules in place for how people should behave when walking on public roads, including Mount Panorama.
First of all, people must not walk on the road if there is a pedestrian footpath or nature strip adjacent to it.
He said the NSW Road rules also tell people they must walk as far to the left or right as practical.
Sgt Foran added that when moving forward, pedestrians must walk facing approaching traffic.
However, he conceded that this might be impractical at certain points on the circuit, such as The Dipper.
In addition Sgt Foran said that, while it is not a road rule, for their own safety pedestrians should also wear clothes that make them highly visible to motorists.
He said at dusk visibility is at its poorest, yet that is when a lot of people choose to walk Mount Panorama. Often they have just finished work.
“The rules go on to tell us that no more than two pedestrians can walk abreast on the road. Two can walk side by side, but not three,” Sgt Foran said.
Walkers must also be careful not cause a traffic hazard or obstruction.
Sgt Foran said ignore any of these rules and walkers on the Mount are liable for a fine.
“If they are hit by a car and they are not doing the right thing, then the liability is back on the pedestrian,” he said.
However, Sgt Foran said the onus is not only on pedestrians to behave on Mount Panorama – drivers also have obligations.
For instance Mount Panorama is a 60km/h zone and Sgt Foran said highway patrol officers had heavily targeted the circuit and spoken to many drivers over the past couple of months.
“It’s not uncommon for motorists to be stopped for travelling at ridiculous speeds, well in excess of 100km/h,” he said.
“For their own safety pedestrians do need to be aware that the circuit does attract the odd lunatic.
“There is restricted vision for motorists in The Essess, for instance, and the chance of being struck is pretty high when people are travelling at those kinds of speeds.
“I would ask drivers to also be aware pedestrians