If you are going to South Australia, please read the following which was published in “The Advertiser” on 1 September 2014
MOTORISTS must slow to 25km/h near emergency services under reduced speed limits that take effect from today.
The significantly lower limit near emergency services comes as Transport Department figures show some motorists travelling at more than triple the speed limit in school zones and at roadworks.Transport Department figures obtained by The Advertiser show 2399 motorists were fined for speeding in a 25km/h zone in the past three years, while a further 430 received cautions.
Five motorists were caught travelling at 75km/h or more, including one at 87km/h. The speed limit near emergency services vehicles will be reduced from 40km/h to 25km/h as part of a package of road safety initiatives launched today including:
- LOWER speed limits for all light vehicles on the down track of the South-Eastern Freeway between the Stirling interchange and lower arrester bed from 100km/h to 90km/h.
- BROADENING the 60km/h speed limit to apply to all trucks, irrespective of the number of axles, and buses from the Crafers interchange to the bottom of the South-Eastern Freeway.
- REMOVING the requirement for people aged 70 and over to visit a medical practitioner each year to assess their fitness to drive.
The emergency services speed limit reduction aims to protect frontline workers and volunteers providing lifesaving assistance at roadside incidents, and police officers questioning drivers.
It will apply when an emergency services vehicle has stopped on the road and is displaying a flashing red or blue light, or between two sets of flashing red or blue lights at either end of a road on which an emergency services vehicle has stopped.
However, it is not applicable to motorists driving on a road divided by a median strip where an emergency services vehicle is on the other side of the road.
The emergency services vehicles in question include SA Police, SA Ambulance Service, State Emergency Service, Metropolitan Fire Service and Country Fire Service.
Road Safety Minister Tony Piccolo said there had been too many close call incidents between emergency services workers and motorists. He said the new laws were at the instigation of the CFS Volunteers Association, which had several members complain about nearly being hit.
“Every day our emergency service workers — both paid and volunteer — work very hard to keep the community safe,” he said. “For an emergency services worker, this is their workspace and they have a right to feel safe in their working environment.
“Often they are dealing with life and death scenarios — this law allows them to focus completely on their important task.” CFS Volunteers Association vice-president Jeff Clark said the new laws provided an extra safety measure for its workers.
“It will certainly reduce the risk to our workers on the roadside,” he said. RAA Road Safety senior manager Charles Mountain said motorists should treat the new 25km/h speed limit similarly to roadworks and school zones.
“What we don’t have is the big buffer zone to slow vehicles down, but on the other hand emergency services vehicles are highly visible and very distinctive,” he said. “If people are travelling on a road and they can see flashing red and blue lights ahead of them and accompanying lights then it’s pretty evident that something serious is happening and the instinct should be to slow down.”
The freeway speed limit cuts come after an out-of-control Transpacific liquid waste truck smashed into three stationary cars at the bottom of the freeway, killing Thomas Spiess, 56, and Jacqueline Byrne, 41. The cars were waiting at traffic lights at the intersection of Cross and Glen Osmond roads. The truck’s driver, Darren Hicks, 29, is recovering in hospital after having a leg amputated and a Hahndorf woman, 49, also suffered serious injuries.
Superintendent Bob Fauser said heavy vehicles imposed extra dangers on SA roads “simply because of their sheer size and weight”. “So by restricting speed we hope to prevent any further horrific crashes and injuries like we witnessed earlier this month,” he said. “I implore everyone to obey the new rules, remain patient with others and remember these measures are in place to keep all users of the SE Freeway — large and small — safe.”
He said SA Police would be highly visible on both sides of the freeway, enforcing the new speed limits and educating drivers on their responsibilities. “I’m asking for everyone using the freeway to help us out, spread the word and do the right thing. If you witness anyone ignoring the new restrictions, don’t hesitate to call police,” he said.