Australia's road rules are a constant source of debate, with the obvious and the obscure alike costing motorists millions every year in fines.
Think you know them all? Test yourself here.
Topics:
July 8
Overtaking on multi-lane roads can lead to some disagreements between drivers, so here's a chance to settle who really knows the rules, courtesy of Transport and Main Roads Queensland.
In this scenario, these three cars are all travelling at the same sign-posted speed limit of 90km/h.
Which one (or more) of them has to change lanes to obey the keep left rules?
The answer is the orange car.
These are Queensland's rules about keeping left and overtaking:
On multi-lane roads, if the posted speed limit is 90km/h or more, or if the road has a 'keep left unless overtaking' sign, you must not drive in the right-hand lane unless you are:
- overtaking
- turning right
- making a U-turn
- avoiding an obstruction
- driving in congested traffic
- using a special-purpose lane that you are allowed to be in.
The red car is fine, as it's in the left-most lane.
The green car is also fine, because it's not in the right lane.
The orange car is in the wrong, as it's not overtaking its green friend (they're both going the same speed, remember), and doesn't meet any of the other reasons to be in the right lane.
Therefore, it's the one who needs to merge left.
A Facebook user snapped this bizarre attempt at a car park at an EV charging station.
"Congratulations to this person yesterday, who managed to connect to the charger on the right, while parking sideways across the charging bay on the left AND a couple of bonus motorbike parking bays," he wrote.
The photo was posted in the group Tasmania Parking Fails.
But are there rules around parking in EV spaces?
For the record, parking at charging stations follows the same rules as any parking space - ie, one per car.
For that matter, if you don't have an EV at all, you should avoid parking at those stations.
The Australian Road Rules have been amended to declare that "a driver of a vehicle that is not an electric-powered vehicle must not stop in a parking area for electric-powered vehicles".
Such areas, which include but are not limited to charging stations, are indicated by signage.
However, the Australian Road Rules, while broadly adopted by all states and territories, are a model set of rules with no legal force.
South Australia recently announced they had adopted the electric vehicle parking restrictions. You can check whether your jurisdiction has online.
No, your eyes don't deceive you - Transport and Main Roads Queensland appear to have upgraded their graphics. It certainly lends this head-scratcher scenario extra depth.
Vehicle A is entering the road and Vehicle B is leaving the road. There are also people riding bikes and e-scooters along the footpath. Who must give way?
TMR even made this one multiple choice:
A. Vehicle A
B. Vehicle B
C. The bicycle and e-scooter riders
D. Both Vehicle A and Vehicle B
According to TMR, D is the correct answer. Both cars have to give way.
"When you are entering or leaving a road from private property or a driveway, you must give way to pedestrians or bicycle and personal mobility device riders on the footpath or road," they wrote on X.
A motorbike rider with a young child in a sidecar is driving along a road at 80kmh. An orange car follows behind.
Is the orange car following too closely? What is the recommended safe following distance?
Absolutely, the orange car is following much too closely here for the speed limit.
In ideal conditions, a driver should stay at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front, according to Transport and Main Roads Queensland.
In Queensland, the driver can be issued with an on-the-spot fine of $361 and receive one demerit point for following too closely.
However, the penalty will be much greater if they cause a crash and are found guilty of careless or dangerous driving.
In other states such as New South Wales, a three-second stopping distance is recommended.
A Sydneysider has taken to Reddit to highlight a key fact about penalty notices issued by private parking operators.
They posted a picture of a penalty for $65 that had been issued for exceeding the time limits in the private carpark.
However, as the Redditor pointed out, the fine print - no pun intended - stipulates quite bluntly that the penalty is not a fine.
This means it is not enforceable by Revenue NSW.
However, the carpark operator - or a debt collector - can still attempt to legally obtain the money through a small claims court proceeding.
Additionally, the recipient of a penalty notice can contact the issuer to apply to have the claim of debt withdrawn if they feel the notice was improperly issued.
A Melbourne man having a smoke break in his car copped a $1120 penalty after he was spotted tossing the butt out the window on Sydney Road in Campbellfield.
EPA Victoria issued the man with a littering fine after a witness reported him to the 24-hour pollution hotline, on 19 May 2023.
The case went to court, where the magistrate fined the man $730 and ordered him to pay $380 in costs.
The Environmental Protection Authority says cigarette butts are the most common form of litter, which often end up following drains and waterways to the bay.
Lit cigarettes can cause fires if they land among grass or bush.
Members of the public can report pollution by calling EPA's 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online.
In this head-scratcher, a bus displaying a "give way to buses" sign is indicating it is about to pull out from a bus stop.
Must the driver of the purple car give way?
Absolutely, according to Transport and Main Roads Queensland, who posted the question on X.
"When you are driving in a built-up area and the speed limit is 70km/hr or less, you must give way to a bus that displays a give way to buses sign on its back right-hand side, and is signalling to enter traffic from a bus zone, bus stop or bus stop bay, the shoulder of the road, or the left side of the road," they wrote.
The blue car is presumably just there for the aesthetic.
This image has sparked anger online, with numerous individuals questioning whether it's legal for a child to ride on Victorian roads.
This picture was taken in the inner-city suburb of Carlton, with the man holding his hand out to guide the child while cars passed them.
Children under the age of 12 may ride on footpaths, as can a supervising adult.
They are required to give way to pedestrians and to wheel their bicycles over pedestrian and children's crossings.
Children aged 12 years or older are required by law to ride on the road.
It's recommended that children under the age of nine are supervised by an adult when riding on the road.
This bicycle rider wants to make a right turn at the roundabout despite being in a clearly marked left-hand lane.
Are they able to do it?
According to Transport and Main Roads Queensland, yes.
"A person riding a bicycle may enter the roundabout and turn right from the left or right lane. This recognises the unique characteristics and maneuverability of bicycles, ensuring safer navigation for riders," the department wrote on X.
"But, a bike rider who's riding in the far-left marked lane of a roundabout with two or more marked lanes or a roundabout with room for two or more lines of traffic (other than animals, bicycles, motorbikes or motorised wheelchairs) must give way to any vehicle leaving the roundabout."
A driver in regional New South Wales raised police eyebrows when highway patrol officers spotted his trailer.
No, your eyes did not deceive you. The driver, pulled over on the Newell Highway near Gilgandra, was missing a wheel on their trailer.
Police said on Facebook the trailer was grounded and the driver issued with a number of penalty notices.
Astonishingly, police said, the man was unaware of the problem when he set out that day, prompting them to remind road users to inspect their vehicles before travel.