Etiquette on The Road: Unwritten Rules of Driving in Australia

When you think of a good driver, what is the first thing that comes to mind? It may be someone who follows the speed limit or someone that always indicates properly when driving through a roundabout.  However, there’s more to being a good driver than following the road rules and understanding vehicle control. A good driver also displays good driving etiquette, which is all about being safe and considerate on the road. 

Driving etiquette is important to ensure the safety of yourself and others. It’s not just about following the rules; it's about creating a culture of respect and consideration on the road. By being a courteous driver and ensuring the well-being of your passengers, you contribute to a safer and more pleasant driving experience for everyone.

Good road etiquette: Behaviours and rules to follow

As you gear up to get your licence, you’ll learn many driving rules and regulations from your parents, driving instructor, and the driving handbook. 

There are also various driving etiquette behaviours that can help you be a safe and courteous driver. 

1. Show appreciation for other drivers

It is common and considerate to acknowledge the efforts of other drivers who cooperatively deal with what is presented ahead, and this is often done by giving a wave, a nod, or a short blast toot.  For example, if a fellow driver gives you a friendly wakeup prompt when you fail to see a light changing to green after several seconds, give them an appreciative wave.  

Beyond simply showing appreciation, the wave and horn toot are also very real methods of two-way communication between drivers.  The effective use of waves and toots can be an excellent method of communicating with other drivers, in situations such as navigating narrow inner-city streets.

‘One car at a time’ situations

In larger cities with narrow and car lined backstreets, such as Melbourne, these acknowledgments are often very effective when two cars cannot pass side by side. On these types of streets, the reality simply is that both cars can’t fit without one of the drivers making a sacrifice to let the other driver through! 

The road rules governing this type of scenario are deliberately vague.  When both cars arrive at a “one car at a time only” situation together, a good outcome has to be negotiated where one driver lets the other through first. It’s much like walking a street with obstacles and people to deal with. 

Negotiating who will proceed first is the art of “dancing with the cars” as I describe it. 

This is where the flash or a beckoning hand gesture can invite the approaching car to go through, with a wave or a nod given by the “welcomed to proceed” car as the two of you pass each other in the next wider section of the road. 

It does take practice and there is a skill involved in anticipating how far each of you are to the narrow “trouble spot”, and whether you should go or wait.  Once that’s been determined by you, then the practice of flashing or beckoning can be both effective in getting you both through the length of the street, and rewarding in terms of playing your part in courteous best practice. 

2. Use your horn appropriately

Horn use in South East Asia and populous countries like India is prolific. These are not aggressive or long winded toots, but tiny inputs by drivers letting you know where they are. They are both effective and necessary because the sheer amount of close proximity traffic makes this behaviour more effective than relying on your side and rear mirrors alone.  The close proximity toots of other drivers can help in dealing with blind spots, particularly where traffic often feels like it’s approaching from every conceivable angle. 

In Australia, with our bigger roads and many lights and signals used to regulate traffic, horns are (with the exception of waking someone up at the change of traffic lights) often used to warn & even sanction other road users that their behaviour is dangerous and unacceptable. 

To clarify here though, the most effective use of the horn for these purposes is a short and sharp burst and NOT one used with connotations of rage or intolerance. 

It’s also worth remembering that some drivers may need some grace and deserve this assumption before a horn is deployed, such as country drivers who are new to city driving, recently licenced drivers, or people who may be unfamiliar with nuanced road rule areas (like hook turns in Melbourne).  

3. Always remember to indicate

As you’d expect, indicating is the practice of giving another driver the timely awareness of what you’re intending to do, and is a vital element to safe and comfortable driving. 

As is the case in ALL driving situations, using the indicator informs other drivers of your intention to make a change, and you can expect the same from other drivers.  This allows clear communication on the road when, for example, a driver is changing direction or turning, and allows you to understand which road ahead they’re likely to use, what speed they’re likely to soon be travelling at, or when they may need help to change lanes.  

Sometimes, where roads are narrow and a car is indicating that they intend to turn into another street, it may be helpful to match the speed of the indicating car and wait for their turn to be almost completed, and then resume your ‘straight ahead’ speed. 

On busy multi-lane roads and highways, the blinker becomes a “request” to help facilitate changing lanes in heavier traffic where options are a little less easy to manage.  When a vehicle is indicating that they intend to merge into your lane, it sometimes helps to back off some speed if the lane merging vehicle needs to move into your space ahead. To improve the gap between you and the vehicle in front, you might delay an acceleration manoeuvre you were planning or simply reduce speed marginally while the vehicle completes the lane change. 

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to use your indicator, knowing you’re creating a safer environment for every car around you in these moments; AND you can rightfully expect others will afford you the same courtesy when you’re next unexpectedly struggling for a little more space. 

4. Park within the lines & ensure you’re only taking up one space

The use of mirrors, both side and rear vision mirrors, and reversing cameras are vital to parking within the lines of a parking space. It takes an understanding of how the reversing procedure works in relation to turning the steering wheel left and right, and where the car is at any given moment in relation to where it needs to finish. 

It takes practice of course, but the objective is to finish the park with as equal distances around the parking space as you can manage. 

A good park then means you and the vehicles to your left, right, ahead or behind have an easier job of getting their parking position accurate too. Ultimately, this ensures people can open doors to the fullest extent possible to get in and out, as well as enough clearance for boots and rear hatches. 

It also makes moving off from the parking space easier and makes the “clearing arc” as manageable as possible, reducing the chances of scraping neighbouring cars and passers-by!

I encourage you to implement these driving etiquettes into your everyday driving and make the road a safer and more considerate place for all drivers.