Keep left or right, slip and median turning lanes
Learn to recognise slip lanes, median turning lanes, and ‘Keep left’ and ‘Keep right’ signs on NSW roads. Here's what they mean and how to obey the rules.
Slip lanes
Slip lanes improve safety and traffic flow for vehicles turning left. Slip lanes are marked by a painted island or traffic island.
You must use a slip lane to turn where one is provided.
When you’re turning left in a slip lane (with or without a ‘Give way’ sign), you must give way to:
- vehicles on the road you’re turning into
- oncoming vehicles turning right into the road you’re turning into
- any other vehicle or pedestrian in the slip lane.
You must not stop in a slip lane, unless a parking sign says you can.
Median turning lanes
A median turning lane is a shared lane for vehicles driving in either direction to turn right into a side road (or a driveway or property access).
It’s usually in the middle of the road and is marked by signs or arrows on the road.
If there’s an oncoming vehicle already in a median turning lane, you can enter the lane, but you must give way to that vehicle by slowing down and, if necessary, stopping.
Keep left or right
‘Keep left’ and ‘Keep right’ signs are regulatory and must be obeyed.
When you see a ‘Keep left’ sign, you must stay to the left of the sign.
When you see a ‘Keep right’ sign, you must stay to the right of the sign.
Keeping left video
Road rules: keeping left
Revise rules on keeping left on multi-lane roads in this short Transport video animation.