Western Australia · Drive Safe · chapter 7 · 19 min read

Emergencies and Incidents

3.14.2 Turning

The rules when making a turn are as follows:

• ƒ When turning left you must:
• indicate/signal before you turn and move close to the left side of the road;
• when ‘turning lanes’ are marked, move into the lane marked for left turns;
• look out for cyclists and give way to them if you are crossing a bicycle lane or shoulder of the road;
• give way to pedestrians and turn only when it is safe to do so; and
• keep close to the left of the road after turning.
• ƒ When turning right you must:
• indicate/signal before you turn;
• when lanes are not marked, move as close as possible to the left of the centre of the road and turn to the right of the centre of the intersection;
• when turning right into a multi-lane carriageway (where turning lanes are not marked) the driver can enter the carriageway in any lane that is to the left of the centre of that carriageway, provided it can be completed without interference to other traffic;
• on a one-way street, turn from the right side of the road unless there are turning lanes marked that allow alternate turning; and
• give way to pedestrians and turn only when it is safe to do so.

3.14.3 ‘U’ turns You must not make a ‘U’ turn: ƒ unless the turn can be made safely and without interfering with the movement of other traffic; ƒ if there is a ‘NO U TURN’ sign; ƒ at traffic control signals (unless there is a ‘U TURN PERMITTED’ sign); or ƒ on a freeway.

• Remember, when making a ‘U’ turn, the correct procedure is to: ƒ look in your rear view mirror; ƒ indicate/signal your intentions; ƒ check for following traffic by glancing over your shoulder; and ƒ turn only if it is safe to do so. 3.14.4 Turning at a multi-lane intersection When turning at a multi-lane intersection: ƒ move into the correct lane early, do not change lanes at the last moment; ƒ do not cross unbroken lane lines (unless you are driving a vehicle 7.5 metres long or longer and you cannot turn from within a single lane); ƒ be in the correct position on the roadway before the intersection; and ƒ if you are in a lane marked with an arrow, you must go in the direction of the arrow. Remember, turn only when you can see clearly – large vehicles such as buses, trucks and vans may block your view of approaching traffic. Multi-lane intersection
• 3.15 Changing Lanes A high percentage of crashes occur when vehicles change lanes. This is because drivers changing lanes are often not aware that another vehicle is already in the lane into which they wish to move. To change lanes safely you should: ƒ check your internal and external mirrors; ƒ indicate/signal to change lanes for a sufficient distance to warn other drivers of your intentions before beginning your manoeuvre (the higher the speed the greater the indicator/signalling distance you must give); ƒ glance over your left or right shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in your blind spot; ƒ check for other drivers who may also be moving into the lane; ƒ give way to vehicles already in the lane you are entering; ƒ never change lanes while going through, or approaching an intersection; and ƒ never change lanes where the line between lanes is a continuous line. If someone ahead of you indicates/signals that they wish to change into your lane be courteous and let them in.

3.16 Overtaking