5 Queensland Road Rules You Never Knew Existed

We all know to obey speed limits and to stop at a stop sign, but there are also a lot of road rules that most of us didn’t even know existed.

As it turns out, there are some pretty bizarre road rules out there. To make sure you don’t get caught out on Queensland’s roads, check out these five surprising laws.

Yep, that’s right, you have to give way to a horse, but not just give way, you have to pull over and turn your engine off until it’s out of earshot. This is to ensure the movement and sounds of your vehicle do not spook the horse. Although it’s unlikely you’ll pass a horse on the road, keep this one in mind just in case – you never know who might be watching!

Not only do you have to make sure your number plate is visible beneath a bike carrier; it’s also illegal to drive around with an empty bike holder attached to your boot – who knew?

Also, make sure you watch out for cyclists when you’re driving. If you don’t leave at least one-metre of space when you’re travelling at 60km/h or less between you and a cyclist, you’ll lose up to three demerit points and will be $352 out of pocket. This distance increases to one-and-a-half metres of space if you’re going faster than 60km/h.

When you can, try to keep your road rage at bay. If you give into temptation and honk a car that’s annoying you, you’ll be up for a $66 fine in Queensland. It’s an offence to use your horn for any other reason than warning another vehicle or animal that you’re approaching them. This includes a friendly beep goodbye when you’re leaving your friend’s house.

As tempting as it is to leave your window open to let some fresh air into your parked car – any more than 5cm and you could get fined $40. It’s also illegal for any parts of your body to be outside the window in a moving vehicle – so no more waving out the window, or even resting your elbow on an open window.

So, have you been unwittingly breaking any road rules?

Every good law-abiding driver should also make sure they have a decent car insurance policy – talk to Sarina Insurance today to see how we can help!