watching the road...

This might sound a little heartless. Maybe even a lot heartless.

I've been reading the reports of this big crash near Horsham the other day. Seven people dead. Exploding cars. The whole nine yards. According to reports, the intersection is a dangerous one and has been the subject of local anger and funding calls for decades. Evidently this deadly intersection is well known to locals.

So why then was it locals barrelling through the thing and cleaning up passing non-locals?

Heartless, I know. Especially because, as I look at the picture of the intersection, it really is a bit dodgy. And it could very easily have been the non-locals at fault. In which case, I guess, my sympathies would lie in a different direction.

While clearly the intersection could be improved, I'm concerned the authorities are copping such a one sided basting. After all, there is a very human public service officer probably feeling responsible for this thing right now. How will this attention make that person feel? The tabloid media must know that there is no way anyone at VicRoads can actually dispute their claims of bureaucractic bungling without sounding like unmitigated pricks.

But look again. There are signs. There is a merging traffic sign. There is a speed sign. There is a give way sign. There is a line across the road. These people must've known of the intersection. These people had their kids in the car. These people didn't stop at the sign.

Tragic, yes. But not entirely VicRoads fault.