Get up to speed on SLOMO

Police dealing with a serious car rollover in Katanning recently were put at risk when a car sped past the crash site despite two police cars, emergency lights flashing, at the scene and officers in hi visibility clothing at the roadside.

Under the SLOMO (Slow Down, Move Over) law drivers MUST slow down to 40 km/h when approaching stationary emergency vehicles that are displaying flashing lights at an incident.

The penalty for not doing so is a $300 fine and three demerit points – as the driver of the vehicle that failed to slow down in Katanning discovered to their cost.

And the SLOMO law does not just apply to emergency vehicles.

SLOMO applies to tow trucks, RAC roadside assistance patrol vehicles and Main Roads Incident Response Vehicles that help with removal of damaged or broken down vehicles and debris.

Road Safety Council chairman Iain Cameron says drivers have no excuse to ignore the law.

“The State’s SLOMO law has been in effect since March 2018. It applies to all Western Australian roads – including freeways and highways – and it’s designed to make sure police, ambulance officers, fire fighters and everyone at the scene of a roadside incident can operate in the safest possible environment,’’ said Mr Cameron.