The Australian Road Rules have been made into Regulations under the Road Traffic Act (SA) and came into operation throughout Australia on 1 December 1999. Local Councils are authorised to issue expiation notices for offences defined in Part 12 of the Australian Road Rules 1999. The Rules were developed by the National Road Transport Commission, State and Territory transport agencies, police and other organisations and have introduced uniform or consistent road rules throughout Australia.

The Rules are made up of 21 Parts. Diagrams of all traffic signs appear in the Schedules at the end of the Rules. The Readers Guide aims to help readers to quickly use the Rules and understand how they apply to different kinds of roads, vehicles and road users. It explains key concepts and the structure of the Rules. When you are trying to understand a particular rule it is suggested that you always check the dictionary at the end of the Rules as it may clarify the effect of some rules.

A total prohibition on parking applies in these areas as these restrictions are imposed for road and pedestrian safety reasons and to maintain access. A continuous yellow edge line is a road marking which runs parallel to the kerb. You are not permitted to stop or park in these zones at any time, regardless of the reason. Even if you are only stopping to let someone out of the car, and regardless of whether you leave the engine running and stay in the car.

You must not stop in a No Parking area unless dropping off or picking up passengers or goods. You must not leave the car and not take longer than two minutes or the time limit on the sign (unless stated otherwise).

Parking your vehicle too close to an intersection can endanger pedestrians and other drivers by blocking their view of the traffic, and by restricting other drivers’ turning space. A driver must not stop on a road within 20 metres of the nearest point of an intersecting road at an intersection with traffic lights. A driver must not stop on a road within 10 metres from the nearest point of an intersecting road at an intersection without traffic lights.

All vehicles must be parked parallel to the kerb unless the signs and/or road markings indicate angle parking is required. All parallel parked vehicles must face the same direction as the moving traffic on that side of the road - this is called ‘the lawful direction’. To ensure a clear passage for moving traffic, parallel parked vehicles (other than motor cycles) must have both kerbside wheels as close as practicable to the kerb.

You must not stop across your own or another person’s driveway, or so close to the driveway that you stop a vehicle from driving in or out. The only time you can stop is when dropping off, or picking up passengers.

Vehicles must not be parked with any part of the vehicle on a footpath or footway. This includes the grass verge outside your home. Apart from the obstruction of pedestrians, footpaths are not intended to bear the weight of vehicles as damage may be caused to the surface or services located underneath.

A footpath is the area from the kerb to the property boundary, this includes lawns and gardens. A footpath also includes footway, lane or other place made or constructed for the use of pedestrians and not for the use of vehicles. The section of footpath, which enables access to premises, is part of the footpath and is not available for parking. A painted island is an area of road that has been painted indicating that parking is not permitted.

Many of the main roads in the city have lanes, which are provided specifically for bicycle riders. There is signage at the beginning of the lane, along the length of the lane and at the end. Bike Lanes look like this - a single roadside lane indicated by a solid white continuous road marking. The bicycle symbol is painted on the road on intersections, which form part of the Bike Lane.

Bike Lanes were created as a State Government initiative to provide a legitimate and reasonably unimpeded road area for cyclists, and to improve road safety. It is an offence for a vehicle to be parked with any part of that vehicle in a Bicycle Lane during the times specified on the Bike Lane sign. If there are no times indicated on the sign, the Bike Lane is in operation 24 hours. You must not stop in a Bike Lane at all - regardless of your reasons to do so. This is considered a serious offence and a severe penalty applies.

Clearways improve traffic flow at the busiest times of the day. A Clearway starts at the Clearway sign and ends at the End Clearway Sign. You cannot stop your car between these signs during the times specified on the Clearway sign.

Only public buses are permitted in Bus Zones. Bus drivers need unrestricted access to these areas to safely pick up and set down passengers. Unauthorised vehicles create severe inconvenience for bus drivers, particularly during peak periods. Stopping to set down or pick up a passenger is not permitted.

Only public buses are permitted to stop near bus stops or on a road within 20 metres before a sign that indicates a bus stop and 10 metres after the sign.

You can only stop in a Loading Zone if you are driving either:
* A truck with a GVM (Gross Vehicular Mass) over 4.5 tonnes; or
* A bus or taxi cab if dropping off or picking up passengers; or
* A courier or delivery vehicle permanently marked in the way specified by the Regulations (ask the Council or Vic Roads); or
* A vehicle that is dropping off, or picking up goods and is a G classified goods van.

Stopping your vehicle too close to a children’s crossing may mean that a child entering the crossing can’t see or be seen by an approaching car.

When a children’s crossing is in operation (ie. when the flags are displayed), you must not stop:

* Within 20 metres before the crossing; or

* Within 10 metres after the crossing.

This means that stopping momentarily to let a child out or pick a child up is an offence. These restrictions do not apply when flags are not displayed and the crossing is unattended. However, if there is also a No Stopping sign at the approach to the crossing you must obey it at all times.

Double Parking means a driver must not stop on a road: if the road is a two-way road, between the centre of the road and another vehicle that is parked at the side of the road; or if the road is a one-way road, between the far side of the road and another vehicle that is parked at the side of the road. Council is mindful of congestion around schools and only reports vehicles for this offence when a passenger enters or leaves the vehicle while it is stopped as previously described.

Council regularly experiences problems with parking around schools. It is not the responsibility of the Council to provide parking around schools but Council has the difficult task of managing the limited number of on-street spaces available.

For this reason parking restrictions are specifically installed outside schools to control the behaviour of people delivering and collecting students. These restrictions are often installed at the request of the school or nearby residents. Parking patrols ensure the safety of children through enforcement of the parking restrictions.

The basic principle is that a larger number of vehicles can use each space if it is restricted to short term parking, and various parking restrictions are used to achieve this. These may include No Standing, Yellow Edge Line, and No Parking restrictions.

Under the Australian Road Rules 1999, vehicles over 7.5 metres in length (including a trailer attached) or over 4.5 tonne can only be parked on a road for a maximum of 1 hour. Owners or drivers of a vehicle which weights over 3 tonne tare in weight wishing to park on a residential property require Development consent. The type of vehicle which need consent include - buses, motor homes, vans, trucks, prime movers, earth moving equipment and associated trailers.

Some areas within the City have parking restrictions that require vehicles to display a Residential Parking Permit to legally park in these areas. An application for a Residential Parking Permit needs to be made to Council in writing and should include the applicants name and address, the vehicle type and registration number of each vehicle that a permit is require for. Permits must be displayed on each vehicle while it is parked in the zone to prevent an expiation notice being issued.

Parking control signs have been introduced Australia wide, which must comply with the Australian Standard. These signs have symbols instead of words, and the larger letters and numbers indicate the times and days parking limits apply. These signs are designed to be easily read while a vehicle is moving. It is important that signs are read EACH time that your vehicle is parked. Not all parking restrictions are the same in all areas. They may also change due to special events and to accommodate changing needs to the area.

A person must not park a vehicle (other than a bicycle) in a public place owned by or under the care, control or management of a council or parking authority. An exception to this rule is in an area specifically set aside for parking by council or parking authority.

* It is your responsibility as the driver of a vehicle to read all road and kerbside signage that you may encounter, and to comply with the directions or requirements indicated by the signs and/or road markings.
* All road and kerb side signage, and road markings within the City comply with Australian Standards as prescribed in the Australian Road Rules.
* If you do not understand the information provided on the signs/or by the road markings, then you should seek another area in which to park.
* Infringements may not be cancelled if you did not read, understand or you misinterpreted the information on the signs/or the road markings.

* Lines may be painted on roads to emphasise restrictions or conditions as stated on parking control signs.
* Where parking bays are marked in car parks or on the road surface, parking is only permitted completely within these bays.
* Certain areas have mandatory restrictions and must be kept permanently clear of stationary vehicles. No signage is necessary for these areas; however, solid yellow ‘No Stopping’ road markings may be placed on the road to remind the public (e.g. at traffic lights). These have the same effect as if the area had signs stating ‘No Stopping Zone’.
* Where signs are present to indicate a restriction or requirement, they take precedence over any road markings that may be present.