Emergency services are frustrated with inattentive drivers who continue to flout speed restrictions when passing emergency vehicles, leaving some members at times fearful for their safety.
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A 40 kilometre per hour limit was introduced in Victoria on July 1, which applies to all parked emergency vehicles with flashing lights.
A number of recent incidents – including a fire near Castlemaine on Sunday and a balcony collapse in central Bendigo last week – highlighted a lack of understanding or care of some road users.
State Emergency Service operations officer Brad Jew said members placed a vehicle in a left turning lane of Pall Mall while working on the collapsed balcony due to concerns with speeding drivers.
One SES member was also assigned to hold up a stop, slow sign at the scene, which left the team “frustrated”, according to Mr Jew.
“I've been out at some scenes and the fair majority seem to be going too fast. Are people actually aware of it (speed limit)? I don’t think so,” he said.
“The last thing we want is to have one of our members injured because someone isn't adhering to the speed limit.”
Bendigo Highway Patrol Sergeant Geoff Annand estimated around half of drivers slowed down to the correct speed when passing emergency vehicles.
Sergeant Annand suggested policing the new law can at times be difficult.
“Police are often not in a position to measure speed,” he said.
Sometimes officers would have access to a radar, depending on resources, but police could obtain a speed and a vehicle registration number and follow it up after the incident, he said.
Despite this, Sergeant Annand believed motorists were gradually improving.
“People are actually slowing down for emergency lights, prior to that (new law) very few people slowed down,” he said.
“But there are people who travel at the existing speed limit which makes it very unsafe for police and other emergency services.”
Sergeant Annand clarified that motorists must slow down if the emergency vehicle’s lights are on and the road isn’t divided like the Calder Highway, where vehicles could pass in the other direction.
Penalties for speeding near emergency vehicles range from a fine to court proceedings and are calculated based on existing parameters.
