Photo: Lobster1, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Trucks, buses and road trains need far more room to stop and turn than a car, and their drivers cannot see large areas around them. This guide is for Australian learners and new P platers. It covers the “Do not overtake turning vehicle” sign, blind spots, giving way to buses in every state and territory, and how to deal with road trains on country highways.
Key facts
- A long vehicle is 7.5 metres or longer, including any trailer or load (VIC, WA, SA, ACT).
- A truck with a Do not overtake turning vehicle sign may legally use more than one lane to turn. You must not pass it on the side it is turning towards.
- If you cannot see the truck’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you (VIC, WA, NT).
- You must give way to a bus showing a Give way to buses sign as it pulls out from a stop. In most states this applies in built-up areas or zones of 70 km/h or less.
- NT road trains can be up to 53.5 metres long and travel at up to 100 km/h.
What does the “Do not overtake turning vehicle” sign mean?
The sign is fitted to the back of long trucks and buses. It tells you the vehicle may need part or all of two lanes to get around a corner, intersection or roundabout, and it is allowed to do this. In South Australia the handbook says the sign lets the truck turn from the second or third lane from the kerb if it needs to.
| When the vehicle is | You must not |
|---|---|
| Turning left (or indicating left) | Pass it on the left |
| Turning right (or indicating right) | Pass it on the right |
The state handbooks add some detail:
- NSW: you may pass on the left only if it is safe and you are on a multi-lane road, the vehicle is stationary, or it is turning right or making a U-turn.
- Tasmania: only overtake a turning long vehicle on a multi-lane road, and only if it can be done safely.
- WA: do not overtake once the driver has signalled a turn. Long vehicles may cut the corner and may legally cross a continuous lane line before the intersection.
- ACT and NT: never put your car between a turning heavy vehicle and the kerb. You could be crushed.
The safest choice everywhere: stay behind and wait until the turn is finished.
Truck and bus blind spots
Trucks and buses have bigger blind spots than cars: beside the cabin, directly behind the trailer and right in front of the bumper (NSW). The front blind spot means the driver may not see a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist just ahead.
- Do not sit beside a truck. Either overtake when it is safe or drop back to where the driver can see you (VIC calls this a “no stay spot”).
- Do not sit directly behind a road train or in the blind spot to the left of its cabin (NT).
- Blind spots get bigger while a truck is turning (VIC).
Do not cut in front of a truck
A loaded truck takes much longer to stop than a car. The gap in front of it is its safety margin, not a space for you.
- When overtaking or changing lanes, pull back in only when you can see the whole front of the truck in your rear vision mirror (VIC). The NT handbook says wait until you see both of its headlights.
- Never pull in front of a truck or bus approaching lights that are changing to red. It may not be able to stop in time (NSW, NT, SA).
- After overtaking, keep your speed. Cutting in and slowing down forces the truck driver to brake and lose momentum (WA).
- Trucks accelerate slowly, especially uphill or when merging. Be patient (VIC, WA).
Do you have to give way to a bus pulling out?
Yes, when the bus shows a Give way to buses sign and is indicating to pull out. The conditions differ slightly:
| State or territory | When you must give way |
|---|---|
| NSW | You are in the left lane, the bus is stopped or moving slowly at the far left, indicating right and about to move in front of you |
| Victoria | In a built-up area, when the bus is signalling to pull out from the kerb into the left lane |
| Queensland | In built-up areas with a limit of 70 km/h or less, when the bus is indicating right to re-enter traffic |
| Western Australia | In a built-up area, when the bus is moving out from a stop, indicating and showing a GIVE WAY sign |
| South Australia | In a built-up area. On a multi-lane road it applies to the left lane only, or the next lane if the left lane is a bike lane or blocked |
| Tasmania | The bus is in front of you, stopped or moving slowly at the far left or in a bus stop, indicating right and about to enter your lane |
| ACT | Be prepared to give way to buses pulling out from the kerb |
| NT | In speed zones of 70 km/h or below, when you are in the left lane and the bus is indicating |
The bus driver must still only pull out when it is safe.
School buses
- NSW: do not overtake a bus with a “40 when lights flash” sign at more than 40 km/h while its top lights are flashing.
- Tasmania: the limit is 40 km/h within 50 metres of a bus showing a school bus warning sign and flashing warning lights.
Bus lanes
In NSW, Victoria and the ACT you may drive in a bus lane for up to 100 metres to enter or leave the road, or where signs allow. In the ACT, taxis, hire cars and motorcycles may use bus lanes without restriction.
Road trains and country highways
The NT relies heavily on triple road trains, which can weigh more than 115 tonnes. The NT handbook gives this advice, which works on any highway with road trains:
- Being overtaken: keep your speed and stay on the road. Slow down only once the road train has moved out to pass. When it has passed, flash your headlights to tell the driver it is safe to move back in.
- Overtaking one: stay well back first so you can see the road ahead. Indicate, pass quickly but sensibly, and do not move back until you see both its headlights in your mirror. Road trains take a long time to pass.
- Oncoming on a single-lane sealed road: slow down, move gradually off the road and drive slowly on the edge.
- Unsealed roads: slow down, move as far left as is safe, and keep well back if dust cuts your view. Turn your lights on in dust or rain.
- At night: dip your lights when travelling behind a road train.
WA adds: overtake trucks in overtaking lanes where you can, never on a curve or hill, and be ready for wind buffeting as you pass. South Australia says never overtake a heavy vehicle approaching a crossroad, because a car hidden by the truck could pull out in front of it.
Following distance rules for long vehicles
- NSW and Victoria: a long vehicle following another long vehicle must stay at least 60 metres behind, except on multi-lane roads, in built-up areas or when overtaking. Victoria adds 200 metres in a road train area.
- NT: vehicles over 7.5 metres, including cars towing caravans, must leave at least 200 metres so others can overtake.
If you tow a caravan, these rules apply to you. See towing a trailer or caravan on L or P plates.
Oversize loads and dangerous goods
- An Oversize sign, often with flashing amber lights, means the load is longer or wider than normal and may overhang your lane (VIC). Follow directions from police or pilot vehicles (ACT).
- Meeting an oncoming oversize vehicle: slow down and be ready to move to the left (ACT, WA).
- Trucks carrying dangerous goods have Emergency Information Panels on the back and sides. If one crashes, call 000, keep people away and do not touch spills or breathe fumes (ACT, NSW, NT).
Common questions
Can I overtake a truck that is turning left?
Not on its left side if it shows a Do not overtake turning vehicle sign and is turning or indicating left. Wait behind it.
How do I know if a truck driver can see me?
Look for the truck’s side mirrors. If you cannot see them, the driver cannot see you.
Why does a truck sometimes start a left turn from the right lane?
Long vehicles need extra room to swing around a corner. With the sign fitted, this is legal. Do not drive up the inside left lane.
Do I have to let a bus out in an 80 km/h zone?
The legal give-way rule applies in built-up areas or zones of 70 km/h or less in most states. Outside those, giving a bus room is still the safe choice.
What should I do when a road train is overtaking me?
Hold your speed and position, slow only once it has pulled out, then flash your headlights when it is safe for it to move back in.
Do I need to know these rules for my test?
Yes. Long vehicle and bus give-way rules are in every state handbook you study for the knowledge test, and keeping a safe gap applies on any drive. See overtaking, merging and changing lanes.
Related: the Australian Road Rules explained, outback and remote driving, giving way in Australia and driving with trams in Victoria.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook” (nsw.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Planning Victoria, “Road to Solo Driving” (transport.vic.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Regulatory signs” and “Giving way” (qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Drive Safe: A handbook for Western Australian road users” (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Government of South Australia, “The Driver’s Handbook”, February 2026 (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
- Department of State Growth Tasmania, “Tasmanian Road Rules, Version 2.1” (transport.tas.gov.au)
- Access Canberra, “ACT Road Rules Handbook” (accesscanberra.act.gov.au)
- Northern Territory Government, “NT Road Users’ Handbook” (nt.gov.au)