Local Laws

Waze Community Wazeopedia Australia Wazeopedia Our Community
1

Template of topic 380525, post 1

Template of topic 380209, post 9

While the Australian Road Rules provide an overarching framework for driving across the country, each state and territory has their own unique differences that editors need to be aware of. This topic aims to capture these for quick reference.

Quick Reference Guide

State Cross Single Centreline Cross Double Centreline Cross Painted Island U-Turn at Traffic Light Default Speed Urban Default Speed Other
ACT Tick_80px Cross_80px Tick_80px u-turn-permitted-80px 50kph_80px 100_80px
NSW Tick_80px Tick_80px Tick_80px u-turn-permitted-80px 50kph_80px 100_80px
NT Tick_80px Tick_80px Tick_80px u-turn-permitted-80px 60kph-80px 110kph-80px
Qld Tick_80px Cross_80px Tick_80px u-turn-permitted-80px 50kph_80px 100_80px
SA Tick_80px Cross_80px Tick_80px u-turn-permitted-80px 50kph_80px 100_80px
Tas Tick_80px Cross_80px Tick_80px u-turn-permitted-80px 50kph_80px Sealed - 100km/h
Unsealed - 80km/h
Vic Tick_80px Cross_80px Tick_80px Tick_80px 50kph_80px 100_80px
WA Tick_80px Tick_80px Tick_80px u-turn-permitted-80px 50kph_80px 110kph-80px

Australian Capital Territory

Road Markings [1]

Type Can cross to Cannot cross
Continuous centre line (either single or to the left of a broken line) Enter or leave a driveway Any other time
Double continuous centre line Pass a cyclist Any other time
Continuous centre line with a broken centre line

(driving on the side of the broken line)
  • Enter or leave a driveway
  • Overtake
  • Make a u-turn
 N/A
Painted islands and medians Drive up to 50m to:
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Enter a turning lane that begins immediately after
 If the island:
  • Is surrounded by double lines
  • Separates traffic travelling in the same direction

U-Turns [1:1]

Location U-turn permitted
Traffic light (signalised intersection) If signed with “U-turn Permitted”
Without traffic light (non-signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign

Speed limits [1:2]

Area Default speed limit
Built-up areas - areas with street lights and buildings next to the road less than 100m apart 50 km/h
All other roads 100 km/h

New South Wales

Road Lines and Markings [2]

Type Can cross to Other conditions
Single continuous centre line
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Angle park on the opposite side of the road, without u-turning.
 Cannot otherwise cross.
Double continuous centre line
  • Enter or leave the road by the shortest route.
 Cannot otherwise cross.
Continuous centre line with a broken centre line

(driving on the side of the broken line)
  • Overtake
  • U-turn
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Angle park on the opposite side of the road, without u-turning.
 N/A
Continuous centre line with a broken centre line

(driving on the side of the continuous line)

 See Single continuous centre line. N/A
Painted islands Drive up to 50m to:
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Enter a turning lane that begins immediately after
  • Angle park on the opposite side of the road, without u-turning.
 Must not drive on if:
  • Separates 2 lanes of traffic travelling in the same direction
  • Is surrounded by double lines
  • Separates the road from a slip lane.

U-Turns [3]

Location U-turn permitted
Traffic light (signalised intersection) If signed with “U-turn Permitted”
Without traffic light (non-signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign

Speed limits [4]

Area Default speed limit
Built-up areas - areas with street lights and buildings next to the road less than 100m apart 50 km/h
All other roads 100 km/h

Northern Territory

Road Markings [5]

Unless a sign tells you otherwise, you can cross any type of dividing line when:

  • turning right at an intersection or
  • to park in angle parking on the opposite side of the road.

You must not drive on a section of painted road that is surrounded by double lines.

You can drive on a painted island that is surrounded by single continuous or broken lines for up to 50m to enter or leave the road, or to enter a turning lane that begins immediately after the painted island.

U-Turns [6]

Location When permitted
Traffic light (signalised intersection) If signed with “U-turn Permitted”
Without traffic light (non-signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign

Speed Limits [7]

Area Default speed limit
Built-up areas - areas with buildings, not over 100 metres apart, next to the road or street lighting at intervals under 100 metres for a distance of at least 500 metres, or for the whole road if the road is shorter than 500 metres. 60 km/h
All other roads 110 km/h

Note: Many towns and communities across the NT have chosen to have a default speed limit of 50km/h or less. Where a default speed limit applies to a built-up area, a speed limit sign is placed on each road approaching that locality.

Queensland

Road Markings [8]

Type Can cross to Cannot cross
Continuous centre line (either single or to the left of a broken line) Enter/leave a road or property
  • To make a u-turn
  • To overtake vehicles
Double continuous centre line Pass bicycle riders All other circumstances
Continuous centre line with a broken centre line

(driving on the side of the broken line)
  • Enter/leave a road or property
  • Overtake
  • Make a u-turn
 N/A
Painted islands and medians Drive up to 50m to:
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Enter a turning lane that begins immediately after
 If the island:
  • Is surrounded by double lines
  • Separates traffic travelling in the same direction

U-Turns [9]

Location When permitted
Traffic light (signalised intersection) If signed with “U-turn Permitted”
Without traffic light (non-signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign
Others - children’s crossings, level crossings, marked foot or pedestrian crossings If signed with “U-turn Permitted”

Speed Limits [10]

Area Default speed limit
Built-up areas - access to private property and/or limited neighbourhood traffic movement. Some industrial and commercial areas also have local streets. 50 km/h
All other roads 100 km/h

Note: Roads that carry traffic through suburbs and across towns have a speed limit of 60km/h or higher. The speed limit on these roads is clearly signed.

South Australia

Road Lines and Markings[11]

Type Can cross to Cannot cross
Single continuous centre line

(or single continuous line to the left of a broken line)

  • Enter/leave a road
  • Enter a turning lane that begins immediately after the island
  • Park in angle parking on the opposite side of the road
  • Safely overtake a bicycle rider
  • To make a u-turn
  • To overtake vehicles
Double continuous centre line
  • Avoid an obstruction
  • Safely overtake a bicycle rider
 All other circumstances
Painted islands and medians Drive up to 50m to:
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Enter a turning lane that begins immediately after
 If the island:
  • Is surrounded by double lines
  • Separates traffic travelling in the same direction

U-Turns [12]

Location When permitted
Traffic light (signalised intersection) If signed with “U-turn Permitted”
Without traffic light (non-signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign

Speed limits [13]

Area Default speed limit
Built-up areas 50 km/h
Outside of built-up area 100 km/h
School zone 25km/h

Tasmania

Road Lines and Markings [14] [15]

Type Can cross to Cannot cross
Single continuous centre line
  • Turn into/from another road, driveway or carpark
  • Avoid hazards or pass a bicycle
  • Lane filter if a motorcycle
  • To make a u-turn
  • To overtake vehicles
Double continuous centre line Avoid hazard or pass a bicycle All other circumstances
Double broken centre line
  • Turn into/from another road, driveway or carpark
  • Avoid hazards or pass a bicycle
  • To make a u-turn
  • To overtake vehicles
Continuous centre line with a broken centre line

(driving on the side of the broken line)
  • Overtake
  • Turn into/from another road, driveway or carpark
  • U-turn
  • Avoid hazard or pass a bicycle
 N/A
Continuous centre line with a broken centre line

(driving on the side of the continuous line)
  • Turn into/from another road, driveway or carpark
  • Avoid hazard or pass a bicycle
  • To make a u-turn
  • To overtake vehicles
Painted islands and medians Drive up to 50m to:
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Enter a turning lane that begins immediately after
 If the island:
  • Is surrounded by double lines
  • Separates traffic travelling in the same direction

U-Turns [16]

Location When permitted
Traffic light (signalised intersection) If signed with “U-turn Permitted”
Without traffic light (non-signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign

Default Speed Limits [17]

Area Default speed limit
Urban roads (in built-up areas) 50 km/h
Sealed rural road (outside built-up areas) 100 km/h
Unealed rural road (outside built-up areas) 80km/h

Victoria

Road Markings [18]

Type Can cross to Cannot cross
Broken dividing lines, or a broken line to the left of an unbroken line
  • Enter/leave a road or property
  • Overtake
  • Make a u-turn
 N/A
Single unbroken dividing lines, or a broken line to the right of an unbroken line
  • Enter/leave a road or property
  • Overtake a bicycle rider
  • Overtake
  • Make a u-turn
Double unbroken dividing lines
  • Avoid something
  • Overtake a bicycle rider
  • Overtake
  • Make a u-turn
Painted islands and medians Drive up to 50m to:
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Enter a turning lane that begins immediately after
 If the island:
  • Is surrounded by double lines
  • Separates traffic travelling in the same direction

U-Turns [19]

Location When permitted
Traffic light (signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign
Without traffic light (non-signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign
Others - children’s crossings, level crossings, marked foot or pedestrian crossings If signed with “U-turn Permitted”
Other locations Only if there is no single or double continuous line down the centre of the road

Default Speed Limits [20]

Area Default speed limit
Built-up areas 50 km/h
Outside of built-up area 100 km/h
School zone 40km/h

Note: Variable speed limits are used on some metropolitan freeways (e.g. Monash Freeway and M80 Ring Road). In Waze, the speed limit is set to the higher speed limit (100 km/h as that is their speed limit most of the time). When an incident occurs on the freeway, the electronic signs can lower the speed limit to as low as 40 km/h depending on the situation, but they will flash brightly so that drivers are aware of this.

Western Australia

Road Markings [21] [22]

Type Can cross to Cannot cross
Single continuous (unbroken) white lines
  • Enter/leave the road
  • Turn at an intersection
  • Make a u-turn
  • Overtake
  • Change lanes
Double continuous (unbroken) lines
  • Enter/leave the road
  • Turn right at an intersection
  • Make a u-turn
  • Overtake
Continuous line marked on your side of the road and a broken line marked on the other side
  • Enter/leave the road
  • Turn right at an intersection
  • Make a u-turn
  • Overtake
  • Make a u-turn
Broken line is on your side (to the left) of a continuous line
  • Overtake
  • Enter/leave the road
  • Turn right at an intersection
  • Make a u-turn
 N/A
Painted islands and medians Drive up to 50m to:
  • Enter or leave the road
  • Enter a turning lane that begins immediately after
 If the island:
  • Is surrounded by double lines
  • Separates traffic travelling in the same direction

U-Turns [23]

Location When permitted
Traffic light (signalised intersection) If signed with “U-turn Permitted”
Without traffic light (non-signalised intersection) Unless a “No U-turn” sign

Default Speed Limits [24]

Area Default speed limit
Built-up areas 50 km/h
Rural or undeveloped areas 110 km/h

Note: Area speed zones are also in place in WA. The entry to an area will have “Area” indicated, and that limit applies for all roads from that point. The end of the Area is signposted with an “END AREA” black text, with the speed zone limit in a black circle.

Variable speed limits are placed on the main Freeway State Route 2 (Kwinana Freeway currently, expanding to the Mitchell Freeway). These indicate a default speed on the gantry if the signs are blank, however in Waze they are mapped to the “usual” speed for the freeway. (For example, the main part is usually 100 km/h, however when blank the speed limit is 80 km/h.) Usual operations have the speed limit always showing on the gantry, with the lower limit a safety buffer if the freeway monitoring systems fail.

  1. Road rules - Access Canberra ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/road-lanes-lines-markings/road-lines-markings ↩︎

  3. https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/stopping-giving-way-turning/u-turns-three-point-turns ↩︎

  4. https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/safe-driving/speed-limits-and-cameras/speed-limits ↩︎

  5. https://nt.gov.au/driving/safety/road-rules-in-nt/road-markings ↩︎

  6. https://nt.gov.au/driving/safety/road-rules-in-nt/changing-lanes-and-turning ↩︎

  7. https://nt.gov.au/driving/safety/speed-limits ↩︎

  8. https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/lines ↩︎

  9. https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/traffic-lights ↩︎

  10. https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/speed-limits ↩︎

  11. https://mylicence.sa.gov.au/road-rules/the-drivers-handbook/driving-road ↩︎

  12. https://mylicence.sa.gov.au/road-rules/the-drivers-handbook/signals#uturn ↩︎

  13. https://www.mylicence.sa.gov.au/roadrules/the-drivers-handbook/speed-limits ↩︎

  14. https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/road_safety_and_rules/road_rules/tasmanian_road_rules/tasmanian_road_rules_booklet ↩︎

  15. https://rsac.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Top-five-misunderstood-road-rules-DL-20181205-WEB.pdf ↩︎

  16. https://rsac.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DSG5432-Top-10-Misunderstood-Road-Rules-DL-WEB-FINAL-Web-ready.pdf ↩︎

  17. https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/managing_the_roads/speed_limits_in_tasmania/speed_limits_under_review ↩︎

  18. https://transport.vic.gov.au/road-rules-and-safety/road-markings ↩︎

  19. https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/turning ↩︎

  20. https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/speed-limits ↩︎

  21. https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/licensing/DVS_DL_B_DriveSafeFull_o.pdf ↩︎

  22. WALW - Road Traffic Code 2000 - Home Page ↩︎

  23. Road rules explained ↩︎

  24. https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/technical-commercial/technical-library/road-traffic-engineering/traffic-management/speed-zones/ ↩︎

Wazeopedia Australia - Main Page