sa motor
Slow down for yellow
From 19 May motorists will need to slow down to 25km/h when passing breakdown services vehicles – such as RAA Patrol vans and tow trucks – on the side of the road when they have their yellow lights flashing.
The road-rule change follows RAA’s long-term campaign to improve roadside safety, aimed at protecting both workers and the public from passing traffic.
Until now, South Australian law required drivers to slow down to 25km/h when passing emergency service vehicles with red and blue lights activated. The new rule extends this protection to roadside breakdown and recovery vehicles, ensuring safer conditions for everyone at the roadside.
Between 2019 and February 2025, there were 23 reportable safety incidents caused by vehicles driving past breakdowns without due care, according to RAA Road Service data.
Alarmingly, this included eight incidents where patrol vehicles were hit by a car or a motorcycle, and another five where traffic cones were hit or dragged down the road.
RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says the new rule is a crucial step in keeping roadside workers and stranded motorists safe.
“We’ve seen dozens of near misses, and our patrol vans have been hit several times in the past few years,” Charles says.
“This change isn’t just about protecting RAA roadside workers – it’s about keeping our members and the public safe too. At the end of the day, it could be your friend or family member who is at risk while they’re broken down on the side of the road.”
Do you have a road safety question? RAA’s Road Safety team can help. Call 8202 4570 or email motoringroadrules@raa.com.au
SA's riskiest roads on RAA's radar
Curtis Road has been voted Metropolitan South Australia’s riskiest road in RAA’s 2024 Risky Roads survey.
The Curtis Road and Heaslip Road intersection at Angle Vale also topped the list of RAA’s top 10 riskiest intersections. The intersection has appeared regularly in RAA’s Risky Roads survey results, also topping the list in 2021. More than $30 million has been allocated by both State and Federal governments to upgrade and improve the intersection with Heaslip Road.
More than 1800 road users completed RAA’s 2024 Risky Roads survey, nominating roads or intersections they believe need to be upgraded.
Poor road maintenance was a major concern for almost all the nominated roads, with uneven surfaces, crumbling road edges and potholes raised as key safety issues.
Road capacity was raised as a significant concern on Curtis Road and Main North Road – the top two riskiest metropolitan roads.
Meanwhile, Victor Harbor Road, Main South Road and Main Road at McLaren Vale were named the top three riskiest regional roads in the state.
RAA Senior Traffic Engineer Matthew Vertudaches says the feedback from road users helps RAA understand the many issues with the regional and metropolitan road network.
“The results further support the need for significant infrastructure investment in growth areas in the northern suburbs,” Matthew says.
“Road maintenance continues to be a serious concern on our metropolitan and regional road networks, with these results reinforcing our calls for State Government to increase road maintenance budgets.”
To read the full Risky Roads report and see the top 10 riskiest roads, visit raa.com.au/riskyroads
Does my RAA Road Service cover family members?
You get a call from a family member. Their car has broken down and they don’t have RAA Road Service, but you do. Can they use your membership to call RAA for help? RAA Senior Manager of Road Service Delivery Julie Bates explains whether your membership is transferrable.
In short, no you can’t use your RAA Road Service for family members if they’re stuck on the road and need help. RAA Road Service cover applies to the individual. This does however mean that if you’re an RAA member with Road Service cover, you’re covered no matter what car you’re driving.
If the person broken down on the side of the road needs immediate assistance, they can join on the spot at an extra cost. All they need to do is call 13 11 11 and sign up for a subscription and then RAA Road Service can come and provide help.
If you want to ensure your loved one has the Road Service coverage they need, RAA offers a family policy option. Renewals and payments can be managed on one account, with a discount for each person added to the group. With the whole family covered, you’ll have peace of mind they won’t be stuck on the side of the road.
To find out more about RAA Road Service, visit raa.com.au/road-service
SA’S largest EV charging network complete
The rollout of RAA Charge, South Australia’s largest network of electric vehicle charging stations, is finished. More than 550 plugs at 140-plus charging stations have been installed across the state, spanning from Yalata to Coober Pedy to Mount Gambier.
Built with support from the State Government, RAA Charge is powered by net 100 per cent renewable energy. With 75 per cent of the network located in regional SA, and most charging stations within 200km of the next one, South Aussies can have the confidence to drive anywhere in our beautiful state.
EV drivers can locate their nearest RAA Charge site, start charging their vehicle, and pay using the Chargefox app.
For more information about RAA Charge, visit raa.com.au/charge
SA road in focus
In each edition of sa move, we shine the spotlight on a South Australian road.
Length
Casualty crashes
Lives lost
Serious injuries
Minor injuries
The road: Port Wakefield Highway
Why it’s in focus
Port Wakefield Highway is a major road that runs from Adelaide’s northern suburbs to Port Wakefield.
It helps connect the South Australian capital with the Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula and Mid North and is a major freight corridor facilitating road freight access to destinations across the country. It’s seen an increase in traffic in recent years due to residential development in Virginia, Two Wells and Riverlea Park.
Not only has Port Wakefield Highway seen its fair share of crashes in the past five years, it also ranked seventh in RAA’s 2024 Risky Roads survey (metropolitan category). Most of the feedback from RAA members was about the section between Two Wells and Waterloo Corner.
More than 75 per cent of the nominations were for intersections along the corridor, with the junction at Angle Vale Road, along with the Old Port Wakefield Road intersection, receiving the most nominations.
According to State Government figures, the section between Waterloo Corner and Two Wells carries about 18,000 vehicles a day, with commercial vehicles making up 20 per cent of that traffic. North of Two Wells, traffic levels drop to about 10,000 vehicles a day.
Crash history (2019–2023)
More than half of casualty crashes on Port Wakefield Highway occurred in the section between the Northern Expressway in Waterloo Corner and Mallala Road in Two Wells. Half of these crashes happened at intersections. The Old Port Wakefield Road intersection recorded the most crashes at 13, while eight occurred where the highway intersects with Angle Vale Road.
Hitting a fixed object was the most common crash type, followed by right-angle crashes and rear-end collisions.
Recent upgrades
Traffic signals were installed at the Angle Vale Road intersection in 2020. These have been unpopular among some people in the community and were mentioned several times in the recent Risky Roads survey.
RAA supports grade separation at this intersection and other busy junctions on the southern part of Port Wakefield Road.
Other improvements include the Port Wakefield overpass, the upgraded Waterloo Corner interchange and the intersection upgrade at Carslake Road.
What RAA wants done
RAA believes Port Wakefield Highway should be upgraded between Waterloo Corner and Two Wells to ensure safety for road users as residential development increases. Improvements should include shoulder widening, additional hazard protection and several intersection upgrades.
IMAGE: RAA/Matthew Vertudaches.
