Drivers will need to slow to 25km/h when they see the amber flashing lights of a RAA van stopped at the roadside, in a move designed to enhance safety for workers as well as stricken motorists.
The Malinauskas Government has introduced legislation to parliament that if passed will reduce the speed limit when passing all breakdown services vehicles and tow trucks flashing amber lights.
RAA workers attend more than 950 callouts a day in South Australia, with an increasing number on high-speed arterial roads where workers – as well as drivers and passengers waiting at the roadside - are particularly vulnerable.
The proposed change is part of a push to protect breakdown service workers on the job as they help get motorists and their passengers safely back on the road.
The new law will mean drivers must slow to 25km/hr as they pass a stationary breakdown services vehicle with flashing amber lights.
Failure to slow down may result in a fine and demerit points based on the level of speeding. If successfully prosecuted for the offence, a driver faces a maximum court penalty of up to $2500.
The new speed limit does not apply if the stationary breakdown services vehicle is on the opposite side of the road you are travelling.
In the past four years there have been 20 reportable safety incidents caused by cars driving past breakdowns without due care, according to RAA data. This included five incidents in which vans were hit by a car or motorcycle, and seven where traffic cones were knocked over or dragged down the road.
The legislation is an extension of the existing 25km/h speed limit in place to protect frontline volunteers and emergency services workers as they respond to incidents roadside.
Quotes
Attributable to Tom Koutsantonis
This is a commonsense measure that protects the people who help us when car troubles strike.
A vehicle breakdown is not only inconvenient, it can also create an unsafe situation for the driver and their passengers, as well as the professionals who come to help.
While roadside workers do what they can to make the breakdown safe site and keep everyone at a safe distance, inattentive driving - and going past too fast - can have dire consequences for all.
When you see an RAA patrol van flashing amber lights and traffic cones at the roadside, please slow down and adhere to the reduced speed limit.
Workers might be out of sight, underneath the vehicle working on a repair or changing a tyre - and there may also be small children nearby waiting with their family to get back on the road.
Pay attention, slow down and stick to the limit to keep everyone safe.
Attributable to Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Assistant State Secretary Stuart Gordon:
The AMWU congratulates the Government for recognising the need to ensure all roadside workers are safe doing their job.
The members of the AMWU in the RAA have been campaigning for 20 years to see these reforms introduced after a roadside worker was nearly killed by a driver who hit a roadside assistant vehicle in 2003.
A majority of other states have had these laws in place for a number of years and these changes now ensure that roadside workers in South Australia have the same protections.
There is no question that the roadside, particularly on high speed roads, is a dangerous place for stranded motorists, roadside workers, emergency service personnel, police officers and roadside assistance patrols - and all who call the roadside their place of work deserve to be safe in doing their job.
Attributable to RAA Senior Manager Safety & Infrastructure Charles Mountain
Almost every South Australian motorist would have a story about when they were rescued at the roadside by an RAA patrol.
No-one chooses when or where they break down, and we welcome any measure that helps keep our patrols, members and the community safe at the roadside.
We’ve seen dozens of near misses and our patrol vans have been hit five times over the last several years so it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed.
This is not just about keeping our patrols safe, but also our 820,000 members and the rest of the South Australian community who might need a tow or other assistance.
Our patrols are often helping some of the most vulnerable South Australians on our busiest and most dangerous roads.
When you see the amber flashing lights of a breakdown service vehicle attending to someone’s car, please check your surroundings and safely reduce your speed – so we can all get home safely.
