Don’t slip up when turning
You’re heading east on Greenhill Road and pull up at the Unley Road intersection. You’re suddenly overwhelmed by a craving for Singapore noodles from the Adelaide Central Market, but you’ve already passed the left-turn slip lane. Can you still turn left at the intersection?
According to the Australian Road Rules (ARR), you can’t legally make the turn. The rules state a driver turning left at an intersection from a multi-lane road with a slip lane, must approach and enter the intersection from the slip lane.
The ARRs define a multi-lane road as a one-way or two-way road with two or more marked lanes (except bicycle lanes) that are on the side of the dividing or median strip.
This means that even a single-lane road becomes a multi-lane road at the start of the slip lane, so it’s best not to perform this manoeuvre at any junction with a slip lane.
Turning left beyond the slip lane could cause confusion among other road users, including:
- Drivers behind you travelling straight ahead, waiting for you to complete the left turn
- Cyclists travelling straight ahead in the same direction
- Pedestrians crossing the road you’re turning into
- Anyone turning left at the slip lane, who isn’t expecting a vehicle to be entering the road from that point.
Penalty
The penalty for breaking this rule is $399 plus $105 Victims of Crime Levy and two demerit points.