If you’re not in the habit of updating your knowledge of the road rules every week, then you might want to pay attention, because New South Wales are putting into effect a new rule from this Saturday.
As The Daily Mail reports, Saturday, September 1st will see the introduction of a new law that requires drivers to slow down while passing emergency vehicles.
The law dictates that any driver who wishes to pass an emergency vehicle flashing their red and blue lights must slow down to 40 km/h or risk being slapped with a $448 fine, and a loss of three demerit points.
Of course, this rule isn’t exactly new, with other states also employing a similar law, such as South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia, where drivers are required to slow down to 25 km/h.
As news.com.au notes, this law applies to all drivers travelling in either direction, unless the road is divided by a median strip.
“The new road rule will provide extra protection for all emergency workers and volunteers who respond to crashes and other incidents on our roads,” explained Bernard Carlon, the NSW Centre for Road Safety boss.
“When you see the blue or red flashing lights on an emergency vehicle stopped on the road, safely reduce your speed so that you are not exceeding 40km/h when you pass,” he continued. “Keep to 40km/h until you’ve safely passed all people and emergency vehicles.”
“We want to ensure that people protecting us on our road network don’t become casualties while doing their jobs.”
This new rule will be trialled for one year from September 1st, so if you’re planning to head out this weekend, be sure you’re aware of the new rule, both for your safety, and the safety of all emergency personnel.
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