Category Archives: Safety

Safety at the pedestrian crossing

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Due to the recent poor weather, we’ve seen an increase in the number of near misses at pedestrian crossings, with pedestrians rushing to get across the road when raining and poor visibility for vehicles.

Of course, anybody who has been on the road recently will have noticed this being a regular occurrence at pedestrian, or ‘zebra’, crossings everywhere, irrespective of the weather. Nor are near misses always the result of a pedestrian rushing across the road without looking or because a car has failed to slow down.

Rule 81 of Road Rules 2008 states: A driver approaching a pedestrian crossing must drive at a speed at which the driver can, if necessary, stop safely before the crossing. Part 2 of this rule is that a driver must give way to any pedestrian on a pedestrian crossing.

Rule 81 also states that a crossing is an area of the road with white stripes on the surface and marked with a pedestrian crossing sign. All extra signage and road-markings at pedestrian crossings are safety features not required by law.

Should the onus be on drivers to take more care at zebra crossings or should pedestrians be more vigilant? Does more need to be done to indicate to motorists that there is a crossing ahead?

Using snow chains in NSW Alpine Regions

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As winter approaches and holiday-makers begin to make their way to the state’s Alpine Regions, it is important to know the rules for driving in ‘snow and ice’ risk sections.

The RTA recommends the use of snow chains when driving in snowy conditions. They have also identified dangerous sections of road in Alpine Regions with yellow lane line markings and signposting.

National Park regulations state that all vehicles must carry chains if driving through a National Park’s designated ‘snow and ice’ risk sections.

Note that 4WDs are exempt from this regulation (’4WD’ includes SUVs and vehicles with all-wheel drive).

The current designated National Park ‘snow and ice’ risk sections are:

  • Alpine Way - Thredbo to Tom Grogin
  • Kosciuszko Road within the National Park boundary
  • Guthega Road within the National Park boundary

If directed by signs or an authorised officer, chains must be fitted to the vehicle’s driving wheels. This should be done at chain fitting bays located along the route.

The RTA advises that it will carry out random chain inspections along these sections of road during the ski season. Fines of over $300 will be issued to drivers who fail to comply with National Park regulations.

Of course, snow chains must not be relied upon to guarantee safety when driving in snowy conditions. Sensible driving practices appropriate for the conditions must be used.

Visit Stay safe on the road this season for driving tips and information.

Have you had difficulty driving in the snow? Should snow chains be mandatory in snowy conditions?

Safety cameras – Combining red-light and speed cameras

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Over the next four years, the RTA is replacing existing red-light cameras with safety cameras at 200 locations across NSW.

In December 2009, the RTA began to combine red-light cameras with fixed speed cameras at 50 locations across the state. The safety camera is capable of detecting speeding vehicles, vehicles running red lights, or both.

No new ‘combined’ offences have been created. Drivers will face a penalty notice and associated demerit points for each offence committed.

Safety cameras are being introduced to make intersections safer and reduce the number of crashes at traffic lights.

According to the RTA, “Evaluations of camera enforcement of red-light offences conducted in Australia and overseas have shown this type of enforcement is clearly effective in reducing casualty crashes at intersections. When the evaluations were considered together it is estimated that camera enforcement of red-light offences reduces the number of casualty crashes at intersections by around 30 per cent.”

Intersections with safety cameras will be signposted accordingly. However, motorists need to be aware that there is only one sign warning of the new safety camera, unlike existing fixed speed cameras which have three warning signs in advance.

For more information, please visit the RTA’s Safety camera page.

Will safety cameras reduce the number of crashes at intersections? Will they make you slow down?

Road rules for pedestrians

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The road isn’t only for motorists and cyclists - it’s for pedestrians too. As with cars, there are a number of rules, some better known than others, that govern how pedestrians use the road - as well as fines for breaking them.

Fatal crashes on NSW roads are up this year compared to the same period last year, as is the number of pedestrians killed. There have been 56 pedestrian fatalities so far this year. In the same period in 2008, 38 pedestrians were killed.

Part 14 of Road Rules 2008 covers pedestrians. Some of the key rules in this section are:

230  Crossing a road – general

  1. A pedestrian crossing a road:
    (a)  must cross by the shortest safe route, and
    (b)  must not stay on the road longer than necessary to cross the road safely.

Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.

236  Pedestrians not to cause a traffic hazard or obstruction

  1. A pedestrian must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of a driver.
    Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.
  2. A pedestrian must not unreasonably obstruct the path of any driver or another pedestrian.

238  Pedestrians travelling along a road (except in or on a wheeled recreational device or toy)

  1. A pedestrian must not travel along a road if there is a footpath or nature strip adjacent to the road, unless it is impracticable to travel on the footpath or nature strip.

Read the full Rules for pedestrians.

Most of the Rules for pedestrians are taught to us as children. However, pedestrian deaths continue to be significant. As the road is a shared zone, it is important that all users respect and adhere to the rules to make it the safe place that it can be.

Has pedestrian education fallen by the wayside? Should the rules for pedestrians be better policed?

School zones – have your say

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NRMA President Wendy Machin recently commented on the importance of flashing lights in school zones to indicate when they are in operation.

“Children’s safety is paramount – drivers’ awareness needs to be drawn to the presence of school children and that’s what flashing lights achieve,” she said.

However, the NRMA has concerns about the rate flashing lights are being rolled out.

A study conducted by the RTA in 2006 “indicated that flashing lights were effective in reducing vehicle speed outside schools during the operation of the 40 km/h school speed zone.”

In spite of this, only 10 per cent NSW’s 3,100 schools have flashing lights, with 100 sets per year being scheduled for installation over the next four years.

School zones were introduced to NSW in December 2002 to reduce the chance of fatalities in school areas. They ensure that motorists slow down to 40km/h during times when children are on the way to and from school.

The problem with this is that it can be unclear to motorists when school zones are in operation. School Zones come into effect only on school days. Therefore, during school and public holidays the school zones do not operate. This can be confusing to anybody who does not have kids – although it’s not an excuse if you get caught speeding.

For more information, visit the RTA School Zones page.

Have you found School Zones easier to identify when they have flashing lights? Is there more that could be done to improve the way School Zones work?