Give way

Stop & give way signs and lines

If you are:

• stopped at a Stop sign or line, or
• facing a Give Way sign or line

You must give way to any vehicle already in, entering or approaching an intersection, except if the vehicle is:

• making a U-turn
• turning left using a slip lane
• oncoming, turning right, and is also facing a Stop or Give Way sign or line.

Intersections without lights, signs or lines

At intersections without traffic lights, signs or road lines:

• you must give way to any vehicle entering or approaching the intersection from your right
• if you are turning right, you must give way to oncoming vehicles going straight through the intersection or turning left (except if they are using a slip lane).

These rules do not apply at T-intersections or roundabouts.

Pedestrians

See our Pedestrians page for the rules about giving way to pedestrians.

Giving way at intersections video

When turning at a T-intersection from the road that ends, you must give way to all vehicles travelling in the road you are turning into (the continuing road).

At some T-intersections the continuing road goes around a corner rather than straight. The road that ends is marked by a line in the centre of the road and Give Way or Stop signs or lines. If you are facing the stop or give way signs or lines you must give way to all vehicles on the continuing road.

Giving way at intersections video

See our Roundabouts page for the rules about giving way at roundabouts.

If you are turning into a two-way road that is divided by a median strip, the Give Way or Stop sign applies for the whole intersection.

If turning from the centre of the divided road, you must obey the signs on the road you are turning from.

If there is no sign, you must give way to all traffic when you enter the road from the break in the median strip.

See our Turning page for the rules about giving way when making a U-turn.

When you can safely perform a U turn video

You must give way to all vehicles and pedestrians when you enter or leave the road from a driveway or adjacent land.

You must give way to all vehicles travelling on the road when you enter the traffic stream from a parked position, or through a break in a median strip.

You must give way to vehicles in the lane or line of traffic, when you change from a lane marked with lines, to another.

This rule applies when crossing over any broken line on the road showing that the lane ends, e.g. merging into freeway traffic.

Merging lanes safely video

When you are zip merging, you must give way to a vehicle which has any part of its vehicle ahead of yours.

Zip merging is when two rows of vehicles merge into one, and there are no lines marked on the road.

You are not zip merging if you cross any lines marked on the road. If you do cross lines marked on the road you must follow the give way rules for changing lanes.

Merging lanes safely video

If you are driving within the same lane as another vehicle, e.g. a car sharing with a bicycle, or two motorcycles, you must give way to the other vehicle if you move left or right within the lane.