7.5 Parking, Distraction, Restraints and Crash Duties
Key Takeaways
Hazard lights do not create a parking exemption; loading zones and NO PARKING areas have activity and time conditions.
A vehicle waiting at a red signal is stationary but not parked, so mobile-phone restrictions continue to apply.
After a crash, stop, protect people, provide required assistance and particulars, and notify police when the applicable reporting conditions require it.
Plan the delivery stop as part of the route
A safe route ends at a lawful place to stop. Check loading access, driveway space, pedestrian routes, vehicle length and the unloading method before arrival. A customer’s instruction to stop outside the door does not override NO STOPPING, clearway, crossing or obstruction rules. Hazard lights warn others; they do not authorise otherwise prohibited parking.
A NO STOPPING control generally prohibits stopping except under the applicable exceptions. NO PARKING permits dropping off or picking up passengers or goods while remaining within 3 m of the vehicle and moving on as soon as possible, generally within two minutes unless the sign specifies a time. The disability-permit provision has its own five-minute allowance where applicable. A loading zone permits the specified vehicle and genuine loading activity within its conditions. Waiting for paperwork or a warehouse slot is not automatically equivalent to loading.
Ordinary stopping restrictions
Do not double park, obstruct a driveway or block a crossing. A continuous yellow edge line prohibits stopping at that side of the road. Ordinary intersection exclusions are 20 m where traffic lights control the intersection and 10 m where they do not, subject to permitted signs and the continuous side of an unsignalised T-intersection. At children’s crossings and pedestrian crossings away from intersections, the ordinary exclusions are 20 m before and 10 m after. A signal-controlled marked foot crossing away from an intersection uses 10 m before the nearest signal pole and 3 m after the crossing. Measure the whole vehicle: a trailer within the exclusion still creates a breach even when the cab is farther away. Leave the required clear road space and check signs and permitted exceptions.
When parking, secure the vehicle against movement using its appropriate brake and site procedure. Consider gradient, load and surface strength. Do not rely only on leaving a manual transmission in gear. If a trailer is uncoupled, use the appropriate support and restraint procedure. Check that a door, tail lift or falling cargo cannot endanger pedestrians or adjacent traffic.
| Stopping purpose | Main check |
|---|---|
| Brief passenger pick-up | Sign conditions and safe passenger movement |
| Freight delivery | Genuine activity, permitted vehicle, time limit and clear space |
| Waiting for dispatch | Lawful parking location; do not assume loading exemption |
| Breakdown | Safety and the actual emergency provisions, plus warning duties |
| Rest break | Suitable lawful rest area with room for the whole vehicle |
Distraction and mobile phones
Distraction takes eyes, hands or attention away from driving. Dispatch messages, route programming, food, documents and conversations can compete with observation. Set up navigation while parked, secure paperwork and plan how communications will be handled. A hands-free conversation can still reduce attention even when a particular use is lawful.
Road rule 300 restricts mobile-phone use while moving or stationary but not parked. Waiting at a red signal is not parking. For drivers covered by the general rule, specified audio-call use can be permitted with a correctly mounted phone or a hands-free arrangement meeting the rule. A mounted driver’s aid must meet the rule’s conditions, including no manipulation of the phone while using it. Texting, reading messages or browsing is not authorised merely because a phone is in a mount.
The rule separately prohibits use for a driver operating under a learner or P1 car licence while moving or stationary but not parked. Apply the actual licence authority and any other applicable conditions; do not invent a blanket P2 prohibition from another state. The safest operational practice is to park legally before making device adjustments or responding to work messages.
A dispatch device or visual display also has rules. A screen visible to the driver cannot be used for entertainment while driving merely because it belongs to the employer. A camera or navigation aid is useful only when installed and used appropriately. Configure it before the trip and keep the driver’s attention on the road.
Seatbelts and occupants
Drivers and passengers must use the fitted restraint as required. Check its condition and correct wearing before moving. Do not carry a person in an unapproved part of the vehicle or assume a short yard-to-road trip makes restraints optional. Passenger-service work has additional responsibilities for safe boarding, seating and movement.
Keep tools, luggage and other objects secure within the cab. A loose bottle near a pedal can interfere with control, and a heavy object can strike someone during hard braking. Safe cab organisation supports both restraint protection and emergency control.
Duties after a crash
Stop after a crash and assess immediate danger. Secure the vehicle if possible, warn approaching traffic and call 000 for injury, fire or other urgent hazards. Provide reasonable assistance within your competence without entering an unsafe scene. Do not move an injured person unnecessarily unless an immediate danger makes it essential, and follow emergency instructions.
Give the required particulars to other involved drivers, injured people and owners of damaged property or their representatives: your name and address, the vehicle owner’s name and address, registration and other necessary vehicle identification. Rule 287 also requires particulars to police if someone is killed or injured, required particulars are not exchanged, a vehicle is towed or carried away unless a statutory exception applies, or another law requires reporting. Provide them as soon as possible, generally within 24 hours except in exceptional circumstances. That is the rule’s particulars deadline; it does not mean every minor crash must automatically be reported to police, or that an injured person should wait for help.
Record useful information safely, such as the location, time, vehicles, witnesses and load or road conditions. Notify the operator and arrange recovery or inspection where required. A vehicle can have hidden brake, steering, tyre or restraint damage even if it still moves. Do not continue the trip until safe and lawful use has been established.
Key decisions
Park lawfully, minimise distraction, keep occupants and cab objects restrained, and respond to a crash by protecting people and fulfilling the actual assistance and information duties.
Official sources
Road Rules 2019, stopping, parking, restraints, rule 287 and rules 299–300; official Road Rules Handbook. Sources checked 10 October 2026.
A truck driver is stopped at a red light and reads a dispatch text on a phone. Is the vehicle parked for the phone rule?
No; it is stationary but not parked
Yes, because the wheels are not moving
Yes, if the message is work-related
Yes, if the parking brake is briefly applied
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.