Speeding Past Emergency Vehicles

[SA Firey]

How many brigades have experienced vehicles exceeding the 40 k/ph speed limit past emergency vehicles at an incident.

The answer would be all I think

Ive been doing some research on this topic, and have actually had a driver charged with this offence after speeding through an incident.

Ive included some info in relation to the offences and how much the fines are for info

Road Traffic Act 1961

s 83(1)(a) Speeding while passing emergency vehicle

Exceeding 40 kph while passing an emergency vehicle—
 
by less than 15 kph    169
by 15 kph or more but less than 30 kph 269
by 30 kph or more 350
 
78(1)
Moving into path of police or emergency vehicle 260
 
78(2)
Failing to move out of path of police or emergency vehicle 260
 
79(1)
Failing to give way to police or emergency vehicle 260

Should you experience these sorts of offences dont hesitate to report the culprits, and they do get followed through by SAPOL
 

[Ryan]

SAPOL throw maglites at cars

Heard a story about that once when a car went through into a n incident scene and ignored the stop signs.

[SA Firey]

SAPOL throw maglites at cars

Not that kind of follow through

[medevac]

unfortunately SAPOl are the only ones that can really charge people...

as i dont believe us, CFS, telling SAPOl of the offence, is enough to charge someone?


but yeh.. happens all the time.

[Tone7]

other day in lincoln when we just had the close call. SES blocked the road.. a person wasnt happy about it... did a small burn out infront of them and took off they reported it and i know for fact that person got the book thrown at them.


Maybe pip can put some light onto the subject.

[Alan (Big Al)]

Talking to the local copper the other week and there are some small loopholes in the law, such as if the appliance is down a driveway and off the road even if there's members on the road they can't be booked. There are a couple others but can't think of them at the moment

[backburn]

Was at a truck roll over one day when a car of young lads where watching what was going on instead of where they where going and ended up hitting the back end of the truck that was on its side. The driver got out of the car and said the truck stopped suddenly and his brake lights did not work thats why he hit him.

He was supprised to see that his light touch would tip the truck over. The police took him to the station and thats where he stayed fora day or two.

[medevac]

they took him to the station for that

lol - seems a bit harsh. would have thought a TIN would be all he recieved.

[Ryan]

rubberneckers mate, they create their own accidents.

[Ryan]

Edit: ive heard of police also setting up lasers at roadworks to catch people that go over 25 km/h limit.

[RescueHazmat]

I have seen a Laser set up by SAPOL at a prolonged incident, and a number of drivers warned of their speed, and reminded of the law. - A couple were booked as a result, however I think they were breaking more than the passing emergency vehicle speed.

[Scania_1]

Heard recently that they were planning on changing the speed limit past emergency vehicles with flashing lights to 25 kmh. May be better to leave it at 40 cos most dont even slow down to that.

[CFS_Firey]

If they are supposed to slow down to 25, they're more likely to slow down to 40... Any idea who is doing the planning? (what organisation)

[5271rescue]

well firstly I know the VFBA has been pushing for a long time to get the speed limit down to 25kms as it is in Victoria how ever the police have been a little slow at coming to the party about it.


Now as for speeding past a emergency vehicle it would be nice if police who where already at scene,did the traffice control for once and just see how unsafe it really is out on the hwy. I have seen stop and go signs,witchhats,and other items put through windows of those that dont stop or can't see you.... You can have all the safety gear on the lights flashing and they still want to run you over,You know the easy way close the road off and work in a safe manner...now what do they call that....OHSW

[oz fire]

The joint ESO's are working with Government to have the sped limit reduced to 25 kh/h past any emeregency services vehicle on a road way with beacons operating - ahhhh that will be nice to see and a little more uniformed when we already have 25 km/h for other things!

[medevac]

blinky - just close the road then... i understand its the hwy, but still, safety for us should come first. but up to the oic anyway...

i would be interested to know if there would be any possibility of truck mounted speed cameras that could be turned on once we arrive at an incident..... i doubt it would ever happen... but may be a good option?

[Darius]

25km/hr is fine when there actually is action happening on the roadway but it annoys me when the cops pull someone over off the side of the freeway and leave their flashing lights on.  Traffic on the freeway (all 2 or 3 lanes in that direction) is supposed to slow to 40 past the cop car but if you do that you will get rear-ended.

[medevac]

Darius - its still the law though... they may also rely on this to slow traffic so they can actually re-enter the traffic flow.

[RescueHazmat]

25km/hr is fine when there actually is action happening on the roadway but it annoys me when the cops pull someone over off the side of the freeway and leave their flashing lights on.  Traffic on the freeway (all 2 or 3 lanes in that direction) is supposed to slow to 40 past the cop car but if you do that you will get rear-ended.

It doesn't annoy me at all! What annoys me is when you hear of emergency service workers (Of any service) getting killed by motorists doing 110 past an incident, not looking where they are going as they are rubber necking, and mowing down a member!

[CFS_Firey]

It doesn't annoy me at all! What annoys me is when you hear of emergency service workers (Of any service) getting killed by motorists doing 110 past an incident, not looking where they are going as they are rubber necking, and mowing down a member!

I think you'll find yourself a little annoyed when you get slammed up the rear by a B-double doing 100Km/h when you've slowed down to 40...

[Darius]

I think you'll find yourself a little annoyed when you get slammed up the rear by a B-double doing 100Km/h when you've slowed down to 40...

I'm glad someone understood the point I was trying to make!

(musing: what is it about the internet where people can presumably read the words and completely not comprehend?  it doesn't often happen when speaking to people in real life but seems to happen a lot in forums such as these)

[medevac]

Darius; regardless of the point you are trying to make, which i understand quite well, the law still states ALL vehicles should pass emergency vehicles displaying lights at 40km/h.

therefore your argument of other vehicles colliding with someone who has slowed down is mute, as ALL vehicles should be slowing down.

were not talking about what the situation is in reality, we are talking about what the situation should be.

sounds to me like your a person who doesnt bother slowing down? and is happy to make piss weak excuses for yourself and other drivers...

[oz fire]

I think you'll find yourself a little annoyed when you get slammed up the rear by a B-double doing 100Km/h when you've slowed down to 40...

The transport industry is generally a lot more switched on than the general public when it comes to slowing down - sure they may not reach 40 (probally don't want to change that many gears) however on the whole, they slow a lot more than cars do!

Agree - don't care who it is doing what, if they have lights on slow the filtered down!

[bittenyakka]

every emergency service vehicle should carry a speed camera and issue fines to people speeding past an incedent the funds of which should go to the brigade who caught the offender.

[SA Firey]

I think you'll find yourself a little annoyed when you get slammed up the rear by a B-double doing 100Km/h when you've slowed down to 40...

The transport industry is generally a lot more switched on than the general public when it comes to slowing down - sure they may not reach 40 (probally don't want to change that many gears) however on the whole, they slow a lot more than cars do!

Agree - don't care who it is doing what, if they have lights on slow the filtered down!

Transport industry switched on!!

This was not the case on SE Freeway one night at peak hour we had turned out to a semi fire on Stirling overpass....multiple emergency vehicles on the left and SAPOL as well.Cars were slowing down reasonably well but NO the B Doubles kept raining down on us at 100k/mh plus.

After doing a mad scramble off the road on two ocassions as trucks almost created a second incident by running up the back of each other,and us, SAPOL called up all available cars in the area and setup laser duties,in the middle, and after the incident.

Hey presto...multiple TIN's at $340 each.

CB radio was also used,by the Highway Patrols to advise the truckies of the incident ahead with barely no effect on their speed.

All I have to say is Onya Marty