SA introduces speed limit change to protect breakdown services workers

Motorists will have to stick to a new speed limit around certain vehicles in a bid to protect service workers on our roads – or risk big fines and demerit points. See what the fines are.

Motorists will need to adhere to a new road rule requiring them to slow down when driving past stationary breakdown service vehicles or risk a fine and demerit points.

In a bid to better protect roadside service workers, from May 19 all motorists must reduce their speed to 25km/h when travelling past stationary tow trucks, vans and other breakdown services vehicles which are stopped at the roadside and displaying flashing amber lights.

The reduced speed limit will also apply when passing bollards or cones that have been set up around a vehicle by a breakdown services worker.

The law is an extension of the existing 25km/h speed limit in place to protect stationary school buses that have stopped to set down or pick up children, and frontline volunteers and emergency service workers with vehicles displaying flashing blue or red lights as they respond to incidents roadside.

If a motorist is caught passing a breakdown service vehicle going less than 10km/h over 25km/h, the fine is $202 and two demerit points. The fine for going 30km/h or more over the new speed limit is $1684 and seven demerits.

Motorists will be required to slow down to 25km/h when travelling past breakdown services vehicles. Picture: NewsWire / Tim Joy

The speed limit change is not a requirement for drivers if the breakdown services vehicle is on the opposite side of the road.

“The roadside can be a dangerous place for breakdown services workers who face high-risk situations every day by simply doing their job and helping others,” Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said.

“Pay attention, slow down and stick to the limit to protect the people who answer the call when car troubles strike.”

The change comes after South Australia’s leading road safety authorities joined forces to plead for patience on SA roads as National Road Safety Week begins.

RAA have joined Police Minister Stephen Mullighan MP, SA Police and Adelaide man Kym Inglis – who tragically lost his wife and two daughters in a crash – to remind South Australians of the risk of road trauma on the first day of National Road Safety Week.

Mr Inglis’ wife Melania, 40, daughters Logan, seven, and Claudia, 10, and friend Georgia Pearce, 10, all died at Williamstown on their way to the Barossa Valley in 2010.

Kym Inglis lost his wife and two daughters in a fatal crash in 2010. Picture: Supplied

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Mr Inglis said an unknown moment of distraction caused the crash which shattered his life.

“There’s so many things about driving roads that we don’t have any control over, in terms of other people, in terms of weather events, you know, road conditions,” he said.

“This is one thing (distraction) that we have 100 per cent control over.

“Just take a moment to reflect on how we use our roads.”

SA crash data analysed by RAA shows there have been 952 lives lost and 7348 people seriously injured on South Australian roads in the past decade – with the number of casualties increasing in recent years despite cars becoming safer.

This year 29 lives have been lost on our roads.

Police Minister Stephen Mullighan. Picture Dean Martin

The State Government has released a comprehensive new Road Safety Action Plan to reduce lives lost by 50 per cent and serious injuries by 30 per cent by 2031.

It comes as South Australia Police also launch a targeted week-long road safety law enforcement operation.

Operation Danger focuses on dangerous road use offences including following too close, disobeying traffic lights and dangerously changing lanes.

RAA Senior Manager Road Safety Charles Mountain said every death and serious injury on our roads is unacceptable, which is why there is no room for complacency when sharing the road.

Originally published as SA introduces speed limit change to protect breakdown services workers