Western Australian Repealed Regulations

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This legislation has been repealed.

ROAD TRAFFIC CODE 1975 - REG 401

401 .         Obedience to traffic-control signals

        (1)         Every person shall comply with the directions of a traffic-control signal that is applicable to him.

        (2)         A traffic-control signal facing a driver and displaying — 

            (a)         a circular green signal is a direction that he may proceed straight ahead or, subject to subregulation (1) of regulation 402 and subregulations (1) and (2) of regulation 603, turn right or turn left;

            (b)         a steady circular amber signal or an amber arrow, is a direction that he may not proceed beyond the stop line associated with the signal or the stop line of the lane associated with the signal or in the absence of a stop line, at a point adjacent to the nearest appropriate traffic signal, unless his vehicle is so close to the stop line, or traffic signal, when the circular amber signal or amber arrow first appears, that he cannot safely stop his vehicle before passing over the stop line;

            (c)         a flashing amber signal is a direction that he may proceed beyond the stop line associated with the signal, or in the absence of a stop line at a point adjacent to the nearest signals, if he — 

                  (i)         does not conflict or interfere with pedestrians crossing the roadway;

                  (ii)         complies with the provisions of subregulation (1) of regulation 402, regulation 602 and subregulation (1) of regulation 603; and

                  (iii)         complies with the provisions of subregulation (1) of regulation 1620 where a member of the Police Force is in attendance regulating traffic;

            (d)         a circular red signal, alone, is a direction that, subject to subregulation (2a), he may not proceed beyond the stop line associated with the signal, or in the absence of a stop line at a point adjacent to the nearest appropriate traffic signal and a red arrow signal is a direction that he may not proceed beyond the associated stop line or traffic signal, as the case may be, in the direction indicated by the arrow;

            (da)         the letter “B” coloured white on a black background is an instruction, where the driver is the driver of an omnibus, that he may proceed straight ahead or, subject to subregulation (1) of regulation 402 and subregulations (1) and (2) of regulation 603, turn right or turn left;

            (e)         a green arrow, in conjunction with a circular red or amber signal, is an indication that oncoming traffic has been required to come to a halt and is a direction that he may proceed, but only in the direction indicated by the arrow.

        (2a)         Notwithstanding subregulation (2) (d), a driver may turn left at an intersection — 

            (a)         at which there is a traffic-control signal facing the driver and displaying a circular red signal, alone; and

            (b)         at or near which there is a traffic sign erected to face the driver that is inscribed with the words “LEFT TURN ON RED PERMITTED AFTER STOPPING”,

                if — 

            (c)         before starting to make the turn, the driver — 

                  (i)         stops his vehicle as near as possible to, but without passing over, the stop line associated with the traffic-control signal; or

                  (ii)         in the absence of a stop line, stops his vehicle, without entering the intersection, at a point adjacent to the nearest appropriate traffic-control signal; and

            (d)         the driver can make the turn with safety.

        (3)         The display of a green arrow on a traffic-control signal is a direction to a driver facing it that opposing traffic has been stopped to enable him to proceed, or that traffic does not conflict with his proceeding, in the direction indicated by the arrow; and, where the arrow has not come into operation, the display of a circular green signal, alone, is a direction to a driver facing it that he may make the turn that would otherwise be indicated by the arrow, but only if the movement can be made with safety, in the face of oncoming traffic.

        (4)         Where separate traffic-control signals are erected over each lane of a laned carriageway, then, irrespective of the location of the centre of the carriageway with respect to lane markings, a driver shall drive only in those lanes over which a green signal is displayed, and shall not drive in any lane over which a red signal is displayed.

        (5)         A traffic-control signal facing a pedestrian and displaying — 

            (a)         the word “WALK” in green or white lettering or a symbol similar to the illustration in the following diagram and coloured green is a direction that he may proceed across the carriageway, irrespective of other signals displayed;


            (b)         a circular green signal unaccompanied by — 

                  (i)         the words “DONT WALK” in red lettering; or

                  (ii)         a symbol similar to the illustration in the diagram following paragraph (c) of this subregulation and coloured red,

                is a direction that he may proceed across the carriageway;

            (c)         the words “DONT WALK” in red lettering or a symbol similar to the illustration in the following diagram and coloured red, whether flashing or steady, is a direction that he may not enter upon the carriageway, irrespective of other signals displayed and, if the words or symbol appear while he is on the carriageway, that he is to proceed, at once, to the nearest footway;


            (d)         a red or an amber circular signal, unaccompanied by — 

                  (i)         the word “WALK” in green or white lettering; or

                  (ii)         a symbol similar to the illustration in the diagram following paragraph (a) of this subregulation and coloured green,

                is a direction that he shall not enter upon the carriageway and that, if he is already on the carriageway, he is to quit it with reasonable despatch.

        [Regulation 401 amended in Gazette 31 October 1975 p.4030; 14 November 1975 p.4184; (Erratum in Gazette 21 April 1978 p.1220); amended in Gazette 10 October 1980 p.3462; 31 December 1980 p.4428; 1 May 1981 p.1375; 2 February 1982 p.399; 29 April 1983 p.1299; 11 April 1997 p.1858.]



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