South Australian Consolidated Acts

ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1961 - SECT 20

20—Duty to place speed limit signs in relation to work areas or work sites

        (1)         In this section—

"hazardous work area" means a work area—

            (a)         where—

                  (i)         workers may be working on a part of a carriageway for vehicles proceeding in a particular direction and there is no adjoining marked lane outside the work area for vehicles proceeding in the same direction; or

                  (ii)         workers may be working less than 1.5 metres from vehicles proceeding on a carriageway,

and the work is carried out on foot and not exclusively through the use of vehicles; or

            (b)         where an unusually high level of hazard for workers or persons using the road is created as a consequence of the existence of the work area;

"public authority" means—

            (a)         a Minister of the Crown; and

            (b)         the Commissioner of Highways; and

            (c)         a council; and

            (d)         any other authority or company authorised by statute to carry out works on roads; and

            (e)         a police officer making investigations on a road at a place where an accident has occurred;

"work area" means a portion of road on which workers are, or may be, engaged;

"work site" means a portion of road affected by works in progress, together with any additional portion of road used to regulate traffic in relation to those works or for associated purposes.

        (2)         A public authority must, with the approval of the Minister and in accordance with this Part, place signs on a road for the purpose of indicating a maximum speed to be observed by drivers while driving on, by or towards a work area or work site where workers are engaged, or works are in progress, at the direction of that authority.

        (2a)         The maximum speed to be indicated by signs placed on a road in pursuance of this section is—

            (a)         in relation to a work area—a maximum speed not exceeding 40 kilometres an hour; or

            (b)         in relation to a hazardous work area—a maximum speed not exceeding 25 kilometres an hour; or

            (c)         in relation to a work site—a maximum speed not exceeding 80 kilometres an hour.

        (3)         If a public authority has engaged a contractor to carry out works on a road on behalf of the authority, this section applies to the contractor in relation to those works in the same way as it applies to the authority.