A stop slow bat is a double-sided handheld sign used by a traffic controller to control traffic at a temporary obstruction or hazard. One face is the red STOP sign (sign code R6-8) and the other is the yellow SLOW sign (T7-1). In Australia the standard bat face is 450mm across, a larger 600mm face is used where specified, and the handle puts the sign face about 1.8 metres above the ground so drivers can see it clearly over parked cars and roadside furniture. This guide covers the sign codes, the two sizes, how controllers actually use the bat on site, what changes at night, and what to look for when buying one.
In this article
- What is a stop slow bat?
- What size stop slow bat do I need?
- Why does the handle height matter?
- How do traffic controllers use the bat on site?
- What changes at night?
- What else makes up a traffic control station?
- Do you need training to use one?
- Frequently asked questions
What is a stop slow bat?
The stop slow bat, also called a stop slow paddle or lollipop, is the traffic controller's main tool for controlling vehicles through a single open lane, past a work area or at a site access point. AS 1742.3, the Australian Standard covering traffic control devices for works on roads, describes the bat as the device a traffic controller uses to control traffic at any temporary obstruction or hazard.
Each face has its own sign code. The STOP face is R6-8, a regulatory sign that requires approaching drivers to come to a complete halt. The SLOW face is T7-1, which tells drivers they may proceed with caution. The bat is the only common piece of traffic control equipment that carries a regulatory sign in a worker's hand, which is exactly why controller technique and training matter so much.
450mm Class 1 reflective STOP and SLOW faces on a telescopic aluminium handle that puts the sign face at 1.8m. Collapses to under 1.5m for the vehicle.
What size stop slow bat do I need?
AS 1742.3 lists two sizes for each face, and the code suffix tells you which is which. Plenty of product listings online mix these up, so here is the table straight from the standard's size listing:
| Face | 450mm diameter | 600mm diameter |
|---|---|---|
| STOP (red) | R6-8A | R6-8B |
| SLOW (yellow) | T7-1A | T7-1B |
The 450mm bat is the everyday standard carried by most crews. The 600mm face gives more presence where the site or specification calls for it, and some states reference the larger face for particular situations. UAGS stocks the 450mm bat and can supply 600mm faces on request. Which size a given site needs comes down to the traffic guidance scheme (TGS) and the relevant authority's requirements, so check the paperwork before you buy for a specific contract.
Why does the handle height matter?
Both AS 1742.3 and the Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (AGTTM) describe the bat handle as putting the underside of the sign face about 1.8 metres above the ground. That height is deliberate: the face sits above car rooflines and roadside clutter, so an approaching driver picks it up early. A traffic controller also needs to be able to distinguish the bat at up to 250 metres on a clear day, which is part of why the faces are reflective and the height is standardised.
In practice that means a telescopic handle is more than a comfort feature. It lets the bat collapse short enough to store in the vehicle, then extend to the correct working height on site. STOP and SLOW faces can also be mounted back to back on a timber or aluminium pole, which is how bat heads and separate poles are used, and it is worth checking the extended height puts the face where it needs to be.
Replacement bat head with a heavy duty bracket to suit your own pole. Pairs with our 1.0 to 1.8m aluminium telescopic pole ($40.00 ex GST).
How do traffic controllers use the bat on site?
The AGTTM's traffic controller part sets out the working method, and it is more disciplined than most drivers realise:
- The bat is always used with hand signals, while the controller watches approaching vehicles. The paddle alone is never the whole message.
- The bat is held in the hand closest to traffic, keeping the other hand free to give clear directions and respond if something goes wrong.
- Movement is controlled. Rocking the bat slowly from side to side is fine, as long as the driver can still see the face clearly, and the controller takes care never to show the wrong face to traffic by accident.
- Gaps are judged, not guessed. Controllers choose when to stop and release traffic based on visibility, approach speeds and what the crew on the ground needs.
- Paired controllers coordinate by radio. On shuttle flow through a single lane, one end holds STOP while the other shows SLOW, with standard radio calls confirming the last vehicle through.
- A controller never directs traffic through a standing STOP or GIVE WAY sign, and covering a permanent sign needs written approval from the relevant authority.
Approved portable traffic control devices (boom barriers and portable signal systems) may be used instead of the bat in some jurisdictions, which takes the controller out of the traffic's direct path. Where those devices are used, the bat is still the fallback if the device fails, so it stays at the station.
What changes at night?
Night works raise the bar on visibility. Current Austroads guidance describes night controller kit as a high visibility garment rated for night use, a retroreflective bat, retroreflective signs and cones, and a red illuminated wand used to supplement the bat, with the traffic control station itself well lit. The Class 1 reflective faces on a quality bat are doing real work here: they return headlight beam to the driver long before the controller is visible.
If your crews work after dark, treat the wand and station lighting as part of the bat kit, not extras. Our 340mm LED marshalling wand carries the red illuminated tube that guidance describes, in a waterproof IP67 housing. Check your state's requirements and the TGS for the site, because night provisions are exactly where jurisdictions differ.
What else makes up a traffic control station?
The bat is one part of a controller's station. Current guidance describes the approach to a controller position carrying a PREPARE TO STOP sign used together with the Traffic Controller symbolic sign, and in a multi-message frame it is the 600x600mm PREPARE TO STOP that partners those symbolic panels. Cones lead into the position, and everything on the station must match the traffic guidance scheme for the site.
That is why crews buying bats from us usually carry the matching advance warning panels on the truck as well. If you run multi-message frames, the pairing logic is already set out on our panel listings.
The 600x600mm Traffic Controller symbolic corflute panel, the partner panel to Prepare To Stop TM1-18A in a multi-message frame.
Waterproof 340mm LED wand with the red illuminated tube described in current night-works guidance. Four modes, visible beyond 1km (manufacturer rated).
Do you need training to use one?
Yes. Controlling traffic with a stop slow bat is a trained role. The nationally recognised unit is RIIWHS205E, Control traffic with stop-slow bat, and each state's road authority sets its own requirements for who can control traffic and where. If you are new to the industry, a registered training organisation in your state is the right starting point. This guide covers the equipment; it is not a substitute for training or for the traffic management plan and TGS that govern a real site.
Frequently asked questions
Is a stop slow bat mandatory for traffic controllers?
Where a traffic controller is controlling traffic, current guidance requires a stop slow bat except where an approved portable traffic control device is used in its place. Even then the bat stays at the station as the fallback if the device fails.
What do the sign codes on a stop slow bat mean?
The STOP face is sign R6-8 and the SLOW face is T7-1 under AS 1742.3. The suffix gives the size: A is the 450mm face and B is the 600mm face, so a standard 450mm bat carries R6-8A and T7-1A.
Should I buy a 450mm or 600mm bat?
The 450mm bat is the everyday standard. The 600mm face suits situations where the specification calls for a larger face, and some states reference it for particular conditions. Check the TGS or contract specification for the sites you work, and ask us about 600mm faces if your work calls for them.
How high should the stop slow bat sit?
About 1.8 metres from the ground to the underside of the sign face, per AS 1742.3 and the Austroads guidance. Telescopic handles are built around this height.
Can a traffic controller use hand signals without a bat?
Only in limited situations described in the Austroads guidance, such as temporarily controlling traffic in an emergency, directing pedestrians while the STOP face is displayed to vehicles, or controlling a footpath. For normal traffic control the bat is used with hand signals, not instead of them.
What does a controller carry at night?
Current guidance describes a night rated high visibility garment, a retroreflective bat, retroreflective signs and cones, a red illuminated wand supplementing the bat, and a well lit control station. Night requirements vary by state, so confirm against your TGS.
Kit your crew with gear that lasts
Stop slow bats, advance warning panels, cones and complete traffic control vehicle fit-outs, from an Australian supplier that has been in traffic management since 2009.
Shop the 450mm Stop Slow Bat →Trade pricing available. Pickup from Bayswater North VIC or delivery Australia-wide.
Selection and use of traffic control equipment remain subject to the applicable traffic management plan, traffic guidance scheme, site conditions and relevant authority requirements. This article is general information for the Australian market, not traffic management design advice.