New Slow Down, Move Over laws will take effect from March 2018 in order to provide a safer environment for those responding to road incidents.
The new laws will require drivers to slow down 40km/h when approaching and passing a stationary emergency or incident response vehicle on the road.
South West Superintendent Mick Sutherland said police always encouraged motorists to slow down in areas where emergency crews were responding to an emergency incident.
“Such incidents inevitably result in temporarily altered road conditions which should alone motivate motorists to take extra care,” he said.
“Further to that, emergency personnel are moving through these areas as their duties require and we want the motoring public to be conscious of their safety.”
Incident response vehicles include those driven by WA Police, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, St John Ambulance, Main Roads WA Incident Response Service, the RAC and tow trucks being used to salvage or tow a vehicle.
Drivers will also have to move over and change lanes if it is safe and possible to do so, the penalty for failing to obey the law will be a $300 fine and three demerit points.
Road safety minister Michelle Roberts said the new law was necessary to make roads safer for emergency responders, with 43 deaths involving people working in emergency lanes or on the roadside recorded between 2012 and 2016.
“The roadside can be a dangerous place for our emergency responders who are often risking their lives to help others,” Ms Roberts said.
“The tragic death of a tow truck driver in 2013 and the fact there have been 43 casualties in the past five years shows this law is needed.
RAC Group chief executive officer Terry Agnew welcomed the introduction of the new laws and said it was a matter of road and workplace safety.
"Slow Down, Move Over is about making room for those who need it most,” he said.