The shiny bitumen patch along the Mortlake-Ararat Road has been responsible for a series of crashes in the past few months, especially following periods of rain and showers.

Concern over the road risk has led a group of Woorndoo landholders to call for an upgrade of the site ahead of next month’s state election.

Local landholder Alan Wentworth said the stretch of state road, located just outside the Woorndoo township, was best described as “a black sheet of tar”.

“The road has a really shiny surface — you can see the problem when you’re out there on foot but when you’re behind the wheel of a car, it’s a different situation,” he said.

“It’s an 80-kilometre an hour zone at the moment but it should be lowered. On a wet day cars and trucks just skid along there and off the road. 

“We’ve had several cases in a short period.”

During the past few months, a Warrnambool motorcyclist has slipped off the road, a courier van had a near-miss with a cypress tree and a truck slid on to its side after encountering the slick patch.

Woorndoo transport operator Rod Leske said frequent users of the Mortlake-Woorndoo Road were aware of the dangerous road segment, unlike commuters from further afield.

“It’s just a black sheet of tar — there’s no aggregate,” Mr Leske said. “Maybe a hot summer or two has contributed to it becoming shiny but there’s been no action after all these accidents.

“On wet days, it’s similar conditions to black ice. The vehicle has no traction so it just slides and that’s been the pattern of the accidents that have occurred here.”

The Woorndoo group has compiled a list of crashes along the stretch of road and warned motorists to be aware of the problem when approaching the township from the south.

Mr Wentworth said he had contacted a number of state and local government figures but was not satisfied with their response. 

“This section of road is in the Moyne Shire but it’s a VicRoads section of road,” he said.