I would have thought common sense would suggest to slow down when lights are flashing I always do as a matter of caution , more than likely if the lady had of decreased her speed to a sensible speed it wouldn't have probably been an issue . 

if you are on a highway which has 3 lanes in same direction, do all 3 lanes have to slow down or just the lane closest to the police/emergency vehicle.

Wombat50 all 3 lines have to slow down.

That rule in SA has been in for at least 10 years. Posted on Wiki and other forums, perhaps by the same persons. 25 KPH like it or lump it.

iana wrote:

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That rule in SA has been in for at least 10 years. Posted on Wiki and other forums, perhaps by the same persons. 25 KPH like it or lump it.

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The news item was on news.com.au, yesterday.

I think it's useful to know, as I didn't know the rule existed. Maybe there are others who didn't either. I certainly hadn't read that its being introduced in NSW later this year.

I have never seen anyone slow down, when doing the speed limit, when a police car has pulled a driver over, even when their lights are flashing.  I've driven in NSW, QLD and VIC since 1970s.

On the other hand, I have if there were emergency service vehicles at the scene.

Jamjar

 

-- Edited by Jamjar on Saturday 14th of April 2018 01:49:24 PM

Should read 4yrs not 2yrs

Leo wrote:

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The SA law uses the words, 'immediate vicinity'. Would any reasonable person believe that s/he was obliged to hit the anchors to 25kph on a 110kph freeway where a police vehicle was at least 12 metres away from the verge of the far left lane, ie the nearside or passenger side and the police were operating a radar and talking with someone? The woman did well to slow to the low eighties.

As I see it, it isn't so much an argument with the law, although 25kph is very low and risks rear-end shunts, it is whether those police in that particular situation were acting reasonably - that they were using their discretion with proper judgement in maintaining the emergency lights and creating an emergency zone.

The law is supposed to be treating a risk, NOT giving rise to even more serious risks.

 

To be blunt, was the police action on that occasion (displaying emergency lights) treat a risk, or did it create risks? A failure through poor judgement one would think and they should be held to account.

-- Edited by Leo on Saturday 14th of April 2018 03:41:36 PM

-- Edited by Leo on Saturday 14th of April 2018 03:47:44 PM

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Could not agree more Leo. A poster on the other thread noted over the long weekend he had seen a number of police vehicles sitting beside the road with their lights flashing to demonstrate high police presence,
were people supposed to brake to 25 or 40 kph to pass thees vehicles? If people are going to lose their driving licenses for this offense there needs to be some sort of protocol as to when the flashing lights can be used on emergency vehicles. I believe if the case of the motor home driver in SA happened as it was told with the police cars using their lights 12 meters from the road whilst using a speed camera to check passing traffic it has a strong smell of entrapment. I would certainly like to see this case go to court with the officers involved asked to justify using the flashing lights, and if they thought the motor home driver was acting unreasonably or was this a ticket for the sake of it.
Landy

-- Edited by landy on Sunday 15th of April 2018 08:36:17 AM