Every intersection comes down to one question: who goes first? Victoria’s give way rules answer that question for every kind of intersection you’ll meet, from a quiet T-intersection in a back street to a six-lane crossing with a slip lane on each corner.
This guide sets out the give way rules in Victoria in plain English: what “give way” means in law, how signs, lines and traffic lights change who has priority, what happens at intersections with no signs at all, and the special cases that catch learners out, such as slip lanes, driveways, merging lanes, buses and emergency vehicles. Every rule here comes from Transport Victoria (which now runs the VicRoads road rules pages) or the Road Safety Road Rules 2017. We’ve listed every source at the end, and those pages are the final word if anything here doesn’t match what you see on the road.
What “give way” actually means
“Give way” doesn’t mean “stop”. The Road Safety Road Rules 2017 explain that to give way, the driver must slow down and, if necessary, stop to avoid a collision. If the road is clear, you can keep moving. If it isn’t, you slow or stop and let the other road user go first.
Both halves matter on test day. You can’t force anyone to brake or swerve because you pulled out, and you don’t need to stop when there’s nothing to stop for. Sitting at a give way sign with a clear road isn’t safer driving. It’s hesitation, and it confuses the drivers around you.
The road rules don’t hand out a “right of way”. They tell each driver when they must give way. Even when another driver should give way to you, check they actually are before you commit. Transport Victoria is clear that breaking these rules can cost you a fine and demerit points.
Give way signs, stop signs and their lines
Signs and road markings override the default rules, so they’re the first thing to look for at any intersection.
At a give way sign or line
When you face a sign or line directing you to stop or give way at an intersection, Transport Victoria says you must give way to any vehicle in, entering or approaching the intersection. There are only a few exceptions. You don’t have to give way to a vehicle that is:
- making a U-turn
- turning left using a slip lane
- oncoming and turning right, when that driver is also facing a stop or give way sign or line
In practice, almost everyone else goes before you. Go only when nobody has to adjust for you.
At a stop sign or stop line
A stop sign adds one requirement to everything above: you must actually stop. Under rule 67 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017, you must stop as near as practicable to, but before reaching, the stop line. If there’s no stop line, you stop before reaching the intersection. You then give way the same way you would at a give way sign, and if you’re turning, you must also give way to any pedestrian at or near the intersection who is crossing the road.
A proper stop means the wheels stop turning. Rolling through at walking pace is not a stop, and it’s one of the easiest ways to fail a drive test. More on that further down.
Instructor tip
At a stop sign where your view is blocked by parked cars or a fence, stop at the line first as the law requires. Then, if you still can’t see, creep forward slowly until you can, and stop again if you need to. Two stops is fine. Zero stops isn’t.
Divided roads and median strips
When you turn onto a two-way road divided by a median strip and there’s a stop or give way sign, Transport Victoria says you must give way to traffic on both sides of the median strip. If you’re turning from the centre of the divided road, you obey the signs that apply on the road you’re turning from.
Intersections with no signs or lights: give way to the right
Many local streets in Melbourne’s suburbs meet with no signs, no lines and no lights. These are often called uncontrolled intersections, and the rule is simple to say and easy to forget: give way to any vehicle entering or approaching the intersection from your right.
Rule 72 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 breaks this down by what you’re doing:
- Going straight ahead: give way to any vehicle approaching from the right.
- Turning left: give way to any vehicle approaching from the right, and to any pedestrian at or near the intersection who is crossing the road you’re entering.
- Turning right: give way to any vehicle approaching from the right, to any oncoming vehicle going straight ahead or turning left, and to pedestrians crossing the road you’re entering.
Transport Victoria adds that you don’t need to give way to cars using a slip lane at these intersections.
Watch out
Don’t assume the car on your left will give way to you just because the rule says so. Many drivers don’t know the give-way-to-the-right rule well. Slow down, make eye contact if you can, and be ready to stop.
T-intersections: the terminating road gives way
A T-intersection is where one road ends at another. The road that carries on is the continuing road (the top of the T). The road that ends is the terminating road (the stem of the T).
Where a T-intersection has no traffic lights, signs or lines, rule 73 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 applies. Transport Victoria sums it up in one line: give way to all vehicles travelling in the road you are turning into. Rule 73 also requires you to give way to pedestrians crossing the continuing road.
The give-way-to-the-right rule doesn’t apply here. A car approaching from your left along the continuing road still has priority over you. This is one of the most common mix-ups we see in lessons.
Rule 73 also covers drivers on the continuing road who are turning into the terminating road. If you’re turning right off the continuing road into the stem of the T, you must give way to oncoming vehicles and to pedestrians crossing the road you’re turning into.
Turning right across oncoming traffic
Turning right means crossing the path of oncoming traffic. At traffic lights, rule 62 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 says that when you turn right you must give way to any oncoming vehicle that is going straight ahead or turning left (except a vehicle turning left using a slip lane). The same applies at intersections with no signs or lights under rule 72.
A green circle is not a green arrow. It lets you into the intersection, but you still wait for a safe gap before you turn, without blocking a lane for oncoming traffic.
- i.Signal early and position correctly
Indicate right with plenty of warning and move into the correct lane before the intersection.
- ii.Keep your wheels straight while you wait
If you’re hit from behind with the wheels turned, you can be pushed into oncoming traffic.
- iii.Judge the gap, not the car
A gap is only a gap if you can finish the turn without anyone slowing down for you.
- iv.Check the road you’re entering
Pedestrians may have started crossing while you were watching oncoming traffic.
Nazrul Islam, Mitcham Driving SchoolWhen you’re turning right, the question isn’t if you can squeeze through. It’s if the other driver will have to touch their brakes. If they will, wait.
Turning and pedestrians (and bike riders)
Whenever you turn, left or right, you must give way to pedestrians who are crossing the road you’re turning into. Transport Victoria puts it this way: you must give way to any pedestrians crossing the road you are entering, except at roundabouts that don’t have a pedestrian crossing. Under rule 62, this applies at traffic lights too, even when your light is green.
Notice the rule covers the road you’re entering. Rule 62 notes you don’t have to give way to pedestrians crossing the road you’re leaving, though you should still watch them.
Transport Victoria also lists these pedestrian give way situations:
- Slip lanes: give way to any pedestrian in a slip lane, whether there is a pedestrian crossing or not.
- Driveways: give way to pedestrians and bicycles on the footpath, path or nature strip when going in or out of a driveway.
- Shared zones: give way to pedestrians.
- U-turns: give way to all pedestrians and vehicles.
- Pedestrian crossings: give way to any pedestrian on or near the crossing.
Bike riders when you turn left
Transport Victoria states that vehicles preparing to turn left must give way to bicycle riders travelling straight ahead, before starting to turn. Check your left mirror and blind spot before you start turning, not halfway through.
Traffic lights, flashing yellow and lights that aren’t working
At working traffic lights, the lights decide who goes. Transport Victoria’s rules are:
- Red: stop fully and don’t enter the intersection.
- Yellow: stop unless it’s not safe to do so.
- Green: you can go through if there’s enough room on the other side.
- Red arrow: you must stop.
- Green arrow: you can turn if it’s safe to do so.
Even on green, you still give way when turning, as covered above.
Flashing yellow or lights out
Lights sometimes flash yellow or go dark during a power failure or a fault. Transport Victoria says that if the traffic lights at an intersection aren’t working, or if the lights are flashing yellow, you must follow the same rules as at an intersection which has a stop or give way sign or line.
So when the lights are out, look for any stop or give way sign or line that applies to your direction and follow it. Approach slowly, be prepared to give way, and don’t assume the other drivers know what to do either.
Watch out
A dark set of lights is easy to miss at night or in bright sun. If an intersection you know has lights and they look off, treat it as a hazard, cover your brake and slow down before you reach it.
Slip lanes
A slip lane is a separate left-turn lane, divided from the main intersection by a traffic island. It comes with its own give way rule.
Rule 72 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 says a driver turning left using a slip lane must give way to any vehicle approaching from the right or turning right at the intersection into the road the driver is entering (except a vehicle making a U-turn), and to any pedestrian on or entering the slip lane. Where the slip lane has its own give way sign or line, you obey it.
The flip side is that other drivers don’t give way to you while you’re in the slip lane. Transport Victoria’s rules say drivers at stop or give way signs don’t have to give way to vehicles turning left using a slip lane, and at uncontrolled intersections, you don’t need to give way to cars using a slip lane either.
Pedestrians are the big risk. It’s tempting to look only right for traffic, but you must give way to any pedestrian in a slip lane, crossing or not. Check ahead for pedestrians before you look right for a gap.
Leaving a driveway, car park or the side of the road
Coming out of a driveway or car park puts you at the bottom of the priority order. Transport Victoria says you must give way to all vehicles and pedestrians when you enter or leave a road from a driveway, the side of the road, a break in the median strip, or nearby land.
The footpath is part of the problem. As a driveway usually crosses a footpath before it meets the road, Transport Victoria’s rule also requires you to give way to pedestrians and bicycles on the footpath, path or nature strip when going in or out of a driveway. That applies when you drive in, too.
Reversing out is riskiest, because small children and bike riders can be hidden behind the car. If you can, reverse in and drive out forwards.
Merging: lanes ending and zip merging
Merging is a give way situation, even though there’s often no sign telling you so. Transport Victoria sets out two different rules depending on whether there are lane lines marked on the road.
When lanes are marked (including when your lane ends)
Transport Victoria’s rule is: whenever you move from one marked lane to another, you must give way to vehicles already in that lane. It specifically includes the case where your lane ends, such as on a freeway. If your lane is ending, it’s your job to find a gap. Traffic in the continuing lane doesn’t have to make room for you.
Zip merging, where there are no lines
Transport Victoria describes zip merging as when two rows of vehicles merge into one, and there are no lines marked on the road. The rule is: you must give way to a vehicle which has any part of its vehicle ahead of yours.
There’s one important catch. Transport Victoria notes that you are not zip merging if you cross any lines marked on the road. If you cross lines, you follow the give way rules for changing lanes instead.
Buses, trams and emergency vehicles
Buses pulling out from a stop
Transport Victoria says that in a built-up area you must give way to a bus that is signalling to pull out from the kerb and is displaying a “Give Way To Buses” sign. Rule 77 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 gives the detail. It applies when you’re driving in the left lane or left line of traffic (or in a bike lane on the far left), and the bus in front of you: Our sharing the road guide goes into these in more detail.
- has stopped or is moving slowly at the far left side of the road, on the shoulder, or in a bus stop bay
- displays a give way to buses sign, and has its right indicator on
- is about to enter or move along the lane or line of traffic you’re driving in
Trams
The main tram rules from Transport Victoria are:
- When a tram stops at a stop with its doors open, wait behind the tram until the doors close and all pedestrians have finished crossing.
- You must give way to a tram moving into or through a roundabout.
- You can’t drive in a tram lane unless you need to avoid an obstacle, overtake a bike rider, or turn right.
- When turning across tram tracks, watch for trams approaching from both directions.
Emergency vehicles
When a police car, ambulance or fire truck approaches with its lights flashing or siren sounding, Transport Victoria says you must safely get out of its way, and give way and stop if necessary, even if your traffic light is green. Pull to the left if you can do it safely, and don’t brake suddenly in front of it.
There’s a related rule for stationary vehicles. You must slow down to 40 km/h when passing emergency, incident response and roadside assistance vehicles that are stationary or moving slower than 10 km/h and have flashing lights or an alarm sounding.
Roundabouts: the short version
Roundabouts have their own set of rules, and we’ve covered them in detail in our guide to roundabout rules in Victoria. The give way part is short: before entering a roundabout, Transport Victoria says you must give way to any vehicle already in the roundabout and any tram entering or approaching the roundabout. Signalling rules for entering and leaving are in that guide.
Give way rules at a glance
A quick reference for the most common situations. Where a sign or line is present, it overrides the default rule for that shape of intersection.
| Situation | Who you give way to |
|---|---|
| Give way sign or line | Any vehicle in, entering or approaching the intersection (except U-turners, slip lane left-turners, and oncoming right-turners who also face a sign or line) |
| Stop sign or line | Stop before the line first, then the same as a give way sign |
| No signs, lines or lights (crossroads) | Vehicles from your right; if turning right, also oncoming vehicles going straight or turning left |
| T-intersection, on the road that ends | All vehicles on the continuing road, plus pedestrians crossing it |
| Turning right at a green light | Oncoming vehicles going straight or turning left, and pedestrians crossing the road you enter |
| Lights flashing yellow or not working | Follow the rules for a stop or give way sign or line |
| Using a slip lane | Vehicles from the right or turning right into your road, and pedestrians on or entering the slip lane |
| Leaving a driveway or the kerb | All vehicles and pedestrians, including on the footpath |
| Lane ending (lines marked) | Vehicles already in the lane you’re moving into |
| Zip merge (no lines) | Any vehicle with any part ahead of yours |
| Entering a roundabout | Vehicles already in the roundabout and trams entering or approaching it |
Give way mistakes that fail drive tests
Give way errors are among the most serious mistakes on a Victorian drive test. VicRoads’ drive test criteria for driving instructors (April 2012 edition) set out how they’re classified. The current test may differ in detail, so check with your instructor or Transport Victoria.
- Failing to give way. This is an immediate termination error if another road user who you should have given way to has to take evasive action because of your poor gap selection. The criteria list turning, merging, lane changes, going straight at a stop or give way sign, and entering a roundabout.
- Failing to look. A critical error if you’re required to give way and don’t look for conflicting traffic before proceeding.
- Driving past a stop sign without stopping. An immediate termination error.
- An incomplete stop. A critical error if you slow and pause but don’t bring the car to a complete stop, with the wheels motionless, behind but within 2 metres of the stop line.
- Stopping in a dangerous position. An immediate termination error if, while waiting to turn, you block a lane for oncoming traffic, or intrude onto a pedestrian crossing and cause a pedestrian to take evasive action.
- Giving way when you didn’t need to. Stopping unexpectedly to give way when it wasn’t required can count as a dangerous action if it causes another road user to take evasive action or unnecessarily increases the risk of a collision.
The criteria also expect you to check mirrors and do head checks whenever you’re required to give way, such as at a give way sign, turning across oncoming traffic, or entering a roundabout. Make your head move, not just your eyes.
If you’re booked in at Ringwood, our guide to Mitcham driving test routes covers the kinds of intersections you’re likely to meet, and how to pass your VicRoads driving test first time explains the rest of the assessment.
Common give way questions
At a T-intersection, does the give-way-to-the-right rule apply?
No. At a T-intersection with no signs, the driver on the road that ends gives way to all vehicles on the continuing road, from either direction. The give-way-to-the-right rule is for intersections that aren’t T-intersections or roundabouts.
Who goes first when two cars facing each other both want to turn right?
At traffic lights, and at intersections without signs, rules 62 and 72 require a right-turning driver to give way to oncoming vehicles going straight ahead or turning left. An oncoming car that is also turning right isn’t on that list. Even so, watch what the other driver does before you commit, and make sure a straight-through car isn’t hidden behind it.
What if the lights are out and there’s no sign at all?
Transport Victoria’s rule is that when lights aren’t working or are flashing yellow, you follow the rules for an intersection with a stop or give way sign or line. Look carefully for a stop or give way sign or line that applies to you. If you genuinely can’t find one, approach very slowly, be prepared to give way, and don’t enter the intersection until you’re sure other drivers are letting you through.
Will the learner permit test ask about give way rules?
Give way rules are a core part of Victoria’s road rules, so expect them in the learner permit test.
Habits that make intersections easy
Knowing the rule is half the job. Applying it calmly with traffic behind you takes practice. These are the habits our instructors build with every learner.
Read the intersection early
Look for signs, lines and lights well before you arrive. The earlier you know which rule applies, the less you’ll need to brake late or hesitate.
Right, left, right again
Look right, left and right again before you go, then check the crossing on the road you’re entering.
Commit or wait, never both
Once you’ve decided a gap is safe, go smoothly. If you’re not sure, wait. Half-starting and stopping again is what confuses other drivers.
Never assume the other driver will give way
The rules tell you who should give way, not who will. Cover the brake and be ready if another driver gets it wrong.
If you’re new to driving, our beginner driving lessons start with quiet intersections around Mitcham and build up to busier roads as your confidence grows.
Unsure who goes first? Practise it for real.
Our instructors take learners through T-intersections, slip lanes, right turns and uncontrolled intersections across Mitcham and Melbourne’s east, so giving way becomes automatic well before test day at Ringwood.
Sources and further reading
We’ve written this guide from the official sources below. Road rules can change, so treat those pages and the current Road Safety Road Rules 2017 as the final word, and check them if anything here doesn’t match your situation.
- Transport Victoria: Intersections and giving way
- Transport Victoria: Traffic lights
- Transport Victoria: Drivers sharing the road with pedestrians
- Transport Victoria: Merging lanes
- Transport Victoria: Driving or riding with buses
- Transport Victoria: Driving with trams
- Transport Victoria: Law enforcement, emergency and incident response vehicles
- Transport Victoria: Roundabouts
- Victorian Legislation: Road Safety Road Rules 2017
- VicRoads: Drive Test criteria for driving instructors (April 2012)
