Penalities to Pay if you Don’t Keep Left.
Keep Left unless Overtaking.
In all Australian states and territories, the road rules require drivers travelling on any multi-lane road with a speed limit over 80km/h to stay out of the right lane unless overtaking or turning right, or unless all lanes are congested.
The penalty in Victoria is:
$192 fine and two demerit points.
Police in Victoria have recently targeted drivers that hog the right-lane, with some drivers being fined for failing to keep left when not overtaking on a freeway.
The majority of those fined did not even realise it was breaking the law.
Maybe they have never seen these signs when driving.
The KEEP LEFT UNLESS OVERTAKING sign is not a suggestion, it’s actually in the legislation.
I’ve been in this country for almost 50 years, and have been aware of this all the time. It was also a penalty offence in the UK, with Police enforcing it regularly.
I have noticed that it seems to be very rarely enforced in Australia.
New South Wales www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/overtaking-safely
Queensland www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/left
South Australia mylicence.sa.gov.au/road-rules/the-drivers-handbook/driving-road
Tasmania www.rsac.tas.gov.au/campaigns/top-10-misunderstood-road-rules-tasmania/
Victoria www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/freeways
West Australia www.wa.gov.au/organisation/road-safety-commission/more-road-rules-and-penalties
The Top 10 Misunderstood Road Rules in Tasmania.
Worth a read as a refresher.