WA has become the first state to introduce new pictorial length signage on road trains, with operators in the west given six months to transition to the new regulatory signs.
These new signs, being rolled out from July 1, are aimed at giving other road users a clearer idea of the length of the vehicle in front of them – before attempting to overtake.
The new signage will be displayed on the rear of restricted access vehicles, including road trains and other heavy vehicles.
The signs show the number of trailers and the total length of the vehicle, depicted with an equivalent number of car lengths.
“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,” said Acting Transport Minister John Carey.
“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.”
The new signage will replace the existing ‘ROAD TRAIN’ or ‘LONG VEHICLE’ signs, which currently cover vehicle combinations ranging from 22 to 60 metres in length.
It follows a trial of the new signs that started in late 2022, with companies such as Centurion Transport and Qube Bulk fitting the new signs to some of their road trains.
Main Roads WA trialled the new signs on regional roads into 2023 and claims they received “overwhelmingly positive feedback”.
WA is currently the only state to be implementing the new signage but Main Roads WA says there has been interest from other interstate road authorities.
For interstate heavy vehicle operators heading into WA, there will be no change. They will be able to continue using existing warning signage, which will still be recognised and accepted across the state.
The WA transport industry will have until January 1, 2025 to switch over to the new signage.
Further information on signage requirements is available on the Main Roads WA website.