Motorists in this state will have another speed limit to stick to from July 1
The new law sees the 40km/h speed limit – which already applies to roadside police, fire and ambulance vehicles when their emergency lights are flashing – expand to include tow trucks and roadside assistance vehicles, as well as traffic management and incident response workers.
The new law essentially means motorists must slow to 40km/h for any vehicle stopped on the roadside with red, blue, magenta – and now yellow – flashing lights.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Fines of up to $961 apply for drivers for Victoria's 5.2 million licence holders who do not heed to the new law once it comes into effect from July 1, 2025.
'Incident response, roadside assistance and breakdown towing vehicles are there for us when we are in need – this change acknowledges the risks they take and our commitment to keeping them safe,' Victorian roads minister Melissa Horne said in announcing the new rule.
'It is the responsibility of all drivers to familiarise themselves with this road rule and to always slow to 40km/h past responding vehicles – for the safety of workers and all road users.'
According to Safe Work Australia, an average of 191 workplace deaths have occurred annually over the past five years.
A 2024 survey by the Road Worker Safety Working Group (RWSWG) – formed by Roads Australia – of more than 1100 road workers showed almost one-in-four (353) had witnessed or been part of a 'near miss involving narrowly avoided collision between road worker and member of public'. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Almost one in 10 (96) of those surveyed said they had been 'hit by [a] vehicle involving [a] collision between [a] road worker and member of public'.
The new rules apply to drivers in every lane on multi-lane roads, but do not apply to vehicles travelling on the opposite side of a divided road.
Drivers are also not required to wait until the next speed limit signpost to increase their speed beyond 40km/h once past the emergency vehicle/s and worker/s.
It makes Victoria the last state/territory in Australia to make the move, extending existing Road Rule 79A that has required motorists to slow for emergency vehicles – anything with red, blue or magenta flashing lights – since it was introduced in 2017.
Victoria had the third-highest number of road deaths (281) behind New South Wales (340) and Queensland (302) in a record Australian road toll in 2024.
It was the fourth consecutive annual increase in the number of deaths and the highest figure recorded – at 1300 – on Australian roads in more than a decade.
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MORE: Everything Polestar MORE: What the first federal emission standard means for Aussie car buyers MORE: Mitsubishi boss slams federal emissions regulations, "naivety" around EVs MORE: Polestar won't rejoin Australia's top auto industry body Content originally sourced from: Polestar Australia managing director Scott Maynard says the 'scaremongering' that took place ahead of the implementation of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) has failed. The NVES was introduced on January 1, 2025, and limits the overall carbon-dioxide emissions across a brand's lineup – with automakers facing financial penalties if they exceed the targets. Penalties came into effect on July 1, 2025, and fleet emissions targets will get more stringent every year until 2029. When asked if perhaps NVES could have been pitched better by the politicians who were publicly in favour of it, Mr Maynard was positive. "It turns out it didn't kill the weekend," the Polestar boss said. 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Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. ABOVE: Polestar Australia managing director Scott Maynard "We got it through, so I don't think I'm a good enough politician to say that they went about the wrong way. "I do think that there was perhaps some scaremongering whipped up from some of its opponents that did land a few blows, and some of the benefits of a market that responds to NVES legislation – like cleaner air and a move towards vehicles that that are cheaper to run – were perhaps lost in some of that messaging." Former opposition leader Peter Dutton had pledged to scrap the NVES – which he called a 'ute tax' – if the Coalition won last November's federal election (which it didn't). "We will abolish Labor's tax on family cars and utes. Saving you thousands when buying a new car," Mr Dutton posted on social media. 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Similar objections were voiced by other car companies, such as Mitsubishi Australia CEO Shaun Westcott who also appealed to 'middle Australia'. "We do want a standard, we're not against a standard," Mr Westcott told CarExpert. "What we want is a standard that is practical and achievable against the pace of technology, aligned with what consumers want and what consumers can afford." The Australian Government subsequently made key concessions to automakers ahead of introducing the legislation to parliament in March 2024, including changing how large off-roaders were categorised – something which Toyota had called for. Both Toyota and Mitsubishi are members of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), which issued statements critical of NVES – something that saw Polestar and rival electric car brand Tesla quit the industry body. Mr Maynard recently said the brand is no closer to rejoining the FCAI, saying the industry body is less progressive than when Polestar left it in protest in March 2024. When asked by CarExpert if Polestar Australia could better effect change by being a member of the FCAI, Mr Maynard was blunt. "If I thought that the volume of vehicles that we sell – [Polestar] being a premium and relatively exclusive player – would give us a fair voice inside the FCAI, then perhaps that logic would run. "But I think it's still the case that the FCAI services those members that fund it, and I can understand why they would do that. They're a representative body of the manufacturers that sit inside it, and so no, I think I'd probably get sent out of the room." MORE: Everything Polestar MORE: What the first federal emission standard means for Aussie car buyers MORE: Mitsubishi boss slams federal emissions regulations, "naivety" around EVs MORE: Polestar won't rejoin Australia's top auto industry body Content originally sourced from:
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2025 Renault Master price and specs
Renault's largest commercial van now has a smaller model lineup. The 2025 Renault Master range has been simplified to just medium- and long-wheelbase variants, with the previous Extra LWB option removed. Both MWB and LWB variants of the large delivery van are now offered exclusively in Pro trim, priced at $55,200 and $57,200 before on-road costs, respectively. Renault Australia is offering the MWB to ABN holders for $57,990 drive-away until September 30, 2025, and says it has 'good supply' of the Master. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert There's only one powertrain on offer: a 2.3-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine mated with a six-speed automated manual transmission. A manual transmission is no longer available. The Master isn't just Renault's biggest vehicle, it's also its biggest seller. To the end of June, Renault has delivered 1074 Master cargo vans in Australia this year, more than the mid-size Trafic van (516) and mid-size Koleos crossover SUV (424). The Master is currently outselling the Ford Transit (943), Peugeot Boxer (15) and Volkswagen Crafter (147), though it's outsold by the LDV Deliver 9 (1341) and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (2026). Renault doesn't publish fuel economy or CO2 emissions figures for the Master. The Renault Master is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Servicing is required every 12 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first. The first five services are capped at $599, with the exception of the four-year/120,000km service which costs $1259. Standard safety equipment includes: Blind-spot monitoring Lane departure warning Front, front-side airbags Reversing camera Rear parking sensors Supplied Credit: CarExpert Standard equipment includes: Automatic halogen headlights LED daytime running lights Rain-sensing wipers 16-inch steel wheels Spare wheel Cruise control Speed limiter Unglazed left sliding door Glazed rear barn doors Glazed steel bulkhead 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Driver's seat with height, reach and lumbar adjustment Driver's armrest Two-passenger bench seat Air-conditioning Cloth upholstery Overhead storage shelf 6 x cupholders Height-adjustable steering column Options include: Glazed left and right sliding doors Right sliding door Trade pack Business pack The Master is available in the following exterior paint finishes: Mineral White Urban Grey Star Grey Pearlescent Black Tempest Blue MORE: Explore the Renault Master showroom
