A private members Bill has been introduced to the South Australian Parliament to reduce the speed limit when passing an emergency vehicle with its blue and red lights flashing. Currently, the Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA) s 83 provides that a driver must not travel faster than 40km/h when passing an emergency service vehicle. If passed, the Road Traffic (Emergency Vehicles) Amendment Bill 2011 will reduce that speed limit to 25km/h. The special speed limit when passing emergency vehicles is contained in the South Australian Act, not the nationally agreed Australian Road Rules so it appears that it is unique to South Australia. I would be interested to hear from anyone who knows of a similar provision in other States and Territories.
Michael Eburn.
Australian Emergency Law 
Not in Qld, unless temporary revised road speed signage is displayed. Only thing the police could do is charge someone with a dangerous driving offence if the driver’s conduct was that bad.
Reduced speed limits relating to locations where blue and red beaconed vehicles are in attendance, was something attempted in NSW some time back. The proposal extended upon the merit of the interim or situational 40km/h zones associated with school buses. Police indicated it was to hard to “police” and it dropped off the radar.
On the 24th January, the Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA) s 83 still has a speed limit of 40km/h and the Parliament web site would suggest there has been no further action to pass the amending Bill, so at least at this stage it looks like the 25km/h limit will not be put in place.
I have been contacted by a Victorian Ambulance Paramedic who asked ‘ I found your … blog … about Speed Limits in SA being reduced to 25 km/h from 40 km/hr when passing an Emergency Vehicle. I am wondering if you got any information through your blog in relation to this occuring in Victoria? I would like to see something similar introduced in Victoria. This is due to the fact that people will continue to pass the scene of an accident, whilst doing 100 km/hr whilst looking at the actual accident, and spraying us with gravel etc as they speed past whilst looking at the accident instead of the road. Its only a matter of time until someone is killed whilst attending an accident because of idiots doing the wrong thing. While I appreciate there is some difficulties in policing a speed limit whilst tied up at the scene of an accident I still believe if the Speed limit was there, it may allow people to at least slow down and think about the dangers to us working on the side of the road. I am very keen to know if there is any other groups etc that you know of that may also be pushing for this introduction in Victoria. I have found a paper from Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria in relation to this, but I would like to start a push from an Ambulance Perspective, and would appreciate if you have any information that you may be aware of through your blog.’
As I noted in this blog, the change to 25km/h was in a ‘bill’ that is a draft Act and what’s more it was a ‘private member’s bill’, a bill being pushed by an individual member rather than a party, or more importantly, government policy. It appears that the Bill has not progressed as the the Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA) s 83 still sets the speed limit at 40km/h. I have not heard of any other jurisdiction enacting similar reduced speed limits, at either 25 or 40km/h.
Does a police car – 1) which is stopped in the emergency lane (left side shoulder or right side shoulder against the median) 2) on a freeway 3) with its red & blue lights flashing 4) behind another vehicle 5) to issue an infringement notice or for other reason – constitute an emergency vehicle ?
If so then the 40km/h limit is neither being observed nor enforced in South Australia. It would be very difficult to enforce because the police car cannot chase after the infringing vehicle until it has completed its present business.
Any vehicle stopped in the emergency lane is a hazard to itself and to passing traffic. If you stop in an emergency lane you quickly have a police officer instructing you to move on – however if a vehicle is abandoned in the emergency lane it is left there for days, if not weeks.
(I refer to the South-Eastern Freeway in South Australia.)
You’ve put this comment in response to my post ‘Speed limit when passing emergency vehicles in South Australia’ (September 22, 2011). For an update on the situation in SA see ‘Emergency Service Speed Zones in SA from 1 September’. To answer your questions, with reference to the Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA) as it is, not as it will be when the 2013 Bill comes into force.
Does a police car – 1) which is stopped in the emergency lane (left side shoulder or right side shoulder against the median) 2) on a freeway 3) with its red & blue lights flashing 4) behind another vehicle 5) to issue an infringement notice or for other reason – constitute an emergency vehicle?
Yes – “emergency vehicle” means a vehicle used by (a) a police officer…’; Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA) s 83(3).
If so then the 40km/h limit is neither being observed nor enforced in South Australia. It would be very difficult to enforce because the police car cannot chase after the infringing vehicle until it has completed its present business.
That may well be true; lots of laws are not enforced and as you’ve noted, unless there was a second police officer there to stop the speeding drivers it would not be possible.
Any vehicle stopped in the emergency lane is a hazard to itself and to passing traffic. If you stop in an emergency lane you quickly have a police officer instructing you to move on – however if a vehicle is abandoned in the emergency lane it is left there for days, if not weeks.
(I refer to the South-Eastern Freeway in South Australia.)
Of course a vehicle stopped at the side of the road is a hazard. That is, presumably, why in SA there is a lower speed limit when passing an emergency vehicle ‘that has stopped on a road and is displaying a flashing blue or red light’ Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA) s 83.