COPING WITH THE UNEXPECTED
There are no magic formulas or techniques for predicting when
unexpected hazards will pop up when driving. Suggesting that you expect
the unexpected when driving is easy to say, but harder to do.
Applying the following skills can help you reduce the risk of something
unexpected causing problems for you or other road users:

• Scan well ahead of your car – keep your eyes moving to the front, left
and right.
• Look for indicators on other vehicles.
• Observe the head and eye movements of other drivers (eg where are
they looking? At you or at something else).
• Look for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists that may be hidden
by other vehicles or objects – check your blindspots.
• Give yourself plenty of time to detect and cope with hazards and
space to take some action to avoid a crash.
• Be cautious in situations that are new or different (eg roadworks,
crash scenes).
• Make your vehicle easier to see – if it is dull, overcast or raining turn
on your headlights, even during the day.
• Slowing down is a good precaution as it gives you both time and
space to cope with a hazard.
KEY POINTS SUMMARY: EXPECTANCIES AND
THE UNEXPECTED
• Drivers often rely on expectancies when they drive.
• Other drivers will make mistakes and do things that you don’t expect.
• To cope with the unexpected, use a scanning routine and keep a safe
distance from other road users.
• Give yourself plenty of time and space to cope.
• Make your vehicle easier to see – drive with your headlights on

Most crashes involving alcohol happen in what the experts call ‘high
alcohol hours’ – mostly weeknights (particularly Thursday, Friday and
Saturday nights) and weekends.

During these hours about 57 per cent of fatal crashes are alcohol-related.
Outside of these hours (known as ‘low alcohol hours’) only 16 per cent of
fatal crashes are alcohol-related. So, it is more dangerous to drive on Friday
and Saturday nights as other drivers are more likely to be affected by alcohol.
It is worth noting that drivers with alcohol in their blood are not only more
likely to crash, but more likely to die if severely injured in a crash. Alcohol
has an adverse effect on your body when it is trying to cope with injuries
and associated problems such as blood loss. The emergency medical
treatment of injured drivers affected by alcohol is also much harder than
treating injured drivers with no alcohol in their system. Avoiding driving
when you have been drinking not only reduces your risk of crashing but
also reduces your chance of dying if you are seriously injured. So staying
with a zero BAC when driving gives you an edge. It is the safest BAC for
driving regardless of your licence type.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: ALCOHOL AND DRIVING
• Alcohol is a contributing factor in about 20 per cent of fatal crashes
and five per cent of those causing injury.
• More than half the drivers killed have a BAC of 0.15 or more – three
times the legal limit of 0.05 for full licence holders.
• Staying below 0.05 is hard as not everyone takes the same number
of alcoholic drinks to reach this limit.
• Women and people of both sexes who don’t weigh a lot get to higher
BACs faster.
• Men are more likely to drink and drive and more likely to be involved
in alcohol-related crashes.
• Alcohol reduces your ability to concentrate and to look for and
respond to hazards when driving.
• Alcohol slows your reflexes when you need to take action such as
braking.
• Alcohol increases the risk of a crash. Even at a 0.05, crash risk is
about twice what it is at zero.
• The safest BAC for driving is zero.
• About 57 per cent of fatal crashes in ‘high alcohol hours’ are alcoholrelated.

• High intake of alcohol occurs mostly weeknights (particularly
Thursday and Friday nights) and weekends.
• Drivers with alcohol in their blood are not only more likely to crash,
but more likely to die if severely injured in a crash.
• Staying with a zero BAC when driving gives you an edge. It is the safest
BAC for driving regardless of your licence type.

Roundabouts
Many intersections have a central roundabout. Roundabouts manage
the traffic flow in roads with either a single lane or multiple lanes.

Do not drive on the central island of a roundabout unless the size
of your vehicle means that you cannot avoid the wheels crossing
the central kerb.

Making turns and giving way at roundabouts

Approaching a roundabout: Vehicles entering a roundabout must give
way to any vehicle already in the roundabout.
Giving way at a roundabout: means the driver must slow down and if
necessary, stop to avoid a collision.
Turning left: On your approach to a roundabout you must select the left
lane, signal left, stay in the left lane to exit.
Going straight ahead: Do not signal when approaching the roundabout
but always signal left before exiting a roundabout.
You may approach the roundabout from either left or right lanes (unless
there are road markings with other instructions), drive in the same lane
through the roundabout and exit in the same lane.
Turning right: On your approach, to a roundabout you must select the
right lane, signal right, stay in the right lane and signal left before exiting
into the right lane.
Making a U-turn: When you use the roundabout to make a U-turn on
your approach signal right from the right lane, stay in the right lane, but
signal left before exiting into the right lane.
Exiting a roundabout: If practical, you must always signal left when exiting a roundabout.

Roundabouts: Risks to watch for
• Take extra care whenever you drive in a roundabout.
• Keep an eye out for cars that are leaving the roundabout.
• Be careful if changing lanes in a roundabout, particularly
when leaving.
• Look out for vehicles that are making a full turn.
• Watch for bicycles, long vehicles and motorcycles.

Joining the motorway

The approach to a motorway is usually from a road on the left. Watch for a gap then increase your speed to safely merge with the traffic.

Leaving the motorway

Make sure you:

• Move to the lane closest to the exit in plenty of time
• Give a signal and reduce your speed
• Check your speed to ensure you are not going too fast to make a safe exit.

General

Red means stop. Wait behind the stop line.

Do not go through the intersection.

Yellow (amber) means stop. You can enter the intersection if you are so close that sudden braking might cause a crash.

Green means proceed through the intersection carefully.

Turning arrows at traffic lights

Some traffic lights have arrows to control traffic turning right or left.

A green arrow means you can only turn in that direction.

A red arrow means traffic waiting to turn must wait behind the stop line until the arrow turns green or disappears, even if there is no traffic on the road.

You must not go straight ahead or turn left. You may turn right.

You must not turn right but you can go straight ahead or turn left if the way is clear.

When the yellow (amber) arrow is flashing, you may proceed but you must give way to any pedestrian who is crossing the road into which you are turning.

Signs at traffic lights

A STOP sign with three black dots is only seen at traffic lights. It means that if the lights are not working or are flashing yellow and you are approaching this sign, you must stop and give way to traffic as though you are at an intersection with stop signs.

 

This sign allows you to turn left on a red light after stopping. When turning left you must give way to all traffic approaching from the right.

Left turn on red light is only permitted at intersections where the sign has been placed.

 

B signals

B signals separate buses and other vehicles at some intersections with traffic lights for a safer, smoother traffic flow. To ensure B signals work properly never drive in the lanes marked buses only.

B signals are attached to the usual traffic lights. They show a white B on a black background (some traffic lights have a red, yellow and white B signal attached to them). Shortly before the usual traffic signals change to green, the B signal lights up white. All other vehicles stay while the buses may go. Buses may proceed in any direction unless signs or markings indicate otherwise. When the lights turn green other vehicles may move off.

The red and yellow B signals (or the usual red and yellow traffic lights) tell bus drivers when to stop at the intersection.

 

Bicycle riders

Where the traffic at an intersection is controlled by traffic lights, cyclists may have signals that show them when to cross. Cyclists must follow these red, yellow or green bicycle symbols and proceed with care

T signals

T signals are special signals for light rail vehicles. These traffic lights display the letter T. Red or yellow T signals tell the drivers of light rail vehicles when to stop or prepare to stop. A white T signal means that the driver of a light rail vehicle can go.

 

Red light speed cameras

Red light cameras are used to photograph vehicles that go through a red light.

A penalty notice is then sent to the owner of the vehicle, who has the option to:

• Pay the fine.
• Advise Revenue NSW on a statutory declaration the name and address of the person driving at the time of the offence.
• Advise Revenue NSW you want to have the case heard by a court.

If you are crossing the intersection as the light turns yellow (amber) and it is not safe to stop, do not panic. Continue driving through the intersection. The camera only takes a photograph if you cross over the stop line 0.3 seconds after the light has turned red.

Traffic already in the intersection or entering on a yellow (amber) light will not activate the red light camera.

Red light speed cameras use digital technology that is capable of detecting both red-light and speeding offences.

 

Pedestrian signals

When making a turn at an intersection you must give way to pedestrians on the road into which you are turning.

Where the traffic at the intersection is controlled by traffic lights, there may be signals for pedestrians that show them when to cross.

Pedestrians must follow these signals.

Following another vehicle
To calculate a three-second crash avoidance space when following
another vehicle use this basic technique. As the rear of the vehicle in
front of you passes an object at the side of the road such as a power
pole, tree or sign, start a three-second count ‘one thousand and one,
one thousand and two, one thousand and three’.
If your car passes the object you picked before you finish the threesecond
count, you are following too closely. Your crash avoidance space
is not large enough. Slow down, and repeat the count again until the
three-second crash avoidance space is achieved.
In poor driving conditions, such as rain, night and gravel roads, it may
be necessary to increase your crash avoidance space to four or more
seconds.
To reduce the risk of driving into the rear of a vehicle, the threesecond
crash avoidance space is essential, as the vehicle in front has
the potential to stop very quickly if it collides with another vehicle or
stationary object.