2 0 1 1 ▁to ▁be ▁among ▁the ▁lowest ▁risk ▁high ways ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁based ▁on ▁ ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁cas ual ty ▁crashes ▁per ▁length ▁of ▁road . ▁However , ▁individual ▁risk ▁based ▁on ▁cas ual ty ▁crash ▁rates ▁per ▁vehicle ▁kilomet re ▁travel led ▁was ▁ass essed ▁as ▁medium - high . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁that ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁highway ▁was ▁ass essed ▁as ▁having ▁ 7 % ▁of ▁its ▁length ▁r ated ▁as ▁one - star , ▁ 4 7 % ▁as ▁two - star , ▁and ▁ 4 6 % ▁as ▁three - star ▁out ▁of ▁five ▁stars . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Background ▁Following ▁the ▁Western ▁Australian ▁gold ▁r ush es ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁a ▁track ▁developed ▁between ▁C ool g ard ie ▁and ▁Es per ance , ▁the ▁closest ▁har bour ▁to ▁the ▁gold ▁fields . ▁Hor se - dra wn ▁c arts ▁would ▁transport ▁supplies ▁and ▁trav ellers ▁along ▁the ▁ ▁route . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁sand y ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁track , ▁horse ▁feed ▁sh ipped ▁into ▁Es per ance ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁distributed ▁to ▁various ▁points ▁along ▁the ▁track . ▁The ▁Eastern ▁Gold fields ▁Railway ▁from ▁Per th ▁to ▁Kal go or lie ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁and ▁a ▁branch ▁railway ▁extended ▁down ▁to ▁N ors eman ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁however , ▁it ▁was ▁much ▁che aper ▁to ▁transfer ▁goods ▁by