What the 2025 Traffic Controller Safety Survey Reveals About Worksites

The Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA) released the 2025 Traffic Controller Safety Survey, highlighting urgent risks faced by traffic controllers and the growing push toward safer and more automated worksites.

At RPM Hire, our purpose is clear: to save lives through road safety equipment. The findings from the survey strongly reinforce the need to reduce human exposure to live traffic environments and accelerate safer, smarter technologies.

What Traffic Controllers Are Experiencing on Our Roads

The survey revealed concerning insights into the daily risks faced by workers:

• 62% reported drivers failing to stop and driving through closed lanes.
• 51% have had a near-miss caused by speeding or distracted drivers.
• 82% support removing traffic controllers from live lanes in favour of automated solutions.
• The TMAA aims to remove traffic controllers from live lanes entirely by January 2027, using Traffic Control Devices such as; Portable Traffic Lights and Portable Boom Gates (Portabooms).

These findings highlight a clear message: human exposure in live lanes must be reduced.

The Industry Shift Toward Smarter, Safer Worksites

In response to the survey, the TMAA outlined several key goals that align closely with RPM Hire’s commitment to innovation:

• Accelerating adoption of Portable Traffic Control Devices and digital speed displays (Evolis Speed Radars).
• Increasing the use of physical barriers to protect workers and road users.
• Investing in smart-site technology, integrating speed detection, illuminated messaging, and automated enforcement.

These initiatives represent a major shift toward proactive, technology-led safety.

RPM Hire’s Role in Driving a Safer Future

Human safety is at the heart of everything we do at RPM Hire. We’re committed to:

• Supporting the rollout of automated and remote-operated traffic control systems.
• Working closely with customers to design safer, innovative and more compliant worksites.
• Innovating new road safety products to meet evolving industry needs.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Ashley Woodcock, had this to say about the TMAA Survey:
“We are proud to support the TMAA and the wider industry as we collectively push toward safer and more automated worksites, and a future where lives are no longer placed in the line of fire.”

Ready to protect your traffic controllers with smarter and safer technology?

Speak with the RPM Hire team about our innovative automated traffic control options on 1300 479 570.