Road Amendment (Sirens and Prohibited Lights) Rules 2014 (NSW)

New South Wales

Road Amendment (Sirens and Prohibited

Lights) Rules 2014

under the

Road Transport Act 2013

Her Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, has made the following

Rules under the Road Transport Act 2013.

DUNCAN GAY, MLC

Minister for Roads and Ports

Explanatory note
The objects of these Rules are as follows:

(a)	to amend the Road Rules 2008 (the Rules) to specifically enable the use of restricted rotating and flashing lights by police officers for law enforcement purposes,
(b)	to amend the Rules to generally limit the use of devices capable of making a sound like the sound of a siren to certain vehicles responding to an emergency or being used for law enforcement purposes,
(c)	to prescribe the unauthorised use of such devices as a penalty notice offence under the Road Transport (General) Regulation 2013 and to prescribe a penalty amount payable for that offence,
(d)	to make amendments of a law revision nature.

These Rules are made under the Road Transport Act 2013, including sections 23 (1) (the statutory rule-making power), 24 and 195 (3) (which allows the statutory rules to prescribe and amend penalty notice offences) and clause 3 of Schedule 1.

Road Amendment (Sirens and Prohibited Lights) Rules 2014

under the

Road Transport Act 2013

1 Name of Rules

These Rules are the Road Amendment (Sirens and Prohibited Lights) Rules 2014.

2      Commencement

These Rules commence on the day on which they are published on the NSW legislation website.

Schedule 1 Amendment of statutory rules

1.1 Road Rules 2008

[1]      Rule 218—1 NSW rule: using lights on vehicles generally

Omit “–(9)” from rule 218—1 (e).

[2]      Rule 218—1 (e) (iv)

Insert “, or a police officer,” after “Authority”.

[3]      Rule 224—1

Insert after rule 224:

224-1

NSW rule: using sirens

(1)	A driver, rider or passenger must not, while in or on a vehicle, use a device to make a sound like the sound of a siren.
(2)	This rule does not apply if:

(a)	the vehicle is a police vehicle or an emergency vehicle, or
(b)	the vehicle is approved by the Authority to use the device for a purpose approved by the Authority, or
(c)	the vehicle is being used by the Authority, or a police officer, for law enforcement purposes.

Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.
Note 1. Emergency vehicle and police vehicle are defined in the Dictionary.
Note 2. This rule is an additional NSW road rule. There is no corresponding rule in the

Australian Road Rules.

1.2	Road Transport (General) Regulation 2013
Schedule 5 Penalty notice offences
Insert “Rule 224—1;” before “Rule 264 (1)” in Column 1 of the matter relating to the Road Rules 2008.