Queensland road rules quiz: Who should stop at a yellow light?

Motorists have pointed out it’s what you don’t see in this image that could be the difference between life and death.

A social media quiz about road rules was up for debate after the “correct” answer included an important qualifier.

Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads conducted its weekly road rules quiz on Monday, asking its followers which motorists in the below image need to stop after a light turned from green to yellow.

Which of these motorists needs to stop before the line?

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The department eventually responded with the answer after letting its followers have a guess.

“Drivers approaching, or at, a yellow traffic light must stop if they are able to do so before reaching the stop line unless it is not safe.

“In this image, the blue car does not need to stop as it has already entered the intersection. The motorbike must stop as close as practicable to, but before reaching the stop line, unless it is unsafe to do so.

“A yellow traffic light is the beginning of the red-light phase, not the end of the green,” the department said.

The qualifier that the motorcyclist stop “unless it is unsafe to do so” became a topic of much discussion among commenters.

Common advice for motorcyclists is to ride like everyone on the road is actively trying to kill you and several riders hopped into the comments to say they’d be checking over their shoulder before they hit the brakes.

“The motorbike should stop if safe,” one commenter said before adding: “The motorbike rider should also check their mirrors first to see that they don‘t have a truck behind them that can’t stop. Might be safer to keep going through.”

“If there is a heavy vehicle behind the motorbike it should have seen the amber light and be slowing down to a stop,” another commenter argued.

“Heavy vehicles should be in left lane anyway.”

There’s often discrepancy between what “should” happen on the roads and what does, which some sought to point out.

“The key word there is ‘should’! As a motorcyclist, I can assure you, I would not take the gamble! It’s not worth my life. As for the left lane remark, please show me where that is stated in the road rules. I agree that there should be a law limiting heavy vehicles to the left lane, however there isn’t one.”

There is – but it only applies to the two left lanes on some parts of the M1 motorway. Since the posted speed limit is 50, and there’s a set of traffic lights, it’s safe to assume that’s not where the hypothetical scenario is set.

Others broke out the calculator to try to determine whether the motorcyclist does in fact have space to stop while others suggested they would easily make it through the intersection before it changes to red if they “drop a gear and pin it”.

Originally published as Queensland road rules quiz: Who should stop at a yellow light?