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Most members of the public support the introduction of a speed limit for passing emergency vehicles, a Bendigo Advertiser poll suggests.
Of the more than 1000 peoples who had responded by Thursday morning, over 56 per cent said they agreed with the 40km/h speed limit.
The new rule will mean vehicles will have to slow down to 40km/h when passing a stationary or slow-moving emergency service vehicle with its flashing lights or siren on.
About 22 per cent of respondents to the online poll said they supported such a speed limit, but believed 40km/h was too slow.
Almost 20 per cent did not support the new limit, while just under 2 per cent said they felt 40 km/h was still too fast when passing an emergency vehicle.
On social media, some of those who opposed the change voiced concerns that the law had the potential to cause accidents if motorists were required to slow down abruptly when travelling at high speeds or on winding roads.
But others in support of the changes contended that 40km/h limits were already implemented for road works, so it was logical to extend that to emergency service workers.
The introduction of the speed limit, to come into effect on July 1, has been welcomed by local emergency services.
But the RACV said it feared the change could have implications for the safety of other road users and believed there should have been a longer education period ahead of the rule being introduced.