The Australian Road Rules have been made into Regulations under the Road Traffic Act (SA) and came into operation throughout Australia on 1 December 1999.

The Rules were developed by the National Road Transport Commission, State and Territory transport agencies, police and other organisations and were drafted by the Office of Legislative Drafting in the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.

The Rules were approved by Australia’s Transport Ministers by majority vote and have introduced uniform or consistent road rules throughout Australia.

How to find your way around the Rules

The Rules are made up of 21 Parts. Diagrams of all traffic signs appear in the Schedules at the end of the Rules.

The Readers Guide (PDF) aims to help readers to quickly use the Rules and understand how they apply to different kinds of roads, vehicles and road users. It explains key concepts and the structure of the Rules. When you are trying to understand a particular rule it is suggested that you always check the dictionary at the end of the Rules as it may clarify the effect of some rules.

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