Effective from today, new road safety rules will be in force in Victoria that all drivers should be familiar with. Please forward this email onto the other members of your team.
U-turns and overtaking
It is now prohibited to overtake or do a U-turn across a single continuous centre line or a single continuous line to the left of a broken line. A driver may, however, cross the dividing line to enter or leave the road or to avoid an obstruction.
It is also now prohibited to change lanes over a single continuous lane line.
Mobile phones
Using a mobile phone whilst driving is prohibited, except to make or receive a call if the phone:
- is secured in a commercially designed holder fixed to the vehicle; or
- can be operated by the driver without touching any part of the phone.
It is important to note that holding the phone (whether or not engaged in a phone call and irrespective of whether the phone is turned off) is prohibited. This includes resting the phone on your lap.
Wheeled recreational devices (WRD)
These changes apply to scooters (including non-motorised and motorised scooters up to 200w), skateboards and roller blades.
It is now prohibited for a WRD to be towed by another vehicle or to be positioned behind another vehicle so as to be carried along by the 'slipstream'.
WRDs cannot be used on the road at night, and scooter riders must wear an approved bicycle helmet at all times.
Trams
When a tram has stopped, you must stop before the rear of the tram and wait for the doors to close. Once the doors have closed and the disembarked passengers have reached the kerb, the driver can then proceed past the tram at a maximum of 10km/h.
Child restraints
All children under seven years of age must wear a child restraint or booster seat when travelling in a car. The type of restraint varies depending on the age of the child.
There are also new rules as to where children can sit in vehicles. Generally, if a car has two or more rows of seats, then children under four years must not travel in the front row. This is subject to some qualifications.
Seatbelts
It is now the responsibility of the driver to ensure that all passengers in the car are wearing a seatbelt or a child restraint. There are some exceptions for the drivers of buses and taxis.
Other changes to the road rules
For further information, please contact: