Road rule that had Queenslanders stumped in 2022

Week in, week out RACQ tests Queenslanders on their road rules knowledge by publishing traffic quizzes on social media.

From navigating roundabouts to understanding who gives way at a four-way intersection and knowing how to merge on a motorway, RACQ’s traffic quizzes are created for Queenslanders to test their knowledge of the road rules.

Although each of the 38 published quizzes in 2022 generated plenty of discussion, there was one quiz which stood out as the most challenging.

Four-way intersection quiz.

This four-way intersection quiz asked the question: In what order should the cars enter the intersection?

(The answer is at the bottom of this story.)

RACQ’s Traffic and Safety Engineering Manager Gregory Miszkowycz, who helps oversee the design of the weekly quizzes, said he wasn’t surprised it tricked so many people.

“The quiz raised a common misconception that a ‘stop’ sign required drivers to give way to all other vehicles facing a ‘give way' sign,” Mr Miszkowycz said.

“In fact, the only difference is that a driver facing a ‘stop' sign must first come to a complete stop, before then giving way as per the road rules.

“Ultimately, it’s important to take your time at these locations, and make sure you give way correctly to avoid a crash.”  

The most engaged quiz of the year received more than 1,400 comments and helped settle the debate of how to correctly indicate when driving straight through a roundabout. 

Roundabout quiz.

The answer is no indicator is required before entering or on the roundabout when driving straight through, but a left indicator is required when exiting, if practicable.

Mr Miszkowycz said roundabouts could also be challenging for motorists.

“Although knowing how to indicate can be daunting, when driving straight through a roundabout, there is no need to indicate until you are exiting the roundabout, where, if practicable, you need a quick flick of the left indicator to show others you are leaving the roundabout,” he said.

Two other quizzes during the year which also created deliberation among motorists dealt with merging and the legal overtaking distance when passing a cyclist. 

Question: The yellow vehicle has good forward visibility with no other vehicles approaching. Can the yellow vehicle overtake the cyclist as shown?

Answer: The answer is no. The yellow vehicle must pass the cyclist at a distance of at least 1.5m for roads with speed limits over 60km/h. 

Question: Who gives way where the road narrows in scenarios A and B?

Answer: The answer is yellow in scenario A and blue in scenario B. When merging at a location without markings whichever car is behind must give way, but where your lane comes to an end as shown by markings, you must give way to a vehicle in the lane you are entering.

Four-way intersection quiz

Answer: The correct order is red, green, blue, yellow. Red goes first because the vehicle is not facing any give way/stop sign or line. The other vehicles are facing give way/stop signs so they must give way to the right. So yellow must give way to blue, and blue must give way to green.

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