Motorist group RACV has called for the speed limit on the Princes Freeway to be raised from 100 to 110 kilometres an hour between Melbourne and Geelong.

RACV chief executive Brian Negus said the peak transport lobby had advocated for a 110km/h limit along the freeway for more than four years.  

He said the group had assessed the dual carriageway in detail and found there was no strong reason why a higher limit was not appropriate.

“When the Princes Freeway was widened in the early 2000s, it was designed to have a 110km/h speed limit but the government of the day decided against it,” Mr Negus said.

“What we propose is the section of freeway between Hoppers Crossing and Corio could be 110km/h and following on from that, the Geelong Ring Road between Corio and Torquay Road could also be designated as such.

The RACV has assessed all of Victoria’s major roads and the freeway between Geelong and Melbourne is either four or five star, which is a very strong safety rating.”

Monash University Accident Research Centre chief Max Cameron said it was safer to keep the speed limit status quo despite the road’s crash rate being two-thirds less than similar freeways.

Professor Cameron said there would be an increase “of about one fatal crash per four years, and five serious injury crashes over four years” if the speed limit went up 10km/h.

“This is based on the 50-kilometre section of road from Werribee to Waurn Ponds that we analysed,” he told Fairfax Media.

“We also looked at time benefits and found that it would only be a 2.5 minutes saved per trip.”

All freeways emanating from Melbourne, apart from the Geelong Road, have 110km/h zones.

“If the Calder and the Western freeways are at 110km/h, the question is why is the Princes Freeway any different?” Mr Negus asked.