RACV head of policy James Williams said National Road Safety Week was a timely reminder that road safety started with understanding the rules.
"Every year we hear from Victorians who are genuinely surprised to learn they've been getting basic road rules wrong, sometimes for decades," Mr Williams said.
"Understanding the rules isn't just about avoiding a fine; it's about keeping yourself, your passengers and everyone else on the road safe.
“If we can clear up even a few of these common misunderstandings, we can help prevent crashes and save lives."
Here are some of Victoria’s most misunderstood road rules, according to RACV:
- A yellow light means stop, not speed up. Drivers should only proceed through a yellow light if stopping would be unsafe.
- You must slow to 40km/h when passing an incident response vehicle with flashing lights. This includes police vehicles, ambulances, breakdown patrols and tow trucks.
- Merging isn't always ‘give way to the right’. In a zip merge — where two lanes join without a dashed line — the vehicle that is clearly ahead goes first. If vehicles are side by side, the one changing lanes must give way. Meanwhile, if there is a dashed line, the vehicle on the left of the line must give way even if they are ahead of the vehicle on the right.
- School zone speed limits apply even when no children are visible. In Victoria, 40km/h school zones are active during set hours on school days, regardless of whether you can see children.
- You must stop for a stationary tram, even if no passengers are visible. Once tram doors close and it’s safe, you may pass at no more than 10km/h.
- Learner and P-plate drivers cannot touch their phone at all, not even hands-free. Unlike fully licensed drivers, they must not touch a mounted device at any point while driving, including at traffic lights.
- Hook turns aren’t optional. If a ‘Hook Turn Only’ sign is displayed, drivers must perform a hook turn. You cannot make a standard right turn at these intersections.
- At roundabouts, you give way to any vehicle already in the roundabout, not just vehicles on your right. And you must indicate when entering and exiting.
- U-turns at traffic lights are legal in Victoria. Victoria is the only state where U-turns at traffic light intersections are permitted by default, unless signage says otherwise.
More than 1300 people were killed and 40,000 seriously injured on roads across Australia last year, and, this year, there have already been more than 100 fatalities on Victorian roads.
Mr Williams said RACV was a proud supporter of National Road Safety Week, which runs from May 17 to 24 this year, and joined the call for Australians to pledge to ‘Drive So Others Survive’.
“National Road Safety Week is a moment to remember those we’ve lost on our roads and stand with those still affected by road trauma,” Mr Williams said.
“At RACV, road safety is at the heart of everything we do.”
For more information on Victoria's road rules, visit racv.com.au/roadrules.
