Another road safety message we have heard many, many times before, yet the message continues to be ignored.

Last week it was drink driving, this week it is speeding drivers putting emergency workers at risk.

For years, drivers have been urged to slow down when passing emergency vehicles, with a campaign resulting in changes to the speed limit in December 2019.

But despite these changes, police are still having to book drivers for speeding past emergency workers on the side of the road.

In March this year Launceston police announced its officers would be cracking down harder on the problem, with 144 infringement notices issued across the state since the new 40km/h rule.

When police launched the crackdown, Road Safety Advisory Council chairman Garry Bailey described the ongoing behaviour of drivers as "foolhardy, selfish and dangerous".

And he was right.

Not only does speeding put other road users at risk, it puts emergency workers who are actively trying to save lives at risk.

It puts police, paramedics, firefighters, and SES volunteers directly in the danger zone.

Why are their lives any less important than someone who thinks they need to speed to get to where they are going?

Just as those drivers want to get home to their loved ones, emergency workers deserve to get home safely to theirs.

The impacts of road tragedy are not just felt by those who experience the trauma or witness it either.

There is a flow-on effect for family members and friends of those killed.

Yes there is an argument that slowing down on a highway could be just as dangerous, but driving to the conditions is not a new concept.

There are other hazards that cause drivers to slow down - weather, congestion, wildlife.

So an emergency scene should be no different if you are paying attention to the road, and keeping your distance from other vehicles.