ACT’s New Emergency Services Speed Rule
All drivers using Canberra roads need to be aware of a new speed rule that applies from the 14th of April 2018.
The rule specifies the speed that a driver should drive when approaching, passing and having passed an emergency or police vehicle that has its red or blue emergency light active.
The first point to understand is that this rule only applies to ambulances, fire and rescue, rural fire, SES and police vehicles:
are on a road,
driving slowly or are stationary, and
have their red or blue lights flashing.
The speed limit at which you should be driving is determined by whether you are approaching, passing or have passed the emergency vehicle.
When approaching
Drivers approaching are to be at a speed so that the driver can easily stop if required prior to reaching the vehicle and be also at a speed to allow the driver to be able to give way to emergency and police staff on foot near their vehicles.
While passing
A driver must not pass the emergency or police vehicles at a speed of greater than 40 km/hr.
Having passed
After passing the emergency or police vehicles a driver must drive at a speed so they can easily stop if necessary. The driver is to maintain that speed until at a sufficient distance to increase speed without posing a risk to the safety of any emergency or police staff while on foot near the vehicle.
This rule is to appear as r300C in an amended Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Regulation 2017 (ACT).
According to ACT Policing, the infringement notice penalty for an infringement is $257 and 2 demerit points. Upon ACT government updating the Regulation, you can Click here to view.