Is it unlawful to at all times drive within the right-hand lane?

If you’ve pushed on a highway in Australia, you’ll know that one of the disobeyed guidelines of the highway is the traditional “keep left unless overtaking”.

• Keep left, except you’re overtaking – the signal says all of it!
• Right-lane hogs may be fined
• Penalties differ between states and territories

It means what it says. If you’re driving on a highway with multiple lane, you need to preserve left except you’re overtaking. But there are variations in the best way the rule is carried out and interpreted throughout the nation.

Generally talking, when you’re driving on a multi-lane highway with a velocity restrict of lower than 80km/h (consider these inner-city arterials that at all times appear to be crawling at crabs’ tempo), you may drive in no matter lane you need.

But if the highway is a motorway, freeway or freeway with the next velocity restrict, it’s greatest to not populate the precise lane completely, as you possibly can face fines and demerit factors when you’re not overtaking different highway customers.

Here’s a rundown of the principles throughout the nation:

New South Wales

In NSW, when you’re driving on a highway that has a sign-posted velocity restrict above 80km/h (so, in 90km/h zones, or roads with velocity limits increased than that) it’s a must to preserve left except you’re overtaking somebody.

That’s the overall rule, however there are some exceptions:

NSW highway guidelines state: “You must not drive in the right lane, unless you’re overtaking, turning right, making a U-turn, not turning left and there’s a ‘Left lane must turn left’ sign or traffic lights with a left arrow signal, avoiding an obstruction, driving in traffic that’s stopped or travelling slowly in the left lane, driving a bus or a truck and the right lane is for buses or trucks only, overtaking a slow vehicle making a left turn.”

Situations the place it’s good to overtake utilizing the left lane embrace when the automobile you’re overtaking is: “waiting to turn right or make a U-turn from the centre of the road; stopped; travelling on a multi-lane road”.

In some cases you might be allowed to make use of the left lane if there’s stopped visitors in the precise lane, and also you’re allowed to: cross the periphery strains (for a most 100m), drive in a bus lane, transit lane or truck lane (for a most 100m), or drive in a bicycle lane or tram lane (for a most 50m).

Get caught doing the fallacious factor and the nice is $349 and two demerit factors.

Queensland

In QLD, the principles are clear. “On single-lane roads, you must stay as close as practical to the left side of the road.”

But if the highway has a number of lanes and if the velocity restrict is 90km/h or above, or if the roadway has signage stating ‘Keep Left Unless Overtaking’, then you should not use the precise lane except you might be: overtaking; turning proper; making a U-turn; avoiding an obstruction; driving in congested visitors; or utilizing a particular function lane that you’re allowed to be in.

And in information that can upset anybody who believes in correct lane etiquette (right here’s you, Germany) it’s authorized for drivers to “overtake on the left on all multi-lane roads”. 

You can nonetheless be fined for sticking in the precise lane when you’re not doing any of the above-mentioned actions. The penalty is a $123 nice and two demerit factors.

Victoria

The guidelines for Victoria state that drivers on “any multi-lane road with a speed limit over 80km/h… must keep out of the right lane”.

But as with the opposite states, there are some exceptions, reminiscent of if you’re overtaking or turning proper, or all lanes are congested. Further, “if the right lane is a transit lane, this rule applies to the lane immediately to the left of the transit lane”.

Note the wording of the rule, although. If you learn between the strains (or ought to that be lanes?) it primarily means the far-right lane is off limits except overtaking.

If you’re on one of many six-lane freeways, the rule means you need to use lanes one by way of 5 as you want. 

Get caught being naughty, and you possibly can be up for 2 demerits and some hundred bucks in fines.

South Australia

The SA police want when you preserve to the “far left side of the road” in multi-lane conditions, lest you face a $355 nice and two demerits. 

One factor that’s completely different about SA is that roads with velocity limits at 80km/h or extra don’t have to have “keep left” signage current.

It’s understood, if the velocity restrict is excessive and there’s multiple lane obtainable to be pushed in, that highway customers ought to preserve within the far-left lane and reserve the precise lanes for overtaking solely. 

Western Australia

The large state has fairly related guidelines to the remainder of the nation. If the velocity restrict is 90km/h or extra, it’s good to preserve left. Under 90km/h, you solely want to take action if there’s signage stating as a lot. 

As with different states, you’re allowed to ignore the preserve left indicators when you’re overtaking, making a U-turn, avoiding an obstruction, if the left lane is a turning lane and also you’re not turning, or if the left lane is a particular use lane (bus, gradual automobile turnout lane and so on). 

Further, if different lanes are congested with visitors, you may stick in the precise. 

The nice is teeny, at $50, nevertheless it nonetheless has two demerit factors connected to it. 

Northern Territory 

In the NT the principles state that if the highway has multiple lane and a velocity restrict of greater than 80km/h, or it has a ‘keep left unless overtaking’ signal, then you should preserve to the left facet of the highway.

And in a pleasant contact, NT additionally reminds highway customers that, when they’re being overtaken, they have to not enhance their velocity, should additionally preserve left and permit sufficient house for the overtaking automobile, and in addition keep inside their lane.

No demerit factors or fines for this doing the fallacious factor, and get this: Northern Territory doesn’t do double demerits, both!

ACT

In the Australian Capital Territory – aka, the land of the roundabout – when you drive in the precise lane and also you’re not overtaking (and the highway’s velocity restrict is over 80km/h) you possibly can be fined $316 and smacked with two demerit factors.

Tasmania

The expectation is that, in Tassie, if the velocity restrict is above 80km/h, you need to preserve to the left except you’re overtaking – whether or not there are indicators to state it, or not.

Failure to observe the rule may end in a $146.25 nice, and two demerit factors.

And as a result of cyclists are highway customers, too, when you’re driving your bike in the precise lane on a highway with ‘keep left’ indicators, you possibly can face a $130 nice. 

Not meant as authorized recommendation. Check with the related roads authority in your state or territory.