NSW Government Begins One Year Trial of New Emergency Services Road Rule

The NSW Government have recently introduced a one-year trial of a new road rule which will require motorists to slow down when passing emergency vehicles.

The rule follows on from repeated calls by Labor for the government to introduce similar laws to those which are in force in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

Drivers in NSW will need to slow down to 40km/h when passing parked emergency service vehicles with flashing lights. This includes police, ambulance, fire, SES and rescue vehicles.

Those who fail to abide by this rule will be fined and risk losing three demerit points.

NSW Police and Emergency Service Minister Troy Grant has outlined the reasoning behind this decision, releasing the following statement:

“These new measures will help ensure the safety of our dedicated emergency service personnel.”

This rule has received the support of the police, paramedics and firefighters’ unions.

President of the NSW Rural Fire Association, Ken Middleton commented:

“All emergency services face enough risks every day and shouldn't have to worry about being hit by a car because of a speeding or distracted driver, which is why we called for these laws - and now the government has acted.”

Earlier this year, two Sydney police officers were injured while on duty. The accident was caused by a driver allegedly using a mobile phone, resulting in one officer having part of his leg and foot amputated, and the other a broken leg.

The trial begins this month. The government plans to work with the NSW police force and other emergency service organisations in order to monitor the safety and traffic impacts of this rule.

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