RIGHT-OF-WAY CONFUSION

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31154, 2 September 1966, Page 9

RIGHT-OF-WAY CONFUSION

AUSTRALIAN motorists have been thrown into confusion by a controversial, ruling on the give-way-to-the-right law in the Victorian Supreme Court, the Press Association reports from Sydney. The State’s Chief Justice (Sir Henry Winneke) ruled recently that a motorist

should have given way to a driver approaching on his right although the man on the right had not halted at a stop sign. The Chief Justice added that even if the driver on the right had gone through a red light, the driver on the left should have given way if there was danger of a collision. All Australian States have a law under which drivers must give way to vehicles on their right at all times. Authorities throughout Australia have studied the ruling.

Police have indicated that they will not prosecute motorists who fail to give way to the right when going through a green light, but say that, technically, such motorists would break the law. Some experts feel the selfish or reckless drivers could be encouraged to exploit the ruling and ignore traffic signals, and the Victorian Cabinet has decided to refer the matter to the Australian road traffic code committee, which could recommend changes in the law.