Do I need a ‘DO NOT OVERTAKE TURNING VEHICLE’ sign on my caravan and/or trailer?
This is not particularly a question we get asked often in our appointments mainly because you don’t know what you don’t know. However, once we start talking about the signs and what it means for the driver of any combination if they have one displayed, our clients can’t believe it isn’t a topic spoken about more often!
We will start by saying that it is not a legal requirement to display a ‘do not overtake turning vehicle’ sticker if your motor vehicle is under 12 tonne GVM or trailer under 10 tonne GVM however, displaying this gives you great advantage! Read on to find out why!
Who can display a ‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’ sign?
Vehicles or combinations 7.5m or more in length that want or need to ‘straddle’ lanes, or momentarily occupy an adjacent lane to turn at intersections, must display the warning message ‘do not overtake turning vehicle’. Displaying this message requires all following vehicles to give way whilst the combination is turning which means you have right of way when completing such turns.
So, if you are driving a bus or towing a caravan, camper, boat trailer or horse float etc that is 7.5m in length or greater and you occasionally have to ‘straddle’ or use the adjacent lane to turn at an intersection then you are required to display a sticker. It is important to note that straddling adjacent lanes whilst turning without the warning message displayed may be illegal in your state or territory, and it is illegal to display the warning on vehicle combinations that are less than 7.5m in length.
What signs are acceptable and where do you affix the sign to your caravan/trailer?
Although we see one main type of sign being used, CAT31L, on caravans and leisure trailers such as boat trailers, a few signs are accepted. Please see below for these examples.
If a caravan or trailer is registered in NSW then it must be noted that the preferred size for the sign is larger than all other states and must be used to be compliant.
In NSW the following preferred sizing rules apply: As of June 2023, NSW legislated sticker size requirements have changed, stickers are to be the same size as all other states, which is 300mm x 100mm. The stickers no longer need to be 400mm x 150mm.
All other states and territories work under the rule that the sticker must comply with the Vehicle Standards Bulletin titled VSB12 v2.2 - National Code of Practice - Rear Marking Plates, which shows a preferred CAT31L sign to be 300mm x 100mm, which is the most common signs we see on the road, however, there are alternative signs accepted being CAT33L of 300mm x 300mm and CAT34A & CAT34B of 300mm x 400mm.
You are only required to display one (1) sticker on the rear of your caravan/trailer, and this must be placed on the Left-hand side with the following requirements:
It must be placed no more than 500mm from the left outer edge of the caravan. The preferred location is 0 - 500mm from the left outer edge.
The preferred height is between 400mm – 1500mm from ground level with a maximum height being no more than 2000mm from ground level.
We see lots of caravans with stickers applied to both the left and right outer edges, one on each side, or even just one in the middle. This is incorrect and the correct location is on the left-hand side as noted above.
For more information on the use and fitment of rear marking plates click here to view the National Code of Practice: Rear Marking Plates.
What makes a ‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’ marker compliant and legal to use on the road?
Not all ‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’ signs are made the same and it’s important to note that not all are compliant and therefore, not all legal!
Compliant markers are required to display certain information. Plates without this information or that are worn so that the information can no longer be read are not acceptable for road use. Compliant markers must:
Ensure the front reflective surface of the plate bears the following information in text that is no more than 3mm in height:
the name of the manufacturer or agent,
AS4001.1 and
the class of retro-reflective material.
We purchased a ‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’ sticker from a large camping and fishing store only to find out 6 months later that it did not display the above necessary information to make it compliant so in fact, was a waste of our money and if we were in an accident whilst straddling a lane when turning at an intersection, we may have been liable even though we had the sticker displayed.
Because of the rules that make up a compliant sticker and the fact that so many reputable outlets are selling non-compliant signs, we have decided to have our own stickers made, to Australian Standards, to make the choice easier for you; the caravanning community! If you would like to purchase a complying sticker for your combination, click here.
Disclaimer: All information provided in this blog is taken from the VSB12 version 2.2 National Code of Practice - Rear Marking Plates Bulletin and is relevant as known to us as of 02/07/23. AWS has conducted extensive researched to confirm rules and regulations with each state and territory, however, we recommend you do your own research to ensure all rules and regulations we have spoken about are relevant to the state and territory you live in and your situation. We take no responsibility or liability for misinterpretation of information.
Please note that we are currently on The Gibb in north west W.A! As such any order placed will not be shipped until the end of August.
‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’ rear sticker made in Australia to Australian Standards to be compliant on the road.
CAT31L in Class 400 Reflective prismatic grade material.
All of our stickers are made from the highest grade laminate to help prolong the life of the sticker and to help guard against damage from sun, caustic truck wash and pressure cleaners etc.
