The number of trailers in tow and the total length of road trains driving on Western Australian roads will be captured on new safety signage to be added to the back of road trains and heavy vehicles over 22 metres long from this month.
The signage, to be placed on the rear of restricted access vehicles is designed to assist other drivers to make more informed decisions when sharing the road, especially when overtaking.
To make it easier to visualise on the road, the graphics used will show the total length of the vehicles as an equivalent number of car lengths.
Western Australia’s acting transport minister John Carey says the new signage will provide better information for other road users to draw on when making decisions such as whether to pass or not.
“This initiative is all about making roads easier to navigate and safer for all drivers by giving motorists the length of larger vehicles they may be sharing the road with,” Carey says.
“We rely on road trains to keep our economy moving and we know how intimidating it can sometimes be to try to overtake one.
“This way other drivers have the information in front of them regarding how long the vehicle is which helps them to make a more informed decision when overtaking.
“There was great feedback following the successful trial last year and I look forward to the rollout in coming months.”
The signage will replace the existing road train and long vehicle signage on all vehicles between 22 and 60 metres in length.
This new change is introduced after 90 per cent of respondents voted in favour of the new signage following a trial of the new signage on freight vehicles throughout 2022 and 2023.
Western Australia is the only State to have this type of signage, which has generated interest from other interstate road authorities.
Interstate Heavy Vehicle Operators travelling across the border to WA will not be penalised with existing warning signage still to be recognised and accepted.
A six-month transition period to the new regulatory signs started on July 1.