Four key road rules that Queenslanders are getting wrong

RACQ Road Safety and Technical Manager Joel Tucker outlines some key mistakes that Queensland drivers are making on our roads, and how to avoid them.

Tailgating: What is the correct following distance?

The first of the misconceptions (and the most common) is tailgating.

Although there is no strict distance that a driver is normally required to leave to the vehicle in front, keeping a safe distance is key to avoiding a collision.

“The recommendation is that you need to give at least a two-second gap between your vehicle and the vehicle in front, in good driving conditions,” Mr Tucker said.

“If it’s raining or you’re towing, you need to leave at least double that distance. The most important thing to do, is to give yourself a good margin for error so if the vehicle in front does stop suddenly, you don’t hit that vehicle.”

There are also different minimum requirements for larger vehicles (like trucks) and combinations.

Roundabouts: Why indicating is important

By indicating correctly on a roundabout, drivers can help improve the flow of traffic and avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

“Indicating your intentions when you’re approaching and driving in the roundabout is very important,” Mr Tucker said.

“Drivers entering a roundabout also need to remember to give way to all vehicles that are already driving in the roundabout.”

For those unsure of when to indicate, here is a short explainer.

Merging: Line markings determine who gives way

In Queensland, there are two rules that apply for merging, and these can be distinguished based on the line marking at the merge point.

“Where there’s a broken line between lanes that becomes a dotted line that continues through the merge point to the end of one of the lanes, the vehicle that is crossing that line needs to give way to the traffic in the lane that they are merging into,” Mr Tucker said. This type of merge is typically used on higher speed roads, motorway entry ramps and at the end of overtaking lanes, along with a ‘Left lane ends, merge right’ sign.

The blue vehicle must give way to the yellow vehicle.

“When there is a lane line that drops out altogether and there’s no line at the merge point, the vehicle that is behind the other vehicle needs to give way, so the vehicle in front goes first.” This type of merge is typically seen on lower speed urban roads after traffic signals, commonly accompanied by a ‘Form 1 lane’ sign. Offering an equal opportunity to merge where the road narrows can encourage traffic to split evenly across both lanes, providing a traffic flow benefit.

The yellow vehicle must give way to the blue vehicle.

Keep left: When you must stay out of the right-hand lane

This rule is clear but causes a lot of disagreement between motorists.

“The rule requires drivers on a multi-lane road with either a ‘keep left unless overtaking’ sign, or a speed limit of 90km/h or more, to stay out of the right-hand lane when they’re driving on that road,” Mr Tucker said.

In these instances, you can only drive in the right-hand lane if:

• 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.

Find out more about Queensland Road rules here.