NSW Traffic Rules - Yellow Line at The Side of The Road = No Stopping

Just a bit of community awareness. I just found out (via a penalty notice) that yellow line at the side of the road means no stopping or clearway. I had no idea about this and I was wondering how many people know about this.

Background story, I went to Hyams Beach for a day trip and was going around to find parking. I can't find any parking until I see what looks like a parking bay for 3 cars. I parked there and got off to see the parking signs/pole. There was no parking sign/pole at all so I thought if there is no "no parking" sign, it should be fine. All other street parking got a sign but this 3 parking bay is the only place without any sign but only the yellow line on the ground which I had no idea that it means no parking.

A week later, I got a penalty notice for $283 in the mail. The offence is stop at side of road with continuous yellow edge line. I called them and apparently the yellow line equals no stopping sign. They don't have to put up a no stopping/parking sign/pole anymore. I obviously had no idea about this (my fault). I have always looked at the parking pole to find a parking sign.

Anyway, does anyone know what's the rule actually says? Is this right? I feel that this parking bay is a trap as all the other street parking got parking sign pole and only these 3 parking bay got no sign but only the yellow line. I said parking bay as it looks like this. So the side road went in like it's for parking. I tried to find the street where I parked via google map and there is no street view for where I parked. I don't think there is any grounds to contest the fine unfortunately.

Poll Options

  • 325
    Yes, Yellow Line = No Stopping/Clearway
  • 39
    No, I have never heard of this

Comments

  • +26

    What did you think the yellow line meant?

    • +1

      Probably Just a line painted yellow, just like other white lines on road, LoL
      HAHA

      • +10

        V v v v v i p parking only.

      • +1

        Yeh, it's not so that it looks pretty.

    • +12

      Ran out of white paint

    • -1

      Poor OP had tried to do all the right things
      OP should write back and explain and ask to be let off on this occassion given they had checked all the signs.
      I didnt know about the yellow line either.

  • +16

    I like the clown in paper yesterday in tears cause she got fined for going through the yellow light…. she never knew you couldnt…

    • +6

      OMG! I saw that too, laughed my arse off so hard. I actually came here to see if she had posted a "Unfair ticket issued for running yellow light" thread…

      • +4

        give it time…. lolololol

    • +6

      That's so funny —- someone still reads the newspaper? lol

    • +10

      You can go through a yellow light provided it’s not safe to slam on the brakes!

      The rule is only enforced in situations where you accelerate faster even though it is safe to stop!

      No idea how you got 13 upvotes on incorrect information…

    • -2

      I've never seen a yellow traffic light.
      Seen plenty of amber/orange ones though.
      Doesn't it mean "floor the right foot"?

      • Well then you are wrong… in the road rules, these lights are referred to as “yellow” lights.

        • +2

          Never cross pegaxs when it comes to road rules

  • +23

    Do yourself and others a favour OP and stop driving till you are aware of all the basic driving rules :)

  • +7

    I am honestly disappointed this is not a brand new burner account

    • +2

      Where were you last night? You missed all the action.

      • +8

        Sinking a 6 pack of xxxx, cold zinger box and wallowing in self pity wondering were it all wrong? It was a Friday night after all.

  • +8

    I had no idea about this

    How long have you been driving for?…. Future reference

  • +9

    LOL… Road Rule 169

    I swear some people got their license out of a meat raffle at their local RSL…

    • +2

      The rest of them got it from a Corn Flakes box.

      • +7

        I got mine from a Nutri Grain box. Wait no that was Age of Empires.

      • +1

        Current batch are minted on Fruit Loops packaging..

      • +1

        Did you know that you can't lose your license if you don't have one!

    • +6

      You’ve clearly never entered the meat raffle on a regular basis, because it’s far easier to get your licence than it is to win the meat raffle!

  • +6

    Did you guys even read the driver handbook when you got your learner license?

  • +21

    Next up on OzBargain, 'What are these wannabe RGB lights hanging at intersections?'

  • +37

    Duh, yellow line actually means parking for $283.

    • +2

      Look at Mr Billionaire here!

    • If only there was… some kind of basic rule set op could have read and declared they did read and understand…

      • What is this fancy rule set you speak of?

    • +15

      Oh look, EightImmortals has discovered another conspiracy. Add it to the scrap book!

      • -4

        Oh. So the OP only got a 'theoretical' tax bill then? My bad.
        Stockholm Syndrome aint just a river in Egypt.

    • +7

      I don't even live in NSW and knew it would mean no stopping or parking.

      It's actually your responsibility to know the road rules and laws. Stop passing the buck like morons that need 'caution: hot' stickers on their maccas coffee.

  • +16

    So far, you've potentially saved three people $283 each, so at least some good has come off this post, despite the roasting you are getting. 😂

    • +8

      Should be posted as a deal then.

      Save $283 with this one simple trick.

      • +2

        Deal: NSW Parking, save $283 Free delivery.(Residents of NSW, other states savings may vary).

      • Is that going to be your April fools deal this year? I've already got mine 😜

  • +4

    And in other news, a red light at an intersection means stop.

    • +4

      bUt thEy dIDnt SeNd mE a leEtTr To sAy sO

  • +4

    It's been the law for at least 20 years.

  • +6

    This is another reason why renewing your licence should require a knowledge test. Easy to do, they have the tech to do it. Could make it so that it’s hard to fail, ie if you get a question wrong, you get shown the answer then another question. Some people would pass easy in 10 questions, but I’d imagine there’s be some that could be there all day based on what you see on the roads (and in threads like this)

    • +1

      Interesting constructive workable idea.

      When they get it wrong tell them the right answer. But ask same question again later to see if they understood and remembered. Ask questions about important matters, not, say, how close can you park to whatever. Put a limit on the number of questions in any session, if they're taking to many to get enough right tell them to come back and have another try later.

      • I like the idea except i've seen similar setups for hospitality / Gaming training with the person being tested betting "coached" to a pass with other person sitting next to them on the PC.

  • -2

    I don't think I've ever seen this kind of road marking the entire time I've lived in Sydney, but then again I'm not really into going to the beach.

    Are these line markings prominent in the Greater Sydney Area? Maybe they should make the lines red instead of yellow, IMO that is more intuitive to warn drivers that you can't park there.

    OP did the lines look like this? Because you mentioned there were parking bays, which implies that there would be more space between the kerb and the yellow line.

    • +1

      We have some in our area (not Sydney). Not a lot though.

      • Interesting. This webpage indicates the lines were introduced in the Sutherland Shire and Northern Beaches (I've personally never really driven around those areas often nor very long):

        "Then, back in November 2012 the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) reminded Councils that a continuous yellow line painted on the edge of a road can be used either instead of – or to reinforce – No Stopping signs. The Northern Beaches and Sutherland Shire Councils were among the first to introduce yellow lines without No Stopping signs and since many others have followed suit."

        The "reminded Councils" part stands to me as it implies that it's up to the council to implement these lines, which to me means that councils can choose to use these lines or parking signs. If the lines aren't prominent around Sydney I wouldn't blame people for not knowing what they mean, after all people do tend to forget things, and assuming everyone will remember everything in the learner's handbook is wishful thinking.

        I personally don't think these lines are as intuitive as street signs, probably cheaper to introduce though.

        • +3

          I personally don't think these lines are as intuitive as street signs, probably cheaper to introduce though.

          Only not as intuitive as signs becuase they aren’t used enough. Other lines on the road are perfectly intuitive.

          Yes, they are cheaper to install and maintain. It’s pretty hard to knock over a painted line. Signs get taken out pretty often. Our council has 2 full time sign installers.

          • @Euphemistic: Yes, I do agree other road markings are intuitive. Maybe not Dragon's Teeth though, I had to Google to see what they meant as I haven't really seen those markings in Victoria much.

            Oh, and maybe chevrons as well (I think these are on the Pacific Highway in NSW), where you're supposed to be two chevrons behind the car in front.

            • @Ghost47: I bring my own chevrons so I can tailgate..

            • @Ghost47: There're plenty of these in vic too, just head out to national parks and you'll see them near popular tourist lookouts.

        • +1

          I saw these near Mona Vale beach the other day. They were painted on street corners to indicate the 5m you are not allowed to park in from the corner (another favourite rule people think unjust/unfair/made up), in addition to a No Stopping sign. Didn't stop a ute from parking there though.

  • Merged from Diagaonal and Chevrons on road.

    For Ghost47.

    Diagonal markings are used to mark painted traffic islands and medians. They are also used on the approaches to raised islands and other obstructions. (a) They are applied to areas of pavement, which are not generally intended for use by moving vehicles.

    Chevrons. Travelling at 70mph, stopping distance is 96 metres. So if the car in front is on chevron one, and you are on chevron 3, that's only 80 metres. If you are on chevron 4 you are on 120 metres. So if you can see 2 chevrons between you, you are about 100 metres.8 Sept 2016.

    The above is NSW. No idea about other states.

    • +1

      How many metres in a miles?

      • On same note how many standard sized banana to a mile?

        • +2

          Pffft… it’s all about the link, rod, chain and furlongs… metric is for pussies…

      • 1609.344 metres in 1 mile to be excat.
        Now you go figure how long it takes for a vehicle going 70 miles per hour to travel 96 metres.

    • +4

      ? Thanks, you must be referring to this comment I made.

      I do know what these things mean, my point was that they aren't intuitive. When you see a Stop sign you generally have an idea what to do, when you see Dragon's Teeth or Chevrons you generally might not be sure of what they mean unless you've learnt about it in a handbook.

      Not sure why you created a whole thread when you could've simply replied to my comment lol…

      I haven't driven much in the past few years on Victorian regional roads (e.g. out to Ballarat or Gippsland) but in general Dragon's Teeth and Chevrons aren't that common on those roads in my experience, but maybe things have changed.

      Oh, you mentioned diagonals, I feel like diagonals are somewhat more intuitive than both Dragon's Teeth and Chevrons. I would also say an unbroken line next to a solid line (i.e in the middle of a road) is also intuitive, i.e you can cross one way but not the other.

      Dragon's Teeth - The whole point of Dragon's Teeth is to warn drivers to slow down, but why not just put "SLOW" or "SLOW DOWN" on the road instead? That's way more intuitive!
      Chevrons - Instead of having the Chevrons pointing forward, why not have them point backwards, to somewhat indicate you need to be two Chevrons behind? I haven't driven around cities outside Melbourne and Sydney; are these road markings prominent there?

      After all, these two types of markings from my experience are more prominent in NSW, so drivers from interstate might not immediately understand what they mean.

      I think when it comes to road safety (and parking fines hehe), road markings need to be intuitive and not made too perplexing. Maybe this thread isn't silly after all and can spark a discussion around how/which road markings should be made more intuitive, we can't expect everyone to have a proper understanding of what road markings mean especially if they aren't intuitive.

      • +1

        Yep, in concur. You can have my upvote.

        Drove to Sydney today on the freeway from Newcastle and did not know wtf I was supposed to do with these chevrons. I kind of had an idea of what they were there for, but it’s like being handed a tool and told to use it without any instructions.

        • +1

          Wow, an upvote from pegaxs! I feel special.

          For chevrons in particular, how do you think they could be changed to be more intuitive?

          Thinking about it a bit more, was there a “Keep 2 chevrons apart” sign?

          • +1

            @Ghost47: Chevrons are stupid. Straight lines across a lane would make more sense than chevrons. Even the pointing back chevron makes more sense.

            Short, straight lines across the lane, 30m apart on 110km/h roads (27m on 100km/h roads) and signs saying each line is 3 seconds apart and that should be the aimed for distance to the car in front.

            Years ago, that’s what it was like on the way to Melbourne just out of Sydney. There were these exact “straight” markings and signs saying what they were denoting.

            Chevrons are (fropanity) stupid and I agree that they are 100% un-intuitively laid out.

            • @pegaxs: A straight line is something that you stop behind though. You don't want people hitting the anchors on a freeway because they come across a stop mark.

              • +1

                @Leiothrix: Yeah, because a small, straight line would cause people to stop on a highway/freeway every 30m in a 110km/h zone… you see a lot of intersections and traffic lights on freeways?

        • Drove to Sydney today on the freeway from Newcastle

          Was this you?

          • +1

            @MS Paint: OP got chopped by my BYD, had to let him know.

        • Drove to Sydney today on the freeway from Newcastle and did not know wtf I was supposed to do with these chevrons.

          For future reference, there are signs just as the chevrons start and also about halfway along which say something to the effect of ‘keep at least 2 chevrons apart’.

      • The logic behind dragons teeth is it makes you feel like you're going faster, as well as focussing your attention on the road. They work more on a psychological basis rather than relying on people obeying a 'slow down' road marking or advisory speed limit.

    • +2

      Travelling at 70mph

      Checks google maps location. Yep, I'm still in Australia.

      No idea about other states.

      No idea about how to hit reply button.

      FTFY

      • lol - so many Americanophiles on here

        • British also use miles. For some reason we don't shit on them enough for being backwards.

          • @Mechz: That's because it's not nice to pick on the disadvantaged

            • -1

              @iand: They seem as mentally disadvantaged as all the other countries stuck in 1955.

    • +1

      You made an entire thread to attempt to explain something to one person who you feel was incorrect? Weird.

    • 70mph

      NSW you say?

    • +5

      For those commenting, please ensure you start a new thread instead opening with "For CurlCurl".

      • LOL!

  • +1

    OP must be a International Driver Licence, though I don’t know if they test them somehow when they come into the country

  • It's all in the Driving handbook.
    How you got a license is beyong me.

    1. Technically it's a clearway.
    2. If you can prove you can't see clear signage delineating the start and end of the Clearway, you could get out of this ticket.
      2a. We have a Clearway nearby without proper signage and people park there regularly and council refuses to ticket them.
    • You have a more forgiving council. I have a yellow line outside my house and an overactive council (Brisbane City Council) who will give you a parking ticket every 15 minutes all day long and if you call them up they'll even get the offender towed. Helps teach the slow that maybe not parking over people's driveways isn't a good idea.

      • forgiving/lazy
        It's a Mirvac development, so most of the signs/paint don't follow standards. People can do whatever they like and nothing can/will be done.

  • +2

    The yellow line is something they brought in to cut down on excess signage iirc

    • -5

      Or revenue driven.

  • +2

    I think I am going to paint a yellow line along the street outside my house to stop people parking there.

  • They usually put sign if the clearway applies during specific timing, otherwise no sign = clearway 24/7.

  • I found out the hard way as well like 7 years ago on this when I parked parallel to the road where the tree is in this photo: https://www.google.com/maps/@-16.9167081,145.7718336,3a,75y,…

    There was more than a full metre between the side of the car and the road and I wasn't blocking anyone in. For people who live in the city where streets become parking bays outside of peak transit hours they understand this "yellow line" stuff but for anyone living outside of a city with less than a quarter million people….

  • Biggest mistake you did was go Hymens beach

    • Hi Man - no soup for you

  • Time to go for your licence again, this law is about 25 years old 😉

  • +1

    one of life's lessons - 'when all else fails, try reading the instructions' - aka NSW Road Rules …

  • +1

    it depends if ifs a dashed yellow or solid yellow. Solid is no parking at anytime on a clearway, dashed in clearway at particular times

  • +1

    NRMA gives you a quick rundown on the yellow lines

    Outside Ozbargain, there will still be many people who don't know this rule and rely on signs. To be honest, I only knew of this rule approx 5 years ago, driving for 15 years, also I can't recall seeing yellow curbed lines in Sydney Metro.

  • A solid yellow line is better than a no stopping sign as you cannot miss it. They generally use it around intersections.

  • Pretty sure this is internationally accepted.

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