Among other things, driving in the Harbour City frequently fills Sydneysiders with irrational rage. But according to a new study into driving behaviour across Australia, Sydney’s drivers are getting a bad rap. It turns out, drivers in NSW are far more polite than we like to give ourselves credit for – with NSW home to some of the most well-behaved drivers in Australia. Sceptical? Read on for the research.
Published last week (Friday, April 19) by insurance provider Youi, The Australian Unofficial Driving Etiquette Act of 2024 collated insights from 2,000 Australians to determine the five most important rules of etiquette on our roads. Unsurprisingly, the sacred “thank you” wave is one of them. According to Aussie drivers, the five top unofficial road rules are as follows:
Rule 1 – Acknowledgement Mandate
This rule is common decency, but it’s surprising how many people fail to pull it off. According to Australian road users, drivers should express gratitude with a causal wave when afforded the right of way, or when permitted to merge into a lane.
While 85 per cent of drivers in NSW are aware of this unofficial rule, only 60 per cent of us actually adhere to it – that’s the same follow-through rate as drivers in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia, but less than drivers in Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Victoria.
Rule 2 – Salutation Mandate
This gesture is a more casual acknowledgement, otherwise known as the “one finger wave”. According to the drivers surveyed by Youi, this should be deployed as more of an acknowledgement of respect between drivers on public roads.
According to Youi, 61 per cent of NSW drivers are aware of this rule, but only 32 per cent follow through. While that might seem like a poor show from our drivers, it’s not as bad as those in Western Australia – where a reported 60 per cent of drivers are aware of the rule, and only 29 per cent of people actually deliver.
Rule 3 – Adherence to Zipper Merge Methods
This rule is as it says on the tin. According to Youi: “In scenarios involving lane closure or traffic congestion, the recommended practice for merging is the Zipper Merge Method... this procedural requirement necessitates motorists to yield to merging vehicles into an open lane during a traffic jam... allowing one vehicle to merge in congested traffic does not impose an obligation to extend the same privilege to subsequent vehicles.”
In short: when merging, let one car in, then another car should let you enter the lane in return.
According to Youi, this is one that NSW drivers get right – with 51 per cent of NSW drivers following this rule, as opposed to only 48 per cent in Western Australia and 41 per cent in South Australia.
Rule 4 – Recognising Pedestrian Right of Way Regardless of Public Crossings
This rule is a jaywalker’s delight. According to Aussie drivers, the fourth most important unofficial road rule is to allow pedestrians to cross the road safely, whether there’s a marked crossing or not.
Here, NSW drivers perform better than drivers in Victoria and South Australia. According to Youi, 39 per cent of drivers in NSW follow this rule, while only 31 per cent of Victorian drivers (and 27 per cent of drivers in South Australia) do the same. The takeaway? If you’re planning on jaywalking in Adelaide, you might want to think again.
Rule 5 – Reverse Parallel Parking Edict
This rule is otherwise known as carpark 101. When another driver is reversing into a car park, drivers should wait for the parking to be finished before driving around them. Here in NSW, 84 per cent of drivers are aware of this rule, and 55 per cent follow it. While, again, the gap between acknowledgement of the rule and actual execution isn’t great, we’re still doing better than some of our neighbours. In both Victoria and Queensland, only 53 per cent of drivers follow this rule, and in South Australia, it’s a rude 44 per cent.
You can familiarise yourself with Australia’s unofficial road rules over here. Essentially, the research found that – while not necessarily being the most polite drivers in the country – drivers in NSW are doing alright when it comes to behind-the-wheel behaviour.
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