Coroner's Finding: HOWARD Brendon Alan and SNEATH Lois Creama

Contributing factors

• Loose aggregate remaining on resealed road surface
• Failure to sweep road within contractual 48-hour timeframe
• Absence of mandatory 80 km/h speed limit signage required by Road Traffic Act
• Vehicle speed approximately 90 km/h on loose surface approaching tight left-hand bend
• Warning sign depicting windscreen damage risk had fallen and was not visible
• Inadequate communication between contractor, supervisor and council regarding weekend sweeping capacity
• Single sweeping machine resource constraint with contractor
• Council sweeping machines available but not deployed to assist
• Winrowing effect (loose stone accumulation) created by low traffic volume (150-200 vehicles/day)
• Night driving with loose surface hazard not fully obvious to driver until encountered
• Deceased passenger (Howard) not wearing seatbelt, leading to ejection and instant death

Coroner's recommendations

1. Those responsible for resurfacing rural roads with speed limits of 100-110 km/h should reconsider whether loose aggregate should be left on recently resealed surfaces, particularly where light traffic creates hazardous winrowing effects, and consider whether additional rolling or alternative construction methods are feasible and desirable
2. Simplify and harmonise the various Australian Standards and Field Guides for roadworks which currently contain vague and imprecise stipulations
3. District Councils engaging contractors for roadwork should provide copies of relevant manuals and field guides and specifically draw attention to the mandatory requirements of Section 20 of the Road Traffic Act regarding speed restrictions at work sites
4. Rectify inconsistencies between the Road Traffic Act and the Transport SA Field Guide, particularly the erroneous statement that an 80 km/h work site speed limit 'may be used' when it is in fact mandatory
5. Delete from the Australian Standard the fallacious notion that speed limits should not be introduced unless self-enforcing or likely to be enforced
6. Amend the Australian Standard to include a clause directing readers to mandatory speed limit requirements imposed by State legislation
7. Delegate to the Grant Council (and potentially other rural councils) the authority to impose and maintain speed limits at work sites after hours, to avoid delays and red tape in obtaining Transport SA approval
8. Improve communication protocols and resource planning between road authorities, contractors, and supervisors when contractual sweeping timelines cannot be met within scheduled timeframes