New regulations for road worker safety take effect in Victoria

The Victorian Government is implementing stronger protections for roadside workers, thereby supporting drivers in various scenarios, including responding to crashes, vehicle failures, or urgent life-threatening circumstances.

Melissa Horne, the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, announced that starting on 1 July, road rule 79A will be enhanced to improve road safety for vehicles passing by incident scenes.

“Today’s changes acknowledge the vital role that incident response, roadside assistance and breakdown towing vehicles play on our road network – risking their own safety every day to keep us moving,” she said.

“It is so important that we slow to 40 km/h past responding vehicles – for our own safety and the safety of the workers helping us in vulnerable and potentially dangerous situations.”

These adjustments stem from an analysis of the road rule that assessed the range of the regulation, rates of compliance, and safety improvements.

Continue reading here.