Should slow cars keep left? Do you need to indicate at roundabouts? And are you allowed to drive through a yellow light?
These are just some of the road rules likely to have drivers scratching their heads.
To clear up the confusion, the NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) has released a list of the top 10 misunderstood road rules as part of the state's first road rules awareness week.
NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay says confusion about road rules can lead to frustration but it can also be dangerous.
"The most dangerous (of the 10) is leaving your lights on high beam approaching someone or following someone," Mr Gay said.
High beam is not permitted if travelling less than 200 metres behind a car going in the same direction or less than 200 metres from an oncoming vehicle.
"The most frustrating (misunderstanding) is people staying in the right hand lane rather than moving left," Mr Gay said.
"The rules are quite clear: unless you're overtaking or making a U-turn or turning to the right you must stay in the left hand lane over 80km an hour and if it's signed, even under 80km an hour."
Other road rules that are poorly understood include drivers having to stop at yellow traffic lights if it is safe to do so; and when approaching a roundabout, using indicators if turning left, right or making a 360-degree turn.
The one that is most disobeyed is the use of mobile phones. NSW, along with other states, introduced much tougher road rules around the use of mobile phones in cars last year.
The Top 10 areas cover:
- Roundabouts
- Giving way to pedestrians when turning
- Mobile phones
- Merging
- Keeping to the left
- Using headlights and foglights
- U-turns
- Safe following distances
- School zones
- Yellow traffic lights.
Although produced by NSW, the road rules around Australia are almost universally uniform. A copy of the guide is available here.
__small.png)
