“The public deserves consultation before such radical changes are made to speed limits that affect all road users,” Mr Blight said.

“I encourage everyone who relies on the Newell Highway to go to their local NRMA office located on or near the highway and sign the NRMA’s petition.”

The petition asks NSW Parliament to ensure that the Roads and Traffic Authority does not reduce the speed limit on the Newell Highway without conducting a formal public consultation process, and providing evidence that its plan will not have an adverse impact on driver fatigue and safety.

The action is in response to plans outlined in the RTA’s 2009 Newell Highway Safety Review to reduce the Newell Highway speed limit from 110km/h to 100km/h – a move that would have major implications for Newell Highway communities and drivers.

Mr Blight said that it was difficult to ascertain why forcing drivers to spend longer times driving could have a positive effect on crash numbers when, according to the RTA’s 2009 Newell Highway Safety Review, fatigue was the dominant behavioural cause of casualties.

“All vehicles will be forced to travel at 100km/h under the proposed 10km/h reduction, creating all sorts of safety issues for overtaking and long queues on a road that has overtaking lanes on only nine per cent of its length,” Mr Blight said.

“The NRMA supports any measure that could reduce the number of crashes but we encourage the RTA to consult the public, trucking industry and Newell Highway Taskforce before making significant decisions such as changing speed limits.”