Latest news with #RoadRule79A
Herald Sun
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
New road rules and increased fines to be rolled out July 1
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. In an effort to combat Australia's high road toll, a host of new safety initiatives are being rolled out across the country next week. If you're worried about being smacked with an increased fine, here's everything you need to know. Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. Image: Julian Andrews. RELATED: I tried the $5 Kmart item hailed a game-changer for winter Don't touch your phone! Stricter restrictions around phone use - and higher fines because of it - is one of the biggest changes coming July 1. A wider rollout of AI-powered surveillance cameras for mobile detection will be used across the country, except the Northern Territory. These camera systems can detect and identify drivers who are touching their phones behind the wheel - and can result in up to $1209 in fines and five demerit points, depending on the state. Existing mobile phone detection cameras, and additional surveillance, in New South Wales will also be able to detect seatbelt use, which, as a result of the annual adjustment of the dollar penalty, means those caught will cop a $423 fine for not wearing one. RELATED: Aussie calls out parking error that could cost you $600 Don't be a part of the emergency In a number of states, rules around speed when emergency vehicles are nearby will be amended. In Victoria, an amendment to Road Rule 79A will require drivers to slow down to 40km/h while passing assistance vehicles, tow trucks or emergency vehicles that are flashing lights or sounding their alarm - including in freeways. Failure to comply may lead to fines of up to $961, but no demerit points. Drivers in South Australia will have to slow down to 25km/h when passing these kinds of vehicles on multi-lane roads. Unlike in Victoria, South Australians could cop penalties of up to $1648 and seven demerit points, as part of a safety campaign for the state. Slow down! Speed limits more generally in some states are also set to be lowered. In Western Australia, a 40km/h rule will be enforced in high pedestrian areas such as the Augusta town centre and other surrounding streets, in addition to the ongoing speed limit reduction trial currently occurring in the state. Queenslanders will also have to look out for speed limit reductions from 50km/h to 40km/h in areas such as the Hervey Bay Esplanade in an effort to keep drivers and pedestrians safe. Originally published as New road rules and increased fines to be rolled out July 1
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Sky News AU
New AI cameras, slashed speed limits and steep fines: The major road changes every driver in Australia needs to know
Drivers across Australia are being urged to prepare for major changes to road rules and penalties from July 1, as state and territory governments roll out new measures designed to combat the country's rising road toll. The sweeping reforms include harsher fines, reduced speed limits, and the widespread introduction of AI-powered enforcement cameras targeting mobile phone use and seatbelt violations. The most significant change across all jurisdictions is the expansion of artificial intelligence surveillance technology. New high-tech mobile phone detection cameras will be able to identify drivers who are using, touching or even holding a mobile phone while driving - including when stationary at red lights. These cameras operate in all conditions and are capable of monitoring multiple lanes simultaneously. If flagged by the system, images are reviewed by authorised staff before penalties are issued. Fines of up to $1,209 and five demerit points will apply for those caught, with the risk of licence suspension for repeat offenders. The introduction of these AI-enabled cameras has already shown results. In Tasmania, upgraded speed detection systems on the Tasman Bridge in Hobart are now catching more than 700 speeding drivers each week - a sharp increase compared to the older cameras, which recorded just 458 offences for the entire 2021–22 period. Across the state, 16 mobile speed cameras have logged over 60,000 offences in the past year. States are also tightening rules around seatbelt use. In New South Wales, existing mobile detection cameras will now also identify drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts. Between 2019 and 2023, 150 people died on NSW roads while not wearing one. From July 1, the state will also eliminate ticketless parking fines - a pandemic-era measure - after a barrage of complaints from motorists who were unaware they'd been fined. Physical notices will now be mandatory for most parking infringements. New South Wales is also taking the lead in trialling average speed cameras for light vehicles. While heavy vehicles such as trucks have been subject to this monitoring since 2010, the new trial targets regular cars and motorcycles. Cameras are currently installed on a 15-kilometre stretch of the Pacific Highway near Port Macquarie and a 16-kilometre section of the Hume Highway near Gundagai. Since May 1, warnings have been issued to drivers who exceed the by 30km/h or less, but from July 1, full penalties - including fines and demerit points - will apply. The trial will run until June 2026. In Victoria, amendments to Road Rule 79A mean drivers must now slow to 40km/h when passing any tow trucks, incident response vehicles or roadside assistance vehicles displaying flashing lights or sounding an alarm. Previously, the rule only applied to police or emergency vehicles that were stationary or moving at 10km/h or less. The change applies across all road types, including freeways, and comes with a fine of up to $961. However, no demerit points will be issued for this particular offence. Queensland will see a 3.4 per cent increase in car registration fees and all traffic-related fines. This change ends the former Labor government's planned freeze on fines and registration costs, which had been scheduled to remain in place until September 2025. Queensland will also reduce speed limits from 50km/h to 40km/h in high pedestrian and tourist areas, including the Hervey Bay Esplanade and surrounding urban zones. Fines for speeding, mobile phone use and seatbelt violations are also increasing. In South Australia, new rules require drivers to slow to 25km/h when passing a stationary roadside, emergency or breakdown vehicle displaying flashing amber lights - but only on multi-lane roads and not when travelling in the opposite direction. The penalties are among the harshest in the country, with a fine of up to $1,648 and seven demerit points for non-compliance. Authorities say the tougher rules are necessary to protect roadside workers and emergency responders from dangerous near misses. Western Australia is also stepping up enforcement. From July 1, drivers caught using a mobile phone while behind the wheel could face fines of up to $700 and the loss of five demerit points. Extreme speeding offences - including excessive speeding through school zones or urban areas - now attract fines in excess of $1600. The state has added six new mobile cameras in recent months, with four more slated for deployment on Perth freeways. Speed limits will be slashed across more than 1,800 regional roads, including the Margaret River to Prevelly corridor and Bayview Drive entering Gracetown, where existing limits of between 70 and 110km/h will drop to 60km/h. In the Augusta town centre and other areas with high pedestrian activity, a 40km/h limit will be enforced from next month. Authorities say the nationwide push - combining smarter technology with tougher penalties - is urgently needed to address a surge in serious road incidents. Many states have reported increases in road deaths, with enforcement agencies now relying on automation and AI to improve detection rates and reduce human error. Motorists across the country are being warned to familiarise themselves with their state's specific road rules ahead of July 1.
Perth Now
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Motorists in this state will have another speed limit to stick to from July 1
Drivers in the state of Victoria will be required to slow down to 40km/h or less when passing a greater number of roadside services personnel from July. The new law sees the 40km/h speed limit – which already applies to roadside police, fire and ambulance vehicles when their emergency lights are flashing – expand to include tow trucks and roadside assistance vehicles, as well as traffic management and incident response workers. The new law essentially means motorists must slow to 40km/h for any vehicle stopped on the roadside with red, blue, magenta – and now yellow – flashing lights. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Fines of up to $961 apply for drivers for Victoria's 5.2 million licence holders who do not heed to the new law once it comes into effect from July 1, 2025. 'Incident response, roadside assistance and breakdown towing vehicles are there for us when we are in need – this change acknowledges the risks they take and our commitment to keeping them safe,' Victorian roads minister Melissa Horne said in announcing the new rule. 'It is the responsibility of all drivers to familiarise themselves with this road rule and to always slow to 40km/h past responding vehicles – for the safety of workers and all road users.' According to Safe Work Australia, an average of 191 workplace deaths have occurred annually over the past five years. A 2024 survey by the Road Worker Safety Working Group (RWSWG) – formed by Roads Australia – of more than 1100 road workers showed almost one-in-four (353) had witnessed or been part of a 'near miss involving narrowly avoided collision between road worker and member of public'. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Almost one in 10 (96) of those surveyed said they had been 'hit by [a] vehicle involving [a] collision between [a] road worker and member of public'. The new rules apply to drivers in every lane on multi-lane roads, but do not apply to vehicles travelling on the opposite side of a divided road. Drivers are also not required to wait until the next speed limit signpost to increase their speed beyond 40km/h once past the emergency vehicle/s and worker/s. It makes Victoria the last state/territory in Australia to make the move, extending existing Road Rule 79A that has required motorists to slow for emergency vehicles – anything with red, blue or magenta flashing lights – since it was introduced in 2017. Victoria had the third-highest number of road deaths (281) behind New South Wales (340) and Queensland (302) in a record Australian road toll in 2024. It was the fourth consecutive annual increase in the number of deaths and the highest figure recorded – at 1300 – on Australian roads in more than a decade.
