The Department of Transport has declared that automated traffic control devices are now to be used on all highways, main roads and high-volume, high-speed local roads.
The initiative is part of a number of measures aimed at protecting traffic control wardens.
In a statement, the Department said portable traffic control devices allowed traffic controllers to carry out their duties in a safe environment by removing them from the roadside where possible.
“The change is one of the recommendations from the Regional Roadworks Signage Review, which is aimed at improving the safety of road workers and road users in and around regional areas,” the Department said.
“Traffic controllers providing temporary traffic management are critical to managing the safe passage of vehicles through roadwork sites. They put their lives at risk every day to keep others safe.”
Minister for Transport, Rita Saffioti said there was currently around $9 billion worth of road infrastructure projects in the pipeline across Western Australia.
“One of my top priorities is looking at ways we can continue to improve the safety of both road traffic workers and road users around roadworks,” Ms Saffioti said.
“This change was one of a number of recommendations from our Regional Roadworks Signage Review.”
She said traffic controllers were essential to delivering road projects, and sadly there had been a number of incidents in recent years where workers had been killed.
“Allowing them to continue delivering their work in a safe environment will be a critical change,” the Minister said.
