Locals have dubbed Yarrabar Lane, which meets the Newell Highway 12km south of Dubbo, “Cemetery Lane”, following a number of vehicle accidents and near misses.

The problem, they claim, is a hill which reaches its crest 80 metres south of the intersection, leaving traffic just seconds to turn right onto the highway towards Dubbo before traffic - which they cannot see as they turn and is often travelling at high speeds - catches up to them.

The situation is like playing “Russian roulette”, according to concerned resident Mervyn Lowe.

“The driver exiting towards Dubbo never knows if the moment they have chosen to move out coincides with the appearance of a vehicle on the crest of the hill travelling at 110km/hr or more,” he remarked.

They fear tragedy as “up to 1000 trucks a day” travel the highway at high speeds, and many of the vehicles turning onto the highway from the lane are semi-trailers which have “a long, slow curl” onto the road.

It is a matter of when, not if, someone will die, according to Yarrabar Lane residents Brian Scott and Dean Comerford. Mr Scott was forced to leave the road to avoid having a vehicle run into the rear of his horse float when turning onto the highway.

The group claims its fears will be best addressed if the crest of the hill is lowered to extend motorists’ line of vision.

Andrew Robbins, the proprietor of Yarrabar Pottery which is situated along the lane, said at the present time it would be cost effective for the Roads and Traffic Authority to adjust the road because it had all the necessary equipment in the area currently doing roadworks.

“We are begging them to do something,” Mr Robbins said.

However the RTA said reducing the crest of the hill was unnecessary.

Currently the road is being widened to add overtaking lanes while a three-metre shoulder is being added to allow traffic to safely turn into Yarrabar Lane, an RTA spokesperson said.

Yarrabar Lane was also being changed so the intersection was at right angles, to improve the line of sight, the spokesperson said.

Mr Comerford said the RTA’s measures were totally inadequate: “I’m worried about turning out, not in.”

Nothing short of lowering the hill would fix the problem, he stressed.

“It is a shemozzle - it has to be taken off the hill, they are only mucking around because of the cost.”