Road rules and safety
Merging lanes
Learn how to merge with traffic in another lane when driving in Victoria.
When you want to change lanes while driving, you must give way to other vehicles.
Merging on roads with marked lanes
Merging and changing lanes can be a stressful task.
Two simple rules can make it easier:
- Whenever you move from one marked lane to another, you must give way to vehicles already in that lane. This includes when your lane ends (on a freeway, for example).
- Indicate and change lanes when there is a safe gap in traffic. If the line in front of you is blocked (for example, by a parked car) you must indicate and give way before you move.
Zip merging on roads without marked lanes
Zip merging is when two rows of vehicles merge into one, and there are no lines marked on the road.
You must give way to a vehicle which has any part of its vehicle ahead of yours.
You are not zip merging if you cross any lines marked on the road. If you cross lines on the road, you must follow the ‘give way’ rules for changing lanes.