Drivers reminded on slow-mo law

By Chris Thomson | posted on April 13, 2018

A CEMENT truck that caught fire while travelling from Mount Barker to Manjimup on Tuesday provided a timely reminder for passing motorists to observe Western Australia’s new slowdown law.

Officer in charge of Cranbrook police station Laurie Seton said the truck, owned by a Mount Barker company, was being driven to the firm’s Manjimup office along Muir Highway.

“The driver became aware of smoke coming from the rear of the truck, and she pulled over, stopped and tried to put the fire out but she wasn’t able to,” Sergeant Seton said.

“So two local bush fire brigades – from Rocky Gully, and Unicup, I think it was – put the fire out.”

Sgt Seton said Cranbrook cop shop received a call about the fire at 6.20am.

He said that while traffic at the scene – about 15km west of Rocky Gully – was sparse, observance by passing motorists of the slow-down law helped ensure a potentially dangerous situation did not escalate.

“The problem with the new slo-mo laws; they’re brilliant laws, but uptake on them has been very slow,” he added.

“Truckies are the best; with them we’ve probably got 60 to 70 per cent take-up on it, but everyone else, not nearly as good.

“We pull vehicles over on Albany Highway, and we’d be lucky if one in 20 slows down.”

Sgt Seton said delays to getting a heavy recovery vehicle to the site from Albany meant the truck was stranded on Muir Highway until about 11am.

He urged motorists seeing stationary emergency vehicles with emergency lights activated on their side of the carriageway to slow down to 40kph.