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Road User Behaviour

Safe use of the road network relies on all road users playing their part to uphold the laws that are designed to protect everyone who uses the road system. We are all in this together.

However, a small group of road users are at higher risk of causing a serious crash because of the dangerous choices they make. These include speeding, drink/drug driving, using a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt and driving unlicensed.

Refer to My Licence for offences and penalties.

To educate the community on staying safe on the roads, South Australia Police runs regular road safety campaigns.

Speeding

In South Australia, the default speed limit:

  • outside a built-up area is 100 km/h
  • in a built-up area is 50 km/h.

Unless a road sign or a licence condition indicates otherwise, these are the maximum speeds you can drive.

Outside a built-up area, some roads may have a speed limit of 110 km/h. This will be shown by speed limit signs. You may travel up to this higher speed as long as your licence permits you and it is safe to do so. For example, learner and provisional drivers must not travel at this higher speed. Driving above the speed limit is illegal and creates unacceptable safety risks.

Vehicle travel speeds affect both the risk of being involved in a crash and the severity of crashes and subsequent injuries. Even small increases in a vehicle’s speed affect road safety risks. Estimates show that inappropriate travel speeds directly contribute to around a third of lives lost in crashes on South Australian roads each year.

A small group of road users are at higher risk of being involved in a serious crash. This is due to the dangerous choices they make, such as speeding. See The Driver’s Handbook on how to keep your speed down, keeping a safe following distance and total stopping distance. It is critical to also drive to the conditions, such as slowing down in hazardous weather.

One way to target and reduce dangerous behaviour is through monitoring, detection and enforcement programs. This includes immediate loss of licence for those engaging in reckless and dangerous driving. Education and cultural change, enforcement, compliance and penalties can help reduce lives lost and serious injuries associated with speeding.

Learn more about safe speeds and penalties for dangerous driving.

Alcohol and other drugs

You don’t have to be drunk to be affected by alcohol. Impairment from alcohol and drugs is one of the main contributors to people losing their lives and being seriously injured on South Australian roads.

Alcohol:

  • impairs skill and decision-making
  • increases confidence and aggression
  • increases the likelihood the driver will engage in risk taking behaviour.

Certain drugs have also been shown to have the potential to increase the risk of road crashes. Laboratory testing, driving simulators and ‘on road’ testing have shown that drugs can impair performance of driving-related tasks, including:

  • reduced coordination
  • muscle weakness
  • decreased reaction time
  • poor vision
  • an inability to judge distance and speed
  • distortions of time, place and space.

There are three drugs used in tests (referred as 'prescribed drugs' for testing purposes0:

  • THC (the active component in cannabis)
  • Methamphetamine (also known as speed, ice or crystal meth)
  • MDMA (also known as ecstasy).

My Licence includes important information regarding alcohol and drugs to help keep you safe on the roads. The Driver’s Handbook includes a section on alcohol, drugs, medicines and driving.

In South Australia, it is illegal to:

  • drive exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol for your licence class
  • drive or attempt to drive a motor vehicle with THC, methamphetamine or MDMA present in your oral fluid or blood
  • drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs
  • refuse to comply with directions from a police officer in relation to an alcotest, breath analysis or blood test
  • refuse to comply with directions from a police officer in relation to a drug screening test, oral fluid analysis or blood test.

Police may test road users for their prescribed concentration of alcohol and the three prescribed drugs through random roadside tests. Penalties apply to drivers who commit drink-driving and/or drug driving offences. These may include:

  • fines
  • licence disqualification (including Immediate Loss of Licence)
  • demerit points
  • vehicles being impounded
  • the requirement to have an alcohol interlock fitted to a vehicle or a dependency assessment
  • imprisonment, in some cases.

Mandatory alcohol interlock scheme

A mandatory alcohol interlock scheme operates in South Australia. This means that drivers who commit a serious drink-driving offence must install an alcohol interlock device to their chosen vehicle after their licence disqualification has ended. The device must stay on the vehicle for as long as their licence was suspended, up to a maximum of three years.

A serious drink-driving offence is:

  • driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08 but less than 0.15 and a previous drink-driving offence (other than an offence under 0.08 exists in the last 5 years)
  • driving with a BAC at or above 0.15
  • driving under the influence of an intoxicating liquor
  • refusing to provide a sample of breath or blood for the purpose of alcohol testing.

To learn more about the scheme, download MR1355: The Mandatory Alcohol Interlock Scheme (PDF, 2925 KB).

Fatigue

Fatigue is often a major factor in road crashes. However, it is hard to measure and often not reported as a cause of a crash. Each year, on average, four people lose their lives on South Australian roads where fatigue was reported as a contributing factor.

My Licence includes safe driving tips for fatigue, including causes of fatigue, signs of fatigue and how to avoid fatigue.

Fatigue is more likely to be a factor in crashes in regional areas, as they can involve long trips with extensive periods of continuous driving. However, anyone can be affected by fatigue, anywhere and at any time of the day. For more information, see safe driving tips for country driving.

Inattention and driver distraction

Inattention or driver distraction is a significant issue in both regional and metropolitan areas. Driving is a complex task always requiring the driver’s attention. Any lapse of concentration by the driver increases the risk of being involved in a crash.

Distractions can be:

  • inside a vehicle, such as mobile phone use, eating or drinking, navigation devices, passengers or reaching for objects
  • outside a vehicle, such as other road users or billboards
  • from the driver’s own mind, such as stress or daydreaming.

Road users other than drivers may also be distracted, including:

  • pedestrians crossing roads
  • bicycle riders
  • motorcyclists.

Avoid the temptation of doing other tasks and getting distracted while you are driving. Taking your eyes off the road or diverting your attention, even just for a few seconds, can result in a crash, often with devastating consequences.

Mobile phone use

Mobile phone use while driving can significantly impact a driver’s:

  • reaction time
  • visual search patterns or ability to scan the road ahead
  • ability to maintain speed and position on the road
  • ability to judge safe gaps in traffic
  • general awareness of other road users.

Read The Driver's Handbook for details about driver distraction, inattention and mobile phone use. Visit My Licence to find safe driving tips.

Advanced enforcement solutions aim to deter against driver distraction. This includes cameras that detect illegal mobile phone use while driving. Penalties apply for using a mobile phone while driving. Read more about mobile phone detection cameras.

Seatbelts and child restraints

Wearing a seatbelt that is properly adjusted and fastened doubles your chances of surviving a serious crash. For crashes where vehicle occupants lose their lives or are seriously injured, seatbelt wearing rates are much lower, particularly in regional areas. People who choose not to use seatbelts are often associated with other dangerous driving behaviours.

Drivers must ensure that everyone in their vehicle is wearing a seatbelt or an approved child restraint. There are penalties for both the adult passenger and driver for failing to wear a seatbelt correctly. Penalties include loss of demerit points and fines.

It is important that children are correctly restrained when travelling in a vehicle. Using and installing approved child restraints correctly improves child safety in vehicles greatly. The law is specific about the type of restraint we can use at different ages; noting that children grow at different rates.

Learn important information about seatbelts and child restraints. This includes child restraint laws and choosing and fitting a child restraint for children:

  • up to the age of 6 months
  • 6 months to 4 years
  • aged 4 to 7 years
  • aged 7 years up to 16 years.

Level crossing safety

You must take extra care wherever railway lines meet a road or footpath. Level crossings can be dangerous if safety measures are not followed.

A train moving at high speed cannot stop quickly. An incident at a level crossing can cause:

  • service disruptions
  • road user delays
  • property damage
  • injury and loss of life in the most serious cases.

Research has shown that the major cause of crashes at level crossings is road user behaviour, such as:

  • inattention
  • distraction
  • risk taking
  • disobeying the road rules.

How to be safe at level crossings

  • Always obey the signs and signals.
  • Be aware of your surroundings.
  • Never enter a crossing when the lights are flashing, or a train or tram is approaching.
  • Before crossing the tracks:
    • wait until a train or tram has passed
    • the lights have stopped flashing
    • you can see no other train or tram approaching from either direction.
  • When crossing tracks:
    • look for trains or trams
    • avoid distractions, such as mobile phones and headphones.
  • Always assume a train can approach from either direction on the tracks.
  • Check that the way is clear to avoid queuing over the tracks and that you can safely cross.
  • Never rush through boom gates as they lower.
  • Never push through auto-pedestrian gates that are closing or are closed.
  • Never stop on a level crossing.

Follow My Licence's safe driving tips for level crossings.