new rules for Vioctoria

Last near miss while working on the side of the Bruce Highway was about 10 days ago, also the last time I attended a case beside the Highway.
Scene, 2 ambulances fully lit up and a tow truck also fully lit up, all staff wearing high visibility and working off to the side of the road. It was just on dark so lights stood out well. Straight piece of road approximately 4 km long and half way along it. Not possible to get right off the road due to the design of the road so part of one lane blocked.
Maybe 20% of vehicles slowed. There was a time when most vehicles slowed but now it is not the case.
At times it is necessary to close the highway just to provide a safe environment when working beside the road.
"have trouble believing 1 in 5 Emergency workers have had 4 or more near misses in the last 3 years" Personally about 2-3 a year. It is heightened vigilance and situational awareness that means there are not more incidents.
Recently there was an ambulance hit in SE Qld. and 3 Paramedics off to hospital as well as the patients from the original crash.
Until the first vehicles stop or slow significantly the risk is high. I have seen vehicles who have slowed being overtaken by those in a hurry.
My history Paramedic for 40+ years

40 km/h applies to more than emergency vehicles: it applies to police cars pulling over drivers for passing the previous police car at 50 km/h. Classic revenue raising in the name of 'safety'.
Roderick.

New Victorian road rules come into force on July 1
Herald Sun June 29, 2017.
MOTORISTS and cyclists will have to contend with five new road rules which come into force on Saturday.
The new road rules starting July 1 include on-the-spot fines for cyclists using mobile phones, and new give-way rules for vehicles at intersections with bike crossing lights.
Other rule changes will permit cyclists and coaches to use bus lanes, while a rule that prohibited people from driving with an empty bicycle carrier attached to the rear of their vehicle has been removed.
The new rules are in addition to the recently announced change that drivers must slow to 40km/h for emergency services vehicles.
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What rights do cyclists have on our roads?
Dave Jones, RACV Roads and Traffic Manager, said he was concerned about the lack of notice given to road users when significant changes are made to road rules.
“These changes came into effect only days after being announced and did not give road users enough time to absorb the changes,” Mr Jones said.
“RACV has listened to its members and believes VicRoads needs to provide more notice to the Victorian community about any changes to the road rules, and publicise the changes well in advance of them coming into effect.
“For example, there should be greater community consultation, consideration of a mandatory 30-day notice period and mass-media communications.”
While RACV acknowledged the need to ensure emergency services workers operated in a safe environment, Mr Jones said he was concerned about the lack of public understanding of the new rule.
“The slow down requirement of the rule applies in relation to emergency or enforcement vehicles in service roads, but not when the emergency vehicle is on the other side of a median strip,” he said.
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“RACV calls for the rule to be amended so that drivers do not need to slow for emergency vehicles in service roads.”
The State Government says the changes are aimed at tidying up existing road rules and formalising current practices.
It says the emergency services road rule was developed thorough consultation with a working group of emergency services and enforcement agencies, as well as other parties, over 18 months.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said the new road rules were commonsense changes aimed at keeping people safe on our roads.
“VicRoads is running an extensive advertising and communications campaign to let people know about these new rules that will make our roads safer for everyone who uses them,” Mr Donnellan said.
< www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/new-vict...0cc8c238ecefb14dfd41 >

They should be advertising those changes Aus wide. Are visitors to read up on all these different rules on entering the State?
Can see some good tailenders coming out of this. Numb nuts in front sees the lights, panics about getting a ticket and slams on the anchors instead of slowing steadily.

These would be the same people who overtake everyone else who is already doing 100 - 110 kmh down the side roads (such as the Echuca Mitiamo road) then do 75-80kmh on the Northern Highway because there are sometimes speed cameras on the Northern Highway :sick:

The same ones who hit the brakes when they see a camera even though they are below the limit, nearly been caught by one of those clowns.

170701Sa Melbourne Herald Sun - road rules.

Roderick

170720Th Melbourne Herald Sun - 40 km/h fines.

Roderick.

so yesterday I was southbound on the Hume near Winton in the left hand lane. There was a police car with it's lights on stopped in the northbound emergency lane dealing with a car. I backed off (no brakes an in a modern automatic car so plenty of coasting) and was nearly rear-ended as the traffic going either direction kept doing its 110kmh. If it had been in a town the police care would have been 2 streets over yet the traffic is meant to slow to 40kmh. In this case it doesn't make sense.

On the Northern Highway or the Murray Valley highway where it's single lane each way with no separation other than a white line it's a different issue to a vehicle that's over 100m away sideways from where you are travelling.

Was there a Median strip Bruce ???

On the hume freeway at that location there's room to build houses with large yards on the median strip between the 2 lanes!