Photo: MDRX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The NSW Road User Handbook is the official Transport for NSW guide you study for the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT), and it underpins the Hazard Perception Test and Driving Test too. It has 12 chapters. This study guide sets out what each chapter covers, what matters most for the tests, and where to find a plain-English breakdown of every topic. It also covers the short sections learners often skip, such as one-way streets, narrow bridges and funeral processions.
Key facts about the handbook
- Publisher: Transport for NSW. Free to download from nsw.gov.au.
- Edition: the English PDF linked from nsw.gov.au (about 7 MB, 212 pages) is the February 2026 edition: its back page is dated 02/2026. The download address still contains “2022-11”, so do not judge the edition by the file name. Transport for NSW says the handbook is reviewed and updated periodically.
- Printed copy: $16 at a service centre (as of 1 July 2026).
- Languages: English, plus 8 community languages: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. Road rules and safety information on nsw.gov.au is available in 66 languages through the site’s language function.
- Interpreters: a free interpreter service is available for the DKT and HPT. Phone 13 22 13.
- “Must” and “should”: “must” or “must not” marks a legal rule. “Should” marks safe driving advice. DKT questions test both.
- It is a summary of the law, not the law itself. The full NSW Road Rules are on legislation.nsw.gov.au.
How to study the NSW Road User Handbook
- Read chapters 2 and 3 first. Licence rules and safe driving behaviour (speed, alcohol, phones, seatbelts) come up constantly, and the rules for learners are different from those for full licence holders.
- Do chapters 5 to 7 with a pen. Giving way, traffic lights, roundabouts, turning, lanes and markings are the rules people get wrong. Sketch each diagram and say who goes first.
- Skim chapters 8 to 12, then come back. Parking distances, warning signs, vehicle rules and penalties are mostly fact recall.
- Practise questions as you finish each chapter. The handbook points you to the DKT test questions and the NSW Practice Test on nsw.gov.au. Reread any section where you miss a question.
- Keep it for your Ls. Your supervisor should reread it too, and the handbook remains the rulebook for your HPT and Driving Test.
Test details: NSW Driver Knowledge Test, NSW Hazard Perception Test and NSW Driving Test.
Chapter by chapter
| Chapter (page) | Main topics | Plain-English guides |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction (1) | How to use the handbook, interpreter service | This page |
| 2. Licences (6) | The 7 steps, licence classes, L, P1 and P2 restrictions, medical conditions, interstate and overseas licences, supervisors | Learning to drive in NSW, L, P1 and P2 restrictions, log book, P1 to P2 to full, banned cars, supervising, moving to NSW |
| 3. Safe driving behaviour (30) | Speed limits, alcohol, drugs, seatbelts, child seats, phones, screens, fatigue, hooning, stopping distance, common crashes | NSW speed limits, school zones, zero alcohol, seatbelts and child seats, NSW phone rules, fatigue |
| 4. Sharing with other road users (71) | Pedestrians, bicycle riders, motorcycle riders, horse riders, trucks and buses | passing cyclists, motorcyclists, trucks and buses |
| 5. Stopping, giving way and turning (82) | Stop and give way signs, traffic lights, roundabouts, intersections, turning, U-turns, indicating, pedestrian and railway crossings, narrow bridges, one-way streets | giving way, traffic lights, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, level crossings |
| 6. Overtaking and merging (124) | Overtaking, merging, changing lanes, motorways and freeways | overtaking and merging, learners on motorways |
| 7. Road lanes, lines and markings (140) | Road lines, slip lanes, median turning lanes, bicycle, bus, tram, truck and transit lanes, shared paths, keep left or right | road markings, NSW transit and bus lanes |
| 8. Parking (156) | No parking areas, restricted parking signs, ways to park | parking rules |
| 9. Warnings and road hazards (167) | Warning signs, roadworks, wildlife, crashes, breakdowns, emergency vehicles, funeral processions, poor conditions, distractions, lights and horns | road signs, wildlife, after a crash, emergency vehicles, rain, fog, smoke and floods, lights and horns, car emergencies |
| 10. Vehicle safety and compliance (185) | Registration, number plates, roadworthiness, safety features, towing, driving posture | NSW registration and pink slips, towing on L or P plates |
| 11. Your vehicle and the environment (194) | Littering, cigarette butts, ecodriving | NSW registration guide (ecodriving section) |
| 12. Penalties (195) | Fines, demerit points, loss of licence, interlocks, driver education courses, impoundment, prison, toll notices | NSW demerit points, double demerits |
For the shared national rules behind chapters 4 to 9, see the Australian Road Rules explained.
The short sections learners often miss
Common crashes in NSW
The handbook says almost 80 per cent of NSW casualty crashes (where someone is killed or injured) are one of five types. These are also the most common crashes for P drivers:
- hitting the rear of another vehicle (rear-end)
- colliding with a vehicle coming from the left or right
- colliding with a vehicle coming from the opposite direction
- running off a straight road and hitting an object or parked vehicle
- running off the road on a curve or bend and hitting an object or parked vehicle.
The fix the handbook gives: manage your speed and fatigue, keep a safe stopping distance, and take extra care at intersections and when overtaking.
Wildlife and livestock
- Slow down at animal and stock warning signs.
- Animals are more active near waterholes and creeks, and harder to see at sunrise and sunset.
- If an animal is on or near the road, slow down and brake in a controlled way. Never swerve. You could lose control or hit oncoming traffic.
- After hitting an animal, stop only if it is safe. For injured native wildlife, contact WIRES (1300 094 737, 24 hours). For a pet, contact the owner, police or the RSPCA.
Carrying the correct licence
- Always have your current licence for the class of vehicle with you. Police can ask to see it at any time, and not having it or refusing to show it can bring a fine.
- Using a digital licence? Keep the phone charged and the screen intact so it can be read.
- Driving without a current, correct licence can mean large fines and even prison, rising for repeat offences within 5 years. You must not let an unlicensed person drive your car.
Skateboards, foot scooters, rollerblades and mobility scooters
- People on skateboards, foot scooters (without a motor) and rollerblades count as pedestrians. They may use the road only in daylight, where the limit is 50 km/h or less and there is no white dividing line (or it is a one-lane, one-way street).
- Give them room: an uneven or wet surface can unsettle them, and they move faster than walkers, so look twice when entering or leaving a driveway.
- Mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs follow pedestrian rules and must not be able to exceed 10 km/h. They are low and easy to miss near driveways.
Horse riders
- Horse riders may use any road unless a sign says otherwise, and two may ride side by side within 1.5 m of each other.
- When passing a horse, whether ridden, led or pulling a vehicle: slow down, leave plenty of room, and stop if the rider is struggling to control it.
- Never sound your horn or rev the engine near a horse.
Animals in your car
Pets should travel secured in a suitable part of the car. You must not drive with an animal on your lap, while an animal is being led from the car (by you or a passenger), or with an animal tied to the outside of the car. When you park, never leave a child or an animal alone in the car: heat, loose controls such as the handbrake and windows, and theft of the car all put them at risk.
Funeral processions
You must not interrupt a funeral or official procession, and you can be fined for interfering with one. Slow down and stay behind it.
Narrow bridges and roads
- At a narrow bridge or road with a “Give way” sign, you must slow down, prepare to stop and give way to vehicles coming from the opposite direction.
- With no sign, you should still give way to approaching vehicles.
- Oversize vehicles may use the centre of a bridge. Be ready to stop and wait until they are off it.
One-way streets
- “One way” and “Two way” signs are regulatory, so you must obey them.
- On a one-way street, drive only in the direction of the arrow.
- To turn right from a one-way street, turn from the far right side of the road.
Other official NSW handbooks to study
- Hazard Perception Handbook: for the HPT. It covers crash patterns of P drivers, low-risk driving, scanning and common hazards.
- A Guide to the Driving Test: for the practical test. It covers how the test is scored, manoeuvres and fail items. See NSW Driving Test manoeuvres and fail items.
Common questions
Which edition of the NSW Road User Handbook is current?
The February 2026 edition (dated 02/2026 on its back page) is the one nsw.gov.au links to as of November 2026. If you have an older printed or saved copy, download it again. Laws can change between editions, so check nsw.gov.au for recent rule changes. The legislation on legislation.nsw.gov.au is the final word.
Is the Road User Handbook free?
Yes, the PDF is free to download from nsw.gov.au. A printed copy costs $16 at a service centre (as of 1 July 2026).
Do I need to read the whole handbook for the DKT?
Yes. The DKT draws on road rules and safe driving behaviour across the handbook, not just the licence chapter.
Can I study in my own language?
The handbook comes in 8 community languages, and a free interpreter can be arranged for the DKT and HPT by phoning 13 22 13.
Does the handbook cover motorbikes and trucks?
No. It is for car (C) licences. Transport for NSW publishes separate Motorcycle Rider and Heavy Vehicle Driver handbooks.
How old are the crash figures in the handbook?
The handbook says its statistics come from Transport for NSW data for 2014 to 2018, unless stated otherwise.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Road User Handbook” download page (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Driver and rider licence fees” (nsw.gov.au)