Q50 I heard that in South Australia you have to reduce speed to 25 kilometres per hour when ever you see flashing blue and/or red lights of police or emergency vehicles. Is this on all roads? Is it only in South Australia?

A. Yes, this law applies throughout South Australia, and has been in place since 1^st September 2014. Some other states have similar laws.

See also what other states have similar laws (40 km/h) and the different types of vehicles covered in each state. Different rules apply in different states for both emergency service vehicles and school zones.

Across the states, one thing is consistent with those that have speed limits when passing stopped emergency service vehicles. Even in a multi landed road, all traffic passing must adhere to the low speed limit and this includes traffic travelling in the opposite direction, with the exception being of there is a media strip dividing the road in which case the law does not apply to those travelling in the opposite direction.

Vigilant driving is required to ensure before slowing suddenly that traffic close behind you can also slow at the same rate, and to ensure the safety of yourself and other traffic on the road in all lanes.

Check school zone times for each state as some are permanent, some throughout the school day, and some at times when children will be arriving at school in the morning and departing in the afternoon. Signs will show speeds and times as there may be local variations, including different times, or higher speed limits where a school zone is on a highway rather than in a town.

1. South Australia

25 k/ph speed limit when passing an emergency service speed zone

From 1st September 2014 drivers must also slow down and drive at a safe speed, and in any case no greater than 25 km/h when passing an emergency service speed zone.

An emergency service speed zone is an area of road in the immediate vicinity of an emergency vehicle that has stopped and is displaying a flashing blue or red light, or between 2 sets of flashing blue or red lights on a length of road on which an emergency vehicle has stopped [Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA) s 83].

The speed restriction does not apply where a person is driving on a road that is divided by a median strip and the emergency service speed zone is on the other side of the road.

Drivers are required to be alert and responsive to such situations as the speed restriction applies in any case where a police patrol car’s red and blue lights have been activated. This includes, for instance, where a driver has been pulled over by police for speeding on a freeway and the patrol car’s red and blue lights are flashing, even though this is not technically an emergency.

Drivers of emergency vehicles such as police and emergency workers are exempt from these provisions. The definition of an "emergency worker" includes members of the armed forces, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force.

Sourced from The Law Handbook South Australia

Speed limit in school zones and when passing school buses in South Australia 25 km/h

Speed limit when passing emergency service vehicles South Australia 25 km/h

Be aware that unlike other states with higher limits for school zones within school hours, that in South Australia the speed limit is 25 km/h in school zones, and this extends to any time even outside of school hours that children are present in the zone.

The 25 km/h speed limit also applies when passing a school bus which has stopped for picking up or setting down children. These buses will activate a yellow flashing light.

Motorist are required to slow down to the 25km/h speed limit between school zone signs when children are present, at school crossings when the lights are flashing and when passing a school bus that has stopped to pick up or drop off children.

Sourced from Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure SA and Speed Limits, Drivers Handbook SA

25km/h speed limits

· Between school crossing (koala crossing) signs that state when lights flashing.

· Between School Zone signs that state when children present. This applies when a child is in the zone, including outside of school hours, and whenever a child is on the road, footpath, median strip, or even on a bicycle.

· A 'child' means a person less than 18 years of age, and includes a student of any age wearing a school uniform.

· A School Zone is also marked with zig zag lines on the road where practicable, to show that you are approaching a School Zone.

· You must not exceed 25 km/h when passing, in either direction, a school bus that has stopped for the purpose of setting down or picking up children.

· Passing a stationary emergency services vehicle that has its blue and/or red lights flashing.

2. Victoria

Speed limit when passing emergency service vehicles Victoria 40 km/h

Effective from 1 July 2017, you must slow down to a speed that would enable you to stop safely when approaching and passing enforcement, emergency or escort vehicles that are stationary or moving slowly (less than 10 km/h)*, and have either:

Red and blue flashing lights

Magenta (purple flashing lights)

An alarm sounding.

This includes:

Police vehicles

Ambulance Victoria vehicles

Metropolitan Fire Brigade vehicles

Country Fire Authority vehicles

Forest Fire Management Victoria vehicles

State Emergency Service vehicles

Search and Rescue Services

VicRoads Transport Safety Service vehicles (magenta (purple) flashing lights)

Enforcement vehicles (magenta/purple flashing lights) under the control of a state transport body including VicRoads, DEDJTR and Taxi Commission enforcement vehicles

Other emergency patient transport vehicles with red and blue flashing lights.

* A fire truck extinguishing roadside spot fires is an example of a slow moving emergency vehicle.

The rule doesn’t apply to special purpose vehicles with yellow flashing lights.

You must not exceed 40 km/h when passing the vehicle and not increase your speed until a safe distance from the scene.

Sourced from Vic Roads Safety and Road Rules

* These speed limits are permanent and apply regardless of the day or time

Speed limits when passing school buses outside of school zones have not been implemented but slowing down and extra vigilance is needed. There have been fatalities involving children at bus stops.

Sourced from Vic Roads Safety and Road Rules

Speed limit in school zones in Victoria 40 km/h

School speed zones are reduced-speed areas that operate near schools. They’re designed to keep kids safe by lowering the speed limit at peak times when children are travelling to and from school.

Find out more about road safety near schools.

What’s the speed limit?

In most cases the speed limit during school speed zone times is:

• 40 km/h (when the original speed limit is less than 80 km/h)

• 60 km/h (when the original speed limit is 80 km/h or higher).

These speed limit and operating times will be clearly displayed on nearby signs.

When do school speed limits apply?

Types of school speed zones:

• Permanent 40 km/h zones *

• Variable, time-based zones. Variable electronic signs. These signs are often used on roads with high speeds or large traffic volumes. The speed limit displayed will change depending on the time of day and traffic conditions.

Speed limit when passing emergency service and breakdown service vehicles in Western Australia 40 km/h

3. Western Australia

SLOMO stands for Slow Down, Move Over, and requires drivers to slow down around stationary emergency vehicles, tow trucks, Incident Response Service vehicles and motor break-down service vehicles which are displaying flashing lights while attending an incident.

“Slowing down to 40 km/h and moving over if it is safe to do so, will provide a consistent response to unexpected incidents on our roads and a safe environment for those emergency and incident response workers.”

The SLOMO laws require motorists to slow down to 40 km/h when passing vehicles used by WA Police Force, St John Ambulance, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, RAC WA, Main Roads WA Incident Response Service and towing companies on site to salvage or tow vehicles.

Sourced from Road Safety Commission

Speed limit in school zones in Western Australia 40 km/h

School Zone speed limits:

40 km/h School Zone for adjoining speed zones of 50, 60 and 70 km/h; and

60 km/h School Zone for adjoining speed zones of 80 and 90 km/h.

School Zones are effective on "School days" which are those days excluding weekends and local public holidays, within school terms set by the Department of Education.

The times of operation shown on School Zone signs shall be 7.30 am to 9.00 am and 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm.

Variations to these times shall be permitted in the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley Regions only, where school operating hours can vary markedly from normal school start and finish times applying in the rest of the State.

How do you know if it is a school day?

School zones across the state are currently designated by static speed signs. Although these signs show the required speed limit, motorists aren’t always aware if they are travelling within the time periods shown or during the dates that schools operate.

To address this issue and improve safety for our most vulnerable road users, the State Government has committed $36 million to install solar-powered electronic school zone signs at eligible schools across the state. These are currently being implemented.

The new signs are highly visible and display the 40 km/h speed limit during nominated school zone times only, providing a real-time reminder to motorists to slow down through school zones.

Sourced from Main Roads WA and Main Roads WA

More to follow looking at the laws in each state on the next page

You may also be interested in this question: Q51 What are to speed limits when towing? I know some states are different.