Transurban urges motorists: only stop on motorways in an emergency

This Queensland Road Safety Week (18-22 August), Transurban is reminding drivers across South East Queensland to make safer choices - starting with when and where they stop on high-speed motorways.

Between 1 January and 17 August 2025, Transurban responded to nearly 19,000 incidents across its Greater Brisbane roads and tunnels. Alarmingly, around 130 vehicles are observed stopping in emergency bays each day, often for non-urgent reasons like phone calls or switching drivers.

Stopping unnecessarily on motorways is not only illegal - it's dangerous. With traffic travelling at speeds up to 100 km/h, even brief stops can have serious consequences. Emergency bays are strictly for real emergencies, and misuse can block access for incident response teams or other motorists in need.

Dr Karen Stephan, Transurban's Road Safety Manager, said, "One of the most important things any driver can do if involved in an incident is stay in their vehicle. Stepping into live traffic puts lives at risk."

Gary Mahon, CEO of the Queensland Trucking Association, added, "This Queensland Road Safety Week, take some time to remember what will keep you safe when driving on motorways and tunnels with multi lanes, large volumes of traffic and limited places to stop. Help is just a call away, and waiting a few minutes for professional support is always safer than stepping into harm's way. Every decision behind the wheel matters, and choosing safety protects not just you, but everyone on the road."

Drivers are encouraged to save the Linkt incident response number 13 33 31 to their phones. Help is just a call away, and waiting for professional support is always safer than stepping into harm's way.