Consider the situations in the following diagram:

Diagram

Car A is attempting to turn left at an intersection with a slip lane, and drives over a painted traffic island to reach the slip lane.

Car B is attempting to turn right at an intersection, and impatiently drives over a painted traffic island to reach the turning lane.

Car C is attempting to merge onto a road from an on-ramp, and drives over a painted traffic island separating the two roads.

Question. In which situation(s), if any, is this legal?

Answer. This is legal in situation B only.

Australian Road Rule 138 (‘Keeping off a painted island’) says:

(1) A driver must not drive on or over a single continuous line, or 2 parallel continuous lines, along a side of or surrounding a painted island, except as permitted under this rule or rule 139(4).

However, exceptions exist for some situations covered in this example:

(2) A driver may drive on or over a single continuous line along the side of or surrounding a painted island for up to 50 metres:

(a) to enter or leave the road; or

(b) to enter a turning lane that begins immediately after the painted island; or

(c) to enter a part of the road of one kind from a part of the road of another kind (for example, moving to or from a service road or emergency stopping lane); or

(d) to park in angle parking on the opposite side of the road provided that the driver does not need to perform a U-turn to reach the parking area.

This means that crossing the painted island is legal in situation B (subrule (b)). However:

(3) Subrule (2)(a) does not apply in the case of a painted island:

(a) that separates a road that takes vehicles in one direction from another road that takes vehicles in the same direction at a place where the roads merge; or

(b) that separates one part of a road from other parts of the road to create a slip lane.

Therefore, crossing the painted island is not legal in situation A (subrule (b)) or situation C (subrule (a)).