Traffic Lights and Lanes

Overview

At a Glance: This topic covers what each traffic light and arrow means, which painted lines you may cross, how to merge and change lanes, and who can use bus, transit and other special lanes. Many questions use diagrams, so learn the rules well enough to apply them to a picture.

Traffic lights and lanes questions come up often in the road safety part of the DKT. Some rules are close cousins and easy to mix up, such as the steady and flashing yellow arrow, or the T2 and T3 lanes. The tables below set those pairs side by side.

Traffic Lights

Signal	What it means
Red light	Stop behind the Stop line and stay stopped until it turns green, even late at night with no traffic.
Yellow (amber) light	Stop, unless you can’t stop safely before the line. Don’t speed up to beat it.
Green light	Go if it’s safe. To turn right with no arrow, wait for a safe gap in oncoming traffic.
Green arrow	Turn in that direction. Even if the round light is red, you don’t need to stop first.
Red arrow	Don’t turn that way until the arrow goes green or switches off.
Steady yellow arrow	Stop, unless you can’t stop safely.
Flashing yellow arrow	You may turn, but give way to pedestrians crossing the road you’re entering.

Situations Worth Knowing

• Caught mid-turn: if you’re waiting in the intersection to turn right and the lights change to yellow or red, finish your turn as soon as it’s safe.
• Left turn on red: where a “Left turn on red permitted after stopping” sign is shown, stop at the red light first. Then turn when it’s clear, giving way to traffic from the right and to pedestrians.
• U-turns: not allowed at traffic lights unless a “U-turn permitted” sign is shown.
• Temporary lights: the lights at roadworks carry the same legal force as permanent ones. Stop on red at the “Stop here on red signal” sign.
• Before moving off on green: check that the intersection is clear first.

Key Fact: NSW red-light speed cameras detect two offences: entering on red, and speeding at any time, whether the light is red, yellow or green.

Dividing Lines and Overtaking

Line nearest to you	Overtake across it?	Enter or leave the road?	U-turn across it?
Single broken line	Yes, if the road ahead is clear	Yes	Yes
Single continuous line	No	Yes, by the shortest route	No
Double continuous lines	No	Yes, by the shortest route	No
Double line, broken line on your side	Yes, if clear	Yes	Yes
Double line, continuous line on your side	No	Yes, by the shortest route	No

You may also cross continuous lines to avoid an obstruction. You may cross them to pass a bicycle rider if you have a clear view of oncoming traffic and it’s safe. Overtaking a slow car or truck across them is never allowed.

If a broken line is about to become continuous and you can’t finish the pass in time, don’t start it. The faster the vehicle you’re passing, the more road you need, and you can’t go over the speed limit to overtake.

Edge lines mark the side of the road. When turning, you may drive on or over an edge line if you need to.

Lane Use and Merging

• Changing lanes: indicate in good time, check your mirrors, do a head check over your shoulder and give way to vehicles in the lane you’re moving into.
• Lane ends, line marked: if you cross a lane line because your lane ends, give way to vehicles already in the lane you’re moving into.
• Lanes merge, no markings: give way to the vehicle that’s ahead of you. This is the “zipper” merge.
• Keep left: on roads over 80 km/h, or where a “Keep left unless overtaking” sign is shown, stay out of the right lane unless you’re overtaking, turning right, making a U-turn, avoiding an obstruction, or in congested traffic.
• One-way streets: turn right from the far right side of the road.
• Indicate before turning, changing lanes, merging, making a U-turn, pulling out and pulling over. Following a bend in the road doesn’t need a signal.

Motorway Signals

• Red cross over a lane: the lane is closed ahead. Move out of it when it’s safe.
• White arrow pointing down to the left or right: merge in the direction of the arrow.
• White arrow pointing up to the left or right: the road ahead is closed and you must exit.
• Ramp meters: only one vehicle per lane goes on each green.

Special Lanes

Lane	Who may use it	Allowance for other vehicles
T2 transit lane	Vehicles with 2+ people, including the driver	Up to 100 m to enter or leave the road, or to pass a vehicle turning right
T3 transit lane	Vehicles with 3+ people, including the driver	Up to 100 m (same reasons)
Bus lane	Buses, taxis, HC hire cars, motorcycles, bicycles	Up to 100 m
Bus-only lane	Buses only	None
Bicycle lane, tram lane	Bicycles; trams	Up to 50 m
Median turning lane	Right-turning vehicles from both directions	Give way to vehicles already in it

Some vehicles can use transit lanes whatever their passenger count, including buses, taxis, motorcycles, bicycles and emergency vehicles. Rideshare cars aren’t on that list.

DKT Tip: The number in a transit lane sign counts the driver. In a T2 lane you plus one passenger is fine. In a T3 lane you need two passengers.

Try the Traffic Lights and Lanes quiz.

Common Mistakes on the DKT

• Treating yellow as “hurry up”. It means stop if you safely can.
• Mixing up steady and flashing yellow arrows. Steady means stop. Flashing means go, but give way to pedestrians.
• Overtaking across continuous lines because the road looks clear. It’s illegal unless you’re passing a bike rider or avoiding an obstruction.
• Forgetting that the driver counts in T2 and T3.
• Using the 100 m allowance for bicycle and tram lanes. It’s 50 m for those lanes.
• Waiting for green after a green arrow. A green arrow already lets you turn.