Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance is urging drivers to brush up on some of the lesser-known 350 road rules during Road Rules Awareness Week (March 22 to 28).
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For instance, did you know you can't drive through a yellow (amber) light. You must stop, unless you cannot stop safely before the 'Stop' line. Also, drivers should stay three seconds behind vehicles in front of them.
And then there is roundabouts? Who has the right of way?
According to the new interactive e-book version of the Road User Handbook, when you approach a roundabout, you must slow down or stop to give way to all vehicles already in the roundabout.
"This means giving way to vehicles already in the roundabout on your right, and vehicles that have entered the roundabout from your left or from directly opposite you. So other drivers know what you intend to do, you must indicate when turning at a roundabout. Continue to indicate as you turn," the handbook says.
"When you leave, you must indicate left, if practical. Stop indicating as soon as you have left the roundabout. On multi-lane roundabouts, you must follow the direction of the arrows or signs on the road."
Mr Constance said they want to put a stop to fatalities and trauma suffered when people "disregard or aren't aware of the road rules."
"You might consider yourself a good driver, but keeping your knowledge up to date on even common rules, such as who has right of way at an intersection, is an important part of your responsibility in sharing the road safely," he said.
"The campaign also helps drivers understand why a rule is in place, such as a lower speed limit in a busy pedestrian area. For pedestrians, there's a 90 per cent chance of survival at impact speeds of 30km/h, but only 10 per cent chance of survival at 50km/h. By educating road users about why rules are in place, we hope it'll save lives."
Regional Transport and Roads Minister Paul Toole said this year the state government will invest a record $648 million in road safety, including rolling out thousands of kilometres of audio-tactile line markings, wide centre lines and more crash barriers across regional NSW.
"But the reality is that no road safety initiative can replace the safe choices a driver can make when they get behind the wheel. No matter how trivial you might think a road rule is, it's there for a reason, so brush up on your knowledge to help save even more lives on the road," he said.
