Projects

Road worker safety

When we're on our roads it's up to all of us to protect the people who are working on and around the Victorian road network. Slowing down helps to ensure everyone can get home safely.

When you see us slow down and drive safely

For our workers, the road is their workplace. They are real people with real families and every worker deserves to get home safe and well. It is your responsibility to slow down and take care on our roads to ensure the safety of our road workers.

Drive to the posted speed limit

It is the law in Victoria to slow down to the posted speed limit when passing roadside workers. Road work speed limits are designed to keep both drivers and road workers safe.

Reduced speed limits are in place around road works and while there are people working along the road side. You may see temporary speed signs showing lower speed limits when approaching roadworks or other works that are being undertaken. You need to slow to the temporary limit for all works, including those being undertaken by council workers or when people are conducting repairs to infrastructure and powerlines.

When you are approaching any works you need to take note of the posted speed limit and slow down safely. You need to continue driving within the reduced speed limit until you pass a sign showing a different speed limit. Even when nobody is working on the road, there can still be dangers from the work underway.

These dangers can include:

  • Narrow lane widths
  • Barriers very close to traffic lanes
  • Deep trenches
  • Loose gravel on the road
  • Soft road surfaces, or
  • Humps and drops in the road.

Some dangers are easy to spot during the day, but much harder to see at night.  A lower posted speed limit gives you more time to see the danger and avoid a crash.

Road works are crucial to ensuring we can effectively maintain safety and driveability of our roads for many years to come. Dangerous driving behaviour has a devastating effect on our road workers’ mental and physical health. Keep our road workers safe and slow down, be aware, drive safely and remain respectful.