Road Safety

All road users, including truck and bus drivers, are reminded that using the South Eastern Freeway requires additional road safety awareness, decision-making and actions.

Truck and bus drivers should plan their travel down the South Eastern Freeway in advance to ensure they are familiar with the road and the safe driving requirements.

The last 7 km of the South Eastern Freeway comprises a very long and steep descent. Although the gradient becomes less severe near the bottom of the freeway, it continues downhill through a major, signalised intersection and into an urban area.

How to descend safely

The South Eastern Freeway descent requires all truck and bus drivers to:

engage low gear before the Crafers Interchange and remain in this gear to the bottom of the South Eastern Freeway
reduce speed to a maximum 60 km/h, unless otherwise signed at a lower speed, from Crafers interchange to the bottom of the South Eastern Freeway
stay in the left lane between Crafers and the Measdays Bridge.

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Trucks and buses may overtake on the descent as long as they remain in low gear and do not exceed 60 km/h. However, as trucks and buses are required to stay in the left lane between Crafers and the Measdays Bridge exit ramp, they cannot overtake between these points.

Watch the video below to learn how truck or bus drivers should prepare for and driving down the South Eastern Freeway down-track.

Please note that the maximum speed limit for all other vehicles is 90 km/h and drivers should remember to always drive according to the prevailing road conditions.

Safety ramps

There are two fully signed safety ramps on the left side of the South Eastern Freeway between Crafers and Adelaide.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport strongly encourages truck and bus drivers to use a safety ramp at the earliest opportunity if there is any doubt about arriving at the major intersection safely. There is no charge for correct usage.

The safety ramps are located:

just prior to the entrance to the Heysen Tunnels
just past the Mt Osmond Interchange.

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A truck or bus driver who is not in full control and is attempting to “ride it out” to the major intersection at the bottom of the hill risks serious injury or death to themselves and other road users.

How to use a safety ramp

There are clear signs marking the distance to the safety ramps (at 600 m, 500 m, 400 m, 300 m, 200 m and 100 m) to allow the driver plenty of time to prepare. Clear pavement markings are also in place to indicate which lane to use.

The main stopping force in a safety ramp is the drag caused as the vehicle sinks gently into a bed of gravel. The effect on the driver is less than emergency braking, so the stopping force of the gravel should not result in injury to the driver and is unlikely to cause damage to the vehicle.

The removal of a vehicle from a safety ramp requires the use of tow trucks. DIT must be contacted by using the emergency phone at the safety ramp or by phoning Traffic Management Centre on 1800 018 313.

More information

Driver training

Companies and drivers should ensure that appropriate training has been completed and a thorough understanding exists regarding safe driving on steep descents.

Advisory signs

Fixed signs can be seen in the lead up to the South Eastern Freeway down-track to alert drivers about the pending descent, provide direction to drivers for how to descend safely and identify where the safety ramps are located.

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These advisory signs, as well as speed limit and low gear signs, apply to drivers of trucks and buses. Read about the definitions of a truck and bus.

Penalties apply for truck and bus drivers who do not follow the safe descent laws.Read about applicable offences and penalties here.

Heavy vehicle inspections

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) maintains a number of heavy vehicles checking stations/weighbridges across the state on key interstate networks, including at Monteith on the Princes Highway, between Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend.

These facilities are currently licensed to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for undertaking heavy vehicle compliance activities under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (South Australia) Act 2013 and other specific state laws. They are also used by SA Police (SAPOL) for heavy vehicle compliance and other general policing purposes.

While these sites are shared by some other agencies, they are primarily used by the NHVR and SAPOL for conducting off-road intercepts and inspections, as part of ensuring safe heavy vehicle operation and compliance.

All trucks and buses with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) greater than 4.5 tonnes must enter the sites when the variable signs indicate that all trucks and buses must enter.

Failing to enter the checking station when directed and/or disobeying a ‘Trucks must enter’ sign may result in a fine.

Variable signs (see example photo below) are situated 400 metres before the checking station and just prior to the station to assist drivers to prepare to enter.

All motorists should be aware that the road speed limit will be decreased to 80 km/h when the checking station is open and is enforced.

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Monteith checking station

The Monteith site consists of two checking stations/weighbridges, situated on either side of the Princes Highway. These Monteith facilities are utilised by both NHVR and SAPOL to intercept and inspect heavy vehicles travelling into and out of Adelaide, principally via the South Eastern Freeway.

The Monteith site is used to check all aspects of heavy vehicles and their safe operation, such as:

road-worthiness (including brakes and suspension)
compliance with fatigue regulations
mass limits compliance
load restraint
registration and licensing requirements.

The Monteith weighbridge has a five-plate weighbridge capable of weighing large combinations such as B Double trucks in a single weigh.

Over-height vehicles

The height clearance for the Heysen Tunnels is 5.3 m (this is also the clearance height for the Mt Osmond and Crafers interchanges).

Over-height warning signs are located before both approaches to the Heysen Tunnels. When the laser beam height detector identifies a vehicle that is too high to travel through the Tunnels safely, the over-height warning sign will flash to direct the driver to stop in the stopping lane on the left of the road.

The laser beam height detector also automatically sends an alarm to the Department for Infrastructure and Transport. Upon confirming the presence of a stopped vehicle via cameras, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport will request police or emergency service attendance at the site to assist the driver to turn the vehicle around through a dedicated break in the median strip.

Drivers may also contact the Department for Infrastructure and Transport by using the emergency phones located near the Heysen Tunnels or use their own phone to call the Traffic Management Centre on 1800 018 313.