Changing lanes

Changing lanes successfully requires a good awareness of traffic around you, and the ability to stay in your lane while picking good gaps.

Where should you practise this?

• Pick a long, multi-laned road so you can get your lane changes in.
• Choose a time that the traffic isn’t too busy.
• Aim to start somewhere with a speed limit of no higher than 60km/h.
• Once you’re comfortable with that, try moving on to higher speed zones like motorways.

How to safely change lanes

When you need to change lanes, make sure you:

• Look 12 seconds ahead and check for hazards that could make changing lanes a bad idea.
• Check the lane you want to move into in your mirrors and over your shoulder. This helps you look for a safe and suitable gap.
• Indicate, even if you’re not quite ready to switch lanes yet. It tells other road users that you’re wanting to change lanes.
• If you need to, adjust your speed to create a gap. Make sure you keep to the speed limit.
• Re-check the road ahead, your mirrors and your blind spots. Take extra care to look for cyclists or motorcyclists. They can be hard to see because of their size and position on the road.
• Once you’re comfortable with the gap, steer smoothly into the other lane.
• Check your mirrors again for following traffic.
• If needed, adjust your speed and following distance to match surrounding traffic.

More tips for changing lanes

• If you know your exit is coming up, give yourself time to make the change without any pressure.
• Learn to pick the gap. As you change lanes, keep the space between any vehicles in front or behind you (remember the 2-second and 4-second rules). If the gap doesn’t look right, wait.
• Indicate for at least 3 seconds. The other drivers need to know you want to move.
• If you’re on a road with more than two lanes, remember that cars in the third lane might be trying to get into the same gap as you. Always check before you change lanes.