© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Guide

Sydney 2023
Austroads Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates
 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Publisher
Edition 4.0 prepared by: Noel O’Callaghan and Malcolm Mak
Austroads Ltd.
Level 9, 570 George Street
Edition 4.0 project manager: Albert Wong Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
Phone: +61 2 8265 3300
Abstract
[email protected]
When a long vehicle makes a low-speed turn at an intersection, the rear of the www.austroads.com.au
vehicle covers a wider area than the inside of the path of the front of the
vehicle. This is known as low-speed off-tracking. The swept path is the road About Austroads
area covered by the outermost and innermost points of the vehicle making the
low-speed turn. Since the road network consists of a hierarchy of roads with Austroads is the peak organisation of Australasian
different functions, it is necessary to have a range of design vehicles in order road transport and traffic agencies.
to provide appropriate and safe access. This guide has been developed to
Austroads’ purpose is to support our member
assist intersection designers and contains user information and a guide
organisations to deliver an improved Australasian
(covering the basis of turning templates and road hierarchy), design vehicle
road transport network. To succeed in this task, we
dimensions, and turning path templates.
undertake leading-edge road and transport
The design vehicles included in this document provide guidance to cover most research which underpins our input to policy
normal intersection designs. The vehicle turning path templates are plots of development and published guidance on the
the vehicle wheelpath and the path traced by other relevant points on the design, construction and management of the road
vehicle or load. They show the swept path envelope resulting from various network and its associated infrastructure.
angles of turn at a particular radius.
Austroads provides a collective approach that
delivers value for money, encourages shared
Keywords knowledge and drives consistency for road users.
Design vehicles, checking vehicles, turning templates, swept path, heavy Austroads is governed by a Board consisting of
vehicles, performance based standards. senior executive representatives from each of its
eleven member organisations:
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Edition 4.0 published May 2023 • Transport for New South Wales
Edition 4.0 has been restructured with additional guidance on design vehicles • Department of Transport and Planning Victoria
versus checking vehicles, performance based standards, clearances between
swept paths, software parameters and a new design vehicle for a passenger • Queensland Department of Transport and Main
vehicle towing a trailer. Roads

Edition 3.0 published April 2013 • Main Roads Western Australia

• Department for Infrastructure and Transport
Edition 2.0 published 2006
South Australia
Edition 1.0 published 1995 • Department of State Growth Tasmania
• Department of Infrastructure, Planning and
ISBN 978-1-922700-89-6 Logistics Northern Territory
Austroads Project No. SRD6288 Pages 23 • Transport Canberra and City Services
Directorate, Australian Capital Territory
Austroads Publication No. AP-G34-23
• Department of Infrastructure, Transport,
Regional Development, Communications and the
Arts
© Austroads Ltd 2023
• Australian Local Government Association
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without • Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
the prior written permission of Austroads.

Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the role and contribution of the Austroads Road Design Task Force in providing guidance and information
during the preparation of this Guide. The authors also acknowledge HDS Australia and Main Roads Western Australia for assisting
with the preparation of the new passenger vehicle towing trailer turning template.

This Guide is produced by Austroads as a general guide only. Austroads has taken care to ensure that this publication is correct at
the time of publication. Austroads does not make any representations or warrant that the Guide is free from error, is current, or,
where used, will ensure compliance with any legislative, regulatory or general law requirements. Austroads expressly disclaims all
and any guarantees, undertakings and warranties, expressed or implied, and is not liable, including for negligence, for any loss
(incidental or consequential), injury, damage or any other consequences arising directly or indirectly from the use of this Guide.
Where third party information is contained in this Guide, it is included with the consent of the third party and in good faith. It does not
necessarily reflect the considered views of Austroads Readers should rely on their own skill, care and judgement to apply the
information contained in this Guide and seek professional advice regarding their particular issues.
 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Summary

When a vehicle performs a turning manoeuvre, the rear of the vehicle covers a wider path towards the inside
of the turn than the path of the foremost vehicle unit. The swept path envelope is the road area covered by
the outermost and innermost points of the vehicle units during the turn. It is necessary for road practitioners
to have access to swept path information for a number of vehicles in order to provide appropriate and safe
access at intersections. This guide has been developed to assist intersection designers and contains:
• user information and a guide (covering the basis of turning templates and road hierarchy)
• design vehicle dimensions
• turning templates.

The turning path templates presented are plots of the swept path envelope resulting from various angles of
turn at a particular radius. With the advancement of computer-aided design (CAD), software such as
AutoTURN, AutoTrack or Vehicle Path (VPATH) are commonly used instead of vehicle turning path
templates. This software is particularly useful for checking complex combinations of geometric elements and
vehicles that have unusual configurations (e.g. axle spacing, body overhang, overwidth and over-length).
Also, turning radii of any magnitude can be readily applied, whereas swept path templates are constrained to
standard values (usually 12.5 m, 15 m, 20 m and 30 m). This is the fourth edition of the Design Vehicles and
Turning Path Templates Guide, which was first published by the National Association of Australian State
Road Authorities (NAASRA). The first revision was published in 1995 with the second revision published in
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

2006.

Changes in the fourth edition include:

• A new design vehicle has been created using the existing Austroads passenger vehicle towing a trailer.
The dimensions of the trailer are the maximum allowable dimensions under the Australian Design Rules.
• Further guidance to distinguish between design vehicles and checking vehicles.
• Additional explanations to better interpret the Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme and how it
compares to existing prescriptive vehicles.
• Minimum clearances between design vehicle swept paths and kerb, edge lines, centrelines and edge of
pavement as well as clearances between swept paths for vehicles turning in the same direction.
• Software parameters that must be adhered to when undertaking the turn paths using software such as
AutoTURN, AutoTrack, Vehicle Path (VPATH), etc.

Austroads 2023 | page i

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Contents

1. Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 1

2. Vehicles ................................................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Austroads Design Vehicle Library ............................................................................................................ 3
2.2 Vehicle Dimensions .................................................................................................................................. 3
2.3 Design Vehicles ........................................................................................................................................ 7
2.4 Checking Vehicles .................................................................................................................................... 7
2.5 Performance Based Standards ................................................................................................................ 7
2.6 Selecting a Design and Check Vehicle .................................................................................................... 8
2.6.1 Arterial Roads ............................................................................................................................. 9
2.6.2 Non-arterial Roads ..................................................................................................................... 9
2.6.3 Off-road Facilities and Driveways ............................................................................................... 9
2.6.4 Guidance for Users ..................................................................................................................... 9

3. Turning Path Parameters ..................................................................................................................... 11

3.1 Turning Radius ....................................................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Tangential Turns vs Initial Lock Turns.................................................................................................... 11
3.3 Angle of Visibility .................................................................................................................................... 12
3.4 Clearances to Swept Paths of Turning Vehicles .................................................................................... 12
3.4.1 Clearances Between Swept Path and Kerb/Centreline/Edge Line .......................................... 12
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

3.4.2 Clearances Between Swept Paths for Turns in the Same Direction ........................................ 13
3.4.3 Clearances Between Swept Paths for Opposing Right Turns.................................................. 13
3.5 Software Parameters .............................................................................................................................. 14

4. Applying Turning Path Templates ...................................................................................................... 15

4.1 Preparing and Checking Designs ........................................................................................................... 16
4.2 Checking an Existing Layout .................................................................................................................. 17

References ...................................................................................................................................................... 18

List of Turning Templates Available ...................................................................................... 19

Dual Turn Lanes Assessment to Determine Design Vehicle Composition .......................22

Tables
Table 2.1: PBS road classification with prescriptive vehicles .................................................................... 8
Table 2.2: Road type definitions for intersection design ............................................................................ 8
Table 2.3: Guide to selection of the appropriate design and checking vehicle and the
recommended turning radii ..................................................................................................... 10

Figures
Figure 2.1: Passenger vehicle (5.2 m) ........................................................................................................ 3
Figure 2.2: Passenger vehicle towing trailer (17.6 m) ................................................................................. 3
Figure 2.3: Service vehicle (8.8 m) ............................................................................................................. 4
Figure 2.4: Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m) ................................................................................................... 4
Figure 2.5: Long rigid bus (14.5 m) ............................................................................................................. 4
Figure 2.6: Articulated bus (19 m) ............................................................................................................... 4
Figure 2.7: Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m) ........................................................................................ 4
Figure 2.8: Prime mover and long semi-trailer (25 m) ................................................................................ 4
Figure 2.9: B-double (25 m) ........................................................................................................................ 5

Austroads 2023 | page ii

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Figure 2.10: B-double (26 m) ........................................................................................................................ 5

Figure 2.11: A-double (Type I) (36.2 m) ........................................................................................................ 6
Figure 2.12: B-triple (35.4 m) ........................................................................................................................ 6
Figure 2.13: A-triple (Type II) (53.4 m) .......................................................................................................... 6
Figure 3.1: Swept path comparison between initial lock and tangential turns ..........................................12
Figure 3.2: Dual right-turn lanes with design vehicle in left lane and car in right lane ..............................13
Figure B 1: Assessment for dual turn lanes............................................................................................... 23
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Austroads 2023 | page iii

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

1. Introduction

Vehicle dimensions and performance capability of design vehicles are the key design criteria upon which
road and intersection design is based. The Austroads Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide
depicts design vehicles likely to use roads under the National Transport Commission’s (NTC’s) Performance
Based Standards (PBS) to generate turning templates.

All vehicles using the road network must be able to safely negotiate intersections without damaging other
vehicles, buildings, infrastructure and roadside furniture. It is also important that vehicles negotiating
intersections do not unduly obstruct traffic.

When a long vehicle makes a low-speed turn at an intersection, the rear of the vehicle covers a wider area
than the inside of the path of the front of the vehicle. This is known as low-speed offtracking. The swept path
is the road area covered by the outermost and innermost points of the vehicle making the low-speed turn. As
the road network consists of a hierarchy of roads with different functions, it is necessary for road practitioners
to have access to swept path information for a range of design vehicles in order to provide appropriate and
safe access. This guide has been developed to assist intersection designers and contains:
• user information and a guide (covering the basis of turning templates and road hierarchy)
• design vehicle dimensions
• turning templates.
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

The Austroads design vehicles have been produced to provide consistency when choosing an appropriate
design vehicle for intersection design throughout Australia.

The design vehicles included in this document provide guidance to cover most intersection designs.
Individual intersections should be designed and checked according to the vehicles expected to be
negotiating these intersections.

The vehicle turning path templates presented here are plots of the vehicle wheelpath and the path traced by
other relevant points on the vehicle or load. They show the swept path envelope resulting from various
angles of turn at a particular radius measured to the outside front steer wheel. Thus, the templates include
the critical wheelpath and the swept path of the extremities of the vehicles. The various turn radii given
reflect an acceptable range of turning speeds in normal traffic operation.

It should be noted that the turning speed associated with each turn radius is an indicative speed that the
vehicle might travel through the turn, but clearly does not preclude vehicles travelling through the turns at
speeds outside of the range specified. The swept path envelopes have been plotted using a low-speed turn
at 5 km/h and while this speed may be lower than the indicative speed labelled on some of the turning path
templates, the lower speed turns result in a greater swept path envelope, thus in turn resulting in a swept
path envelope representing the likely worst case.

The templates provided have been developed as a guide for designing intersections (for on-road use), or for
vehicle access to and from roads and represent only the forward movement of the vehicle. For the design of
off-road facilities, such as layouts of carparks and loading docks, lower absolute minimum and desirable
minimum turning radii, as well as design vehicles which may not be included in this guide, may be more
applicable. Australian Standards AS 2890.1-2004 for passenger vehicles and AS 2890.2-2002 for heavy
vehicles should be used when designing off-road facilities.

Note that New Zealand has a different vehicle fleet to Australia and has its own library of turning templates
as documented by RTS 18: New Zealand On-road Tracking Curves for Heavy Motor Vehicles (Land
Transport New Zealand 2007). New Zealand also has performance based requirements for exceptional
vehicles that are to be met before they are allowed to use restricted, strictly specified and enforced routes.

Austroads 2023 | page 1

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

This is the fourth edition of the Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide, which was first
published by the National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (NAASRA 1985). The first revision
was published in 1995 (Austroads 1995), with the second revision published in 2006 (Austroads 2006).
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Austroads 2023 | page 2

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

2. Vehicles

2.1 Austroads Design Vehicle Library

The following vehicles form the Austroads design vehicle library; they are representative of the common
vehicles of each type. The design of the vehicles was based on the Australian Vehicle Standard
Rules (1999) and the Australian Standard for Parking Facilities AS 2890.1-2004. A layout drawing of each
vehicle is shown in Section 2.2. Note that jurisdictions may have their own vehicle types and requirements.
• Passenger vehicle (5.2 m)
• Passenger vehicle towing trailer (17.6 m)
• Service vehicle (8.8 m)
• Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m)
• Long rigid bus (14.5 m)
• Articulated bus (19 m)
• Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m)
• Prime mover and long semi-trailer (25 m)
• B-double (25 m)
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

• B-double (26 m)
• A-double (Type I road train) (36.2 m)
• B-triple (35.4 m)
• A-triple (Type II road train) (53.4 m).

2.2 Vehicle Dimensions

The dimensions of the design vehicles are provided in Figure 2.1 to Figure 2.13. While turning path
templates have been created for these vehicles, the vehicles can be used as an input for computer-based
turning path prediction software, enabling more complex paths than those shown in the turning templates to
be examined.

Figure 2.1: Passenger vehicle (5.2 m)

Figure 2.2: Passenger vehicle towing trailer (17.6 m)

Austroads 2023 | page 3

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Figure 2.3: Service vehicle (8.8 m)

Figure 2.4: Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m)

Figure 2.5: Long rigid bus (14.5 m)

© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Figure 2.6: Articulated bus (19 m)

Figure 2.7: Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m)

Figure 2.8: Prime mover and long semi-trailer (25 m)

Austroads 2023 | page 4

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Figure 2.9: B-double (25 m)

Figure 2.10: B-double (26 m)

© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Austroads 2023 | page 5

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Figure 2.11: A-double (Type I) (36.2 m)

Figure 2.12: B-triple (35.4 m)

© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Figure 2.13: A-triple (Type II) (53.4 m)

Austroads 2023 | page 6

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

2.3 Design Vehicles

The physical and operating characteristics of vehicles using the road control some specific elements in
geometric design. The selection of the appropriate design vehicle for a particular movement should be based
on the functional classification of the road(s) as this reflects the composition of traffic expected. It is
necessary for designers to establish the appropriate design vehicle for any particular route, section of road or
intersection to include the majority of the vehicles allowed to operate at that location. In the case of
intersections, different design vehicles may apply to different traffic movements within the intersection.

The design vehicle is therefore the largest vehicle likely to regularly operate at a specific location rather than
the largest of the vehicles that may operate at that location. The choice of a particular vehicle as the design
vehicle depends on the number of those vehicles expected to undertake the movement. This may be
estimated from traffic data at the site or other locations along the route, or from the type of existing and
planned future development on the road(s). Where acceptable data is available it is suggested that a
particular type of heavy vehicle should be adopted as the design vehicle if at least one of those vehicles is
expected to undertake the movement each day.

In the absence of data or reliable information to the contrary, the selection of the appropriate design vehicle
for a particular intersection or turning movement should be based on the functional classification of the
intersecting roads as this reflects the composition of traffic expected at the intersection. Refer to Section 2.6
for guidance on selecting a design vehicle at various intersection types in Australia.

2.4 Checking Vehicles

© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

As stated in Section 2.3, the design vehicle for a particular case is not necessarily the largest of the vehicles
that may operate at that location. Rather, it is intended to include the majority of the vehicles allowed to
operate there. A larger vehicle may not be precluded from the road but may need to operate with reduced
clearances or encroach into adjacent lanes (where legal within a jurisdiction). While this may inconvenience
some road users, the low frequency of the occurrence of these vehicles makes this acceptable.

An appropriate checking vehicle must be used in order to ensure satisfactory operation of these larger
vehicles. The checking vehicle will be chosen according to the potential for such vehicles to use the facility
and will be at least the next larger vehicle to the design vehicle.

The checking vehicle may be permitted to run over kerbs where there are no pedestrian paths or standing
areas and may encroach on adjacent lanes. Permit vehicles (i.e. over-width or over-length vehicles travelling
with a permit) are not to be used as a design vehicle unless they regularly use the route. Instead, permit
vehicles are often used as the checking vehicle.

As an example, the intersection of two arterial roads could be expected to carry significant proportions of
commercial vehicles and, as a result, a semi-trailer may be chosen as the design vehicle (depending on the
traffic composition and road environment) and used to determine the shape of pavement edges or locations
of kerbs for small-radius turns. The intersection should be checked to ensure that a larger restricted access
vehicle (e.g. 25 m prime mover and semi-trailer or B-double) can turn legally within the pavement area and to
identify any ‘over-run’ areas that should be specially constructed or marked.

2.5 Performance Based Standards

The Performance-Based Standards (PBS) scheme is a regulatory scheme in operation in Australia for heavy
vehicles. It focuses on what a vehicle must be able to achieve in terms of safety and infrastructure protection,
rather than what the vehicle looks like, i.e. its prescribed mass and dimensions. With innovative designs, it is
possible for vehicles participating in the scheme to improve productivity and efficiency and be safer than
vehicles operating under the current prescriptive regime.

Austroads 2023 | page 7

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

PBS requires vehicle performance to be determined via a number of safety and infrastructure-based tests,
with access granted based on the level of performance achieved by the vehicle. The PBS scheme has four
levels of performance requirements, each corresponding to a level of road access. The levels of road access
range from general access (Level 1) to remote areas with low traffic volumes (Level 4).

Table 2.1 identifies the equivalent prescriptive vehicle within the Austroads design vehicle library for the
various PBS levels. This can assist where a design vehicle or check vehicle is specified as a PBS Level. For
example, a PBS Level 2 vehicle performs equal to or better than a 26 m B-double. Also note, Levels 2, 3 and
4 are split into two classes (A and B) for different vehicle lengths. However, despite Class B vehicles being
longer than Class A vehicles, the on-road performance of a Class B vehicle is no worse than its prescriptive
equivalent.

Table 2.1: PBS road classification with prescriptive vehicles

PBS road Class A vehicle Class B vehicle

Equivalent prescriptive vehicle configuration
classification length (m) length (m)
Level 1 L ≤ 20.0 L ≤ 20.0 19 m Prime mover and semi-trailer
Level 2 L ≤ 26.0 26.0 ≤ L ≤ 30.0 26 m B-double
Level 3 L ≤ 36.5 36.5 ≤ L ≤ 42.0 36.5 m Type I road train
Level 4 L ≤ 53.5 53.5 ≤ L ≤ 60.0 53.5 m Type II road train

Source: National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (2019) and VicRoads (2019).

© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

2.6 Selecting a Design and Check Vehicle

In general, the choice of vehicle for on-road facilities will depend on the functional classification of the road or
roads involved (e.g. at an intersection or driveway), the composition of the traffic, and design economics.

Whilst the road network hierarchy has both functional and descriptive definitions, it is important that the land
use, and hence the vehicle types that will be negotiating the intersections, be considered when determining
appropriate design vehicles. For example, some local and collector roads service residential, industrial and
bus routes, hence the design vehicle and turning radii need to be appropriate for such cases.

Definitions, provided in Table 2.2, describe the road terms in common use for the purpose of designing
intersections.

Table 2.2: Road type definitions for intersection design

Road term Definition

Local road/street A road or street primarily used for access to abutting properties.
A non-arterial road that collects and distributes traffic in an area, as well as serving abutting
Collector road/street
property.
Road connecting arterial roads to areas of development and carrying traffic directly from one
Sub-arterial road
part of a region to another.
A road that predominantly carries through traffic from one region to another, forming principal
Arterial road
avenues of travel for traffic movements.

Source: Austroads (2015).

Austroads 2023 | page 8

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

2.6.1 Arterial Roads

The prime mover and semi-trailer vehicle should be used as the design vehicle for intersections involving two
or more arterial roads. However, for other intersections on arterial roads such as with a collector road/street,
the single unit truck/bus will generally be more appropriate. Intersections between arterial roads and local
roads should be designed using the service vehicle.

Where the single unit truck/bus has been used to set up the intersection geometry, it is necessary to check
the layout using the prime mover and semi-trailer template to ensure that occasional use by these vehicles is
viable. Similarly, with the layout of major arterial roads (e.g. designated freight routes), the design is based
on the prime mover and semi-trailer, and in some locations may need to be checked using the appropriate
template to ensure that these larger vehicles are catered for where necessary.

2.6.2 Non-arterial Roads

The single unit truck/bus should be used for works on collector and local roads and the service vehicle is
appropriate for intersections involving local streets. However, in both cases, while restrictive intersection
geometry may be desired to meet traffic management and environmental objectives on local roads, it is
necessary to check the layout using the next larger design vehicle template to ensure that occasional use by
vehicles larger than the chosen design vehicle is viable. In this case, the larger vehicle may be allowed to
encroach into other traffic lanes (including the opposing traffic direction if the intersection is unsignalised)
and travel over specially designed parts of traffic islands. This is usually acceptable as the frequency of this
occurrence and the inconvenience and risk to other traffic at these locations is minimal. For example,
articulated vehicles delivering building materials in a new estate, or furniture removal/delivery vehicles,
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

should be checked for their potential encroachment over kerb lines and possible interference with roadside
furniture.

2.6.3 Off-road Facilities and Driveways

For off-road facilities, such as commercial and industrial sites, depots and loading docks, the design vehicle
chosen should be representative of the predominant, or critical, vehicle type expected to use the facility.

For car parks and driveways into residential properties, the use of the passenger vehicle will be appropriate,
except where it is known that larger vehicles, such as a refuse collection truck, need to be catered for.

2.6.4 Guidance for Users

Table 2.3 provides users with guidance for selecting the appropriate design and checking vehicles as well as
the recommended radii. It should be used as a guide only and a larger design vehicle may be used where
appropriate.

Austroads 2023 | page 9

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Table 2.3: Guide to selection of the appropriate design and checking vehicle and the recommended turning
radii

Intersecting road Design Checking

types
Arterial/Arterial Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m) (1) Appropriate vehicle e.g. B-double (25 m) (2) or
Radius 15 m Prime mover and long semi-trailer (25 m) or
Road train (3) or appropriate PBS level
Arterial/Collector Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m) Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m)
Radius 12.5 m Radius 15 m
Arterial/Local Service vehicle (8.8 m) Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m)
(residential) Radius 12.5 m Radius 12.5 m
Collector/Collector Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m) (1) Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m) (1)
(industrial) Radius 15 m Radius 15 m
Collector/Collector Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m) Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m) (1)
(residential) Radius 12.5 m Radius 15 m
Collector/Local Service vehicle (8.8 m) Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m)
(residential) Radius 9 m Radius 12.5 m
Local/Local Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m) (1) Appropriate vehicle e.g. B-double (25 m) (2) or
(industrial) (4) Radius 12.5 m (5) Prime mover and long semi-trailer (25 m) or
Road train (3)
Local/Local Service vehicle (8.8 m) Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m)
(residential)
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Radius 9 m Radius 12.5 m

1 Select the appropriate vehicle for the design of sites that are frequently used by such vehicles.
2 B-double length may vary between jurisdictions.
3 Select appropriate road train from the Austroads Guide to Road Design: Part 3: Geometric Design (Austroads 2016)
or from relevant jurisdiction guide.
4 Also for intersections with industrial land use for collector/local intersections.
5 Simulations show that for this radius the maximum steering angle occurs at the exit of the turn and not applied at the
crawl speed.

Source: Austroads Guide to Road Design: Part 4: Intersections and Crossings: General, Austroads (2023a).

In New Zealand, designers should refer to the New Zealand On-road Tracking Curves for Heavy Motor
Vehicles (Land Transport New Zealand 2007).

Austroads 2023 | page 10

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

3. Turning Path Parameters

3.1 Turning Radius

The minimum turning radius of a vehicle depends on a number of parameters, such as the hauling unit
steering geometry, wheelbase and number of trailing axles, and the number of trailing units. However, the
minimum radius that should be used for design purposes also has to cover other factors such as driver
ability, driver behaviour, operational efficiency and operational safety.

For on-road situations, the absolute minimum radius 1 for intersection design has to cover the capabilities of
all vehicles that may be expected to operate in a particular location. This means that the absolute minimum
radius has to be confidently achieved by all of the vehicles using that intersection. For the single unit
truck/bus and the 19 m prime mover and semi-trailer the absolute minimum radius has been set at 12.5 m
which represents the required turning circle (kerb to kerb) for these vehicles under ADR 43/04
(DOTARS 2006). For each vehicle, the absolute minimum turning radius for on-road situations requires the
vehicle to slow to almost a stop before making the turn. However, the driver is not required to stop and reach
full wheel lock on-the-spot before making the turn.

The desirable minimum radius for intersection design ensures operating efficiencies through higher turning
speed, greater scope to accommodate driver variability and the ability to accommodate changes in the
vehicle fleet over time.

The turn radius selected should be representative of the expected speed of turning vehicles and the type of
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

turning vehicles. It should be noted that the turning speed associated with each turn radius is an indicative
speed that the vehicle might travel through the turn, but clearly does not preclude vehicles travelling through
the turns at speeds outside of the range specified. The swept path envelopes have been plotted using a
low-speed turn at 5 km/h and while this speed may be lower than the indicative speed labelled on some of
the turning path templates, the lower speed turns result in a greater swept path envelope, thus in turn
resulting in a swept path envelope representing the likely worst-case.

3.2 Tangential Turns vs Initial Lock Turns

For a tangential turn, the vehicle is aligned with the entrance tangent for the circular turn with the front
(steered) wheels pointing straight ahead. Due to the characteristics of vehicle steering geometry, there is a
transient state (or distance) where it is possible for the front wheels of a vehicle travelling at a slow speed to
follow a circular path while the steering angle is changed from straight ahead to the maximum angle that is
needed to describe the turn.

An initial lock turn is defined where a driver executes a turn after applying some initial lock while the vehicle
is stopped. In practice, drivers may sometimes execute turns after applying some initial lock while the vehicle
is stopped. This is due to factors such as driver error, constraints imposed by low-standard geometry,
disabled vehicles or obstacles on the road. Initial lock turns require shorter arcs of turn but involve maximum
off-tracking for more of the turn and greater out swing of the rear of the vehicle at the start of the turn.

Figure 3.1 illustrates the difference between a tangential turn and an initial lock turn.

Vehicle modelling and turning path simulations for the design of roadway intersections use a tangential turn,
including the templates provided in Appendix A. Initial lock turns may be relevant for off-street manoeuvres
(including roadside parking manoeuvres) and, in constrained situations, for entering and leaving parking
spaces but not for circulating roadways within a parking facility.

1 The radius which allows vehicle to turn at a range of steering locks at appropriate intersection speeds without reverse movement of
the vehicle.

Austroads 2023 | page 11

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Figure 3.1: Swept path comparison between initial lock and tangential turns

Source: Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (2020).

3.3 Angle of Visibility

Drivers should be able to readily observe and respond to approaching traffic. Research has suggested that
there is a range of angles through which a driver of a car can readily observe other traffic and areas that are
not readily observed. This information is the basis for guidelines for the angle at which roads should intersect
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

and the angle at which drivers should position their vehicles on intersection approaches in order to see
potentially conflicting traffic.

Information on acceptable visibility required for intersections is available in the Austroads Guide to Road
Design Part 4: Intersections and Crossings: General (AGRD Part 4) (Austroads 2023a) and the Austroads
Guide to Road Design Part 4A: Unsignalised and Signalised Intersections (AGRD Part 4A)
(Austroads 2023b).

3.4 Clearances to Swept Paths of Turning Vehicles

3.4.1 Clearances Between Swept Path and Kerb/Centreline/Edge Line

Design vehicle turning path templates should be applied to road intersection layouts to accommodate the
swept path, with a minimum offset of 0.5 m from the extremities of the vehicle path (i.e. generally the
extremity or edge of the vehicle body not just wheel tracks) to a kerb, edge line (or pavement edge if no edge
line present), safety barrier or centreline.

It should be understood that turning templates do not represent a particular vehicle but an envelope in which
a range of vehicles can operate. They do not include allowances for variations in tracking by individual
drivers. This is why adequate clearances must be applied between the swept path and kerbs, pavement
edges and centrelines.

The 0.5 m offset is desirable but need not be provided for local streets in urban areas where space is
restricted or local access/minor roads in rural areas where the shoulder is partly sealed. However, it is
desirable that the vehicle (i.e. swept path) should not cross the centreline of a minor rural road. A minimum
clearance of 0.5 m outside the swept path should be provided to objects such as road furniture and utility
poles.

Austroads 2023 | page 12

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

3.4.2 Clearances Between Swept Paths for Turns in the Same Direction

The following turning path templates should generally be used to design intersection geometry for turns in
the same direction at arterial road intersections:
• single turn – design vehicle
• double turn – design vehicle and car abreast.

When a high proportion of turning traffic is composed of heavy vehicles then consideration should be given
to using a design vehicle and a single unit truck/bus for a double turn situation. Main Roads Western
Australia (2020) has developed a graphical method that considers the turning vehicle volume in order to
assess the vehicle combination requirement. Refer to Appendix A for the methodology and to Appendix B for
dual-turn lanes assessment to determine design vehicle composition.

Where it is necessary to apply two separate turning templates in the same direction of travel then a
clearance of 1.0 m should be provided between the templates (refer to Figure 3.2). This may occur where it
is necessary to provide for heavy vehicles turning two or three abreast which may occur at accesses to port
facilities or major industrial complexes. The radius of turn will depend on the geometry of the intersecting
roads. It should be noted that this is also applicable to roundabouts.

Figure 3.2: Dual right-turn lanes with design vehicle in left lane and car in right lane
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Source: Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (2020).

3.4.3 Clearances Between Swept Paths for Opposing Right Turns

Where opposing right turns operate simultaneously, the turns should be designed to provide sufficient
clearance between the left sides of the swept paths of opposing vehicles (i.e. not wheelpaths) as follows:
• single turns: 1.0 m
• 1 single and 1 double turn: 2.0 m
• double turns: 2.0 m.

The following turning path templates should be used to design intersection geometry for opposing turns:
• single turn: 19 m articulated vehicle, minimum radius of 15 m
• double turn: articulated vehicle/car abreast, minimum radius of 15 m.

Austroads 2023 | page 13

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Further information on opposing right turns for intersections is available in AGRD Part 4.

3.5 Software Parameters

Software such as AutoTURN, AutoTrack or Vehicle Path (VPATH) are commonly used instead of vehicle
turning path templates. This software is particularly useful for checking complex combinations of geometric
elements and vehicles that have unusual configurations (e.g. axle spacing, body overhang, over-width and
over-length). Also, turning radii of any magnitude can be readily applied, whereas swept path templates are
constrained to standard values (usually 12.5 m, 15 m, 20 m and 30 m).

When using software to undertake vehicle turn paths, the way a vehicle behaves is controlled partly by the
vehicle parameters and partly by the environment in which it is driven. The vehicle parameters should be
fixed for each specific vehicle combination. The environment settings, however, can be modified to suit a
particular situation. For example, the design speed can affect the turning capabilities of the vehicle. At higher
speeds, vehicles will not be able to negotiate tight turns.

The following parameters should be used when undertaking vehicle turn paths using software:
• Lock-to-lock time is the time that it takes the driver of the vehicle to turn the steering from the maximum
angle (full lock) in one direction to maximum angle (full lock) in the opposite direction in a single
continuous movement. The lock-to-lock time parameter should be set to 6 seconds.
• The articulation angle is the angle subtended at the pivot point of an articulated vehicle by the associated
trailer spine. Where applicable, the maximum articulation angle should be set to 70°.
• Tangential turns must be used for the design of intersection turns and turns from the roadway into a
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

property access.

Austroads 2023 | page 14

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

4. Applying Turning Path Templates

The fundamental principles in the development of turning path templates and designing for turning vehicles
are that:
• The design vehicle should be able to turn (left or right) from a marked lane without crossing adjacent
marked lanes. Checking vehicles may straddle the lane markings in order to be able to perform the
manoeuvre as allowed by the road rules in each jurisdiction.
• The tendency for the rear of articulated vehicles to move backwards at some point through the turn
should be prevented. This may occur when turning on a small radius through large angles (i.e. greater
than 120°).
• All vehicles that are considered in designing the intersection can negotiate the intersection without the
rear wheels of the vehicle describing a small radius such that pavement surfacing is damaged.

Turning path templates are:

• marked with a turning radius and the operating speed of the turning vehicle, expressed as a range
(e.g. 15 km/h to 20 km/h). The radius is measured to the path of the outer front wheel
• restricted to specific turn radii less than 30 m
• set out to provide a number of specific angles of turn although other angles can be assessed by rotating
the template at the centre of the turning circle
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

• presented for left-turning manoeuvres but are applied to right-turns by turning the transparency over
• an appropriate guide to the width necessary to cater for the tracking of long vehicles in smaller-radius
turns. For larger-radius turns, the geometry specified in the Austroads Guide to Road Design Part 3:
Geometric Design (AGRD Part 3) (Austroads 2016) should be used.

Turning path templates are used to:

• establish the width of pavement required at locations where vehicles execute significant turns (i.e. large
angles of turn at relatively small radii)
• define the shape of the edge of the roadway, traffic islands, median ends, turning roadways and the
alignment of traffic lanes etc. at intersections, median and separator openings, channelisation, entrances,
etc.
• establish the areas adjacent to turning roadways, traffic lanes and in traffic islands, etc., which are likely
to be encroached upon by the swept path of checking vehicles, including the area outside a vehicle’s
wheelpath (due to the front and rear overhang), which needs to be kept clear of road furniture and other
fixed objects
• define areas within traffic islands, or on the road verge, which may need to be strengthened, or otherwise
designed to carry the occasional heavy wheel loads when checking vehicles are permitted to encroach
outside the normal roadway limits.

The procedures for using turning path templates in the layout design of road and other facilities are
described below. These vary slightly, depending on whether a new layout is being developed, or an existing
layout design is being checked, e.g. to identify the capability of a layout to cater for vehicles larger than the
design vehicle.

Austroads 2023 | page 15

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

4.1 Preparing and Checking Designs

The following steps are recommended to prepare and check a design layout.
1. Select the appropriate design vehicle as discussed in Section 2.6.
2. Select the template with the radius of turn matching (as near as practicable) the turn required, bearing in
mind the geometric controls of the site and the most likely vehicle turning speed. The use of the absolute
minimum turn radius should be avoided on arterial roads and at other important traffic sites. Each of the
templates indicates a range of appropriate speed values for the radius of turn chosen.
3. Correctly align the template within the lane from which the turn is to be made. Note that the templates are
oriented for left turns.
4. Note the angle of turn required and rotate the template, about the centre of the turning radius until the
nearest greater angle given on the template matches the exit direction. (This requires rotation of the
template in the opposite direction to that of the vehicle movement).
5. Mark/note the vehicle’s wheelpath.
6. If a reverse curve is involved (e.g. as in the layout of a roundabout), particular care needs to be taken in
allowing for the transition of the wheelpath from one direction to the other. Considerable skill is required to
correctly achieve this with the use of conventional single radius uni-directional turning path templates. In
critical situations, designers are encouraged to use available computer-based turning path prediction
software models which permit the swept path and wheelpaths to be plotted for a design vehicle following
a complex turn path made up of arcs and tangents.
7. Design vehicle turning path templates should be applied to road intersection layouts to accommodate the
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

swept path with a minimum offset of 0.5 m from the extremities of the vehicle path to a kerb, edge line,
pavement edge or centreline. Note that experience and engineering judgement should be used when
applying clearances.
8. The 0.5 m offset need not be provided for local streets in urban areas where space is restricted or local
access/minor roads in rural areas where the shoulder is partly sealed. However, it is desirable that the
vehicle (i.e. swept path) should not cross the centreline of a minor rural road. A minimum clearance of
0.5 m outside the swept path should be provided to objects such as road furniture and utility poles.
9. In situations where space is restricted and turning speed is low, it may be necessary to allow the swept
path of the design vehicle to encroach into a verge or traffic island with the wheelpaths remaining on the
pavement. This may occur when designing for a large bus to use a local street, or when checking that a
design layout can accommodate an occasional vehicle larger than the design vehicle. The long rigid bus
may be appropriate for checking designs on arterial roads.

Where software is not available, the designer may graphically check a layout design that involves a reverse
turn by the following method: use the appropriate template to plot a trace, by hand, of both the outer front
wheelpath and the inner path for the design vehicle, in the direction of the first turn. The reverse of the
template should then be used to check the opposite direction of the turn by overlaying the template and
aligning the wheelpaths previously traced. The template should be aligned so that the inner path on the
template is tangential to the outer front wheelpath already plotted and, simultaneously, the outer front
wheelpath is tangential to the inner path already plotted. The template will need to be rotated in order to
maintain this requirement and to fit within the design controls at the site.

While this procedure may not exactly reflect the actual positioning of the vehicle as it moves through the
reverse curve, experience has shown that the wheelpaths plotted using this technique match sufficiently the
actual wheelpath plots produced using one of the computer-based turning path models.

Austroads 2023 | page 16

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

4.2 Checking an Existing Layout

A common practice in layout design and traffic management is to check an existing intersection layout to
verify its adequacy to cater for vehicles larger than the design vehicle on which the layout was based, e.g. a
checking vehicle on freight routes (Section 2.4). This includes the identification of areas outside the normal
roadway limits (as defined by the kerb and channel or the edge of the pavement), which need to be specially
strengthened or otherwise treated to cater for the occasional movement of a larger vehicle.

The vehicle templates may be used, together with other relevant criteria such as environmental impacts, to
check existing roads and intersections to identify routes capable of catering for the various larger vehicles.
The templates are also useful in the layout design of industrial facilities used predominantly by large
vehicles.

The procedure for carrying out this check is basically the same as used in initial layout design using design
vehicle turning path templates except in respect to positioning of the template on the intersection layout plan.
Whereas the appropriate design vehicle template would normally be positioned within the correct turn lane
for the vehicle movement in question, a template representing a larger vehicle may be placed in a more
favourable starting position outside the normal turn lane. Although the design vehicle wheelpath would be
confined within the normal roadway, as mentioned above, the wheelpath of the larger vehicle may not be so
constrained and may encroach into other traffic lanes, islands or the verge areas where this is acceptable
and appropriate provision has been made.

This reflects traffic regulations which permit these large vehicles to encroach into other traffic lanes when
turning, and it is generally uneconomical to design for them to turn from the normal marked turn lanes,
except where they comprise a high proportion of the traffic and the consequences of their interference with
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

other traffic cannot be tolerated. This is the case at signalised intersections where encroachment across the
centreline will generally not be possible because of the presence of queuing vehicles in the street being
turned into. The same may also be true where a raised median exists and designers should be aware of
these constraints.

Austroads 2023 | page 17

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

References

Austroads (2015), Austroads Glossary of Terms, AP-C87-15, Austroads, Sydney, NSW.

https://austroads.com.au/publications/corporate-reports-and-plans/ap-c87-15
Austroads (2016), Guide to Road Design Part 3: Geometric Design, edn 3.4 2021, AGRD03-16, Austroads,
Sydney, NSW. https://austroads.com.au/publications/road-design/agrd03
Austroads (2023a), Guide to Road Design: Part 4: Intersections and Crossings: General, edn 2.2 2023,
AGRD04-23, Austroads, Sydney, NSW. https://austroads.com.au/publications/road-design/agrd04
Austroads (2023b), Guide to Road Design: Part 4A: Unsignalised and Signalised Intersections, edn 3.2
2023, AGRD04A-23, Austroads, Sydney, NSW. https://austroads.com.au/publications/road-
design/agrd04a
Land Transport New Zealand (2007), New Zealand on-road tracking curves for heavy motor vehicles,
RTS 18, Land Transport New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.
Main Roads Western Australia (2020), MRWA supplement to Austroads Guide to Road Design: Part 4,
webpage, MRWA, Perth, WA, viewed 22 January 2022, <https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/technical-
commercial/technical-library/road-traffic-engineering/guide-to-road-design/mrwa-supplement-to-
austroads-guide-to-road-design-part-4/#mcetoc_1ebke3nn5ukof>.
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (2019), Performance based standards: an introduction for road managers,
NHVR, Fortitude Valley, Qld.
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (2020), Supplement to Austroads Guide to Road
Design: Part 4: Intersections and Crossings – General, TMR, Brisbane, Qld.
VicRoads (2019), Road design note 04-01: heavy vehicle network access considerations, VicRoads, Kew,
Vic.

Standards Australia
AS/NZS 2890.1-2004, Parking facilities: part 1: off-street car parking.
AS 2890.2-2002, Parking facilities: part 2: off-street commercial vehicle facilities.

Previous editions now superseded and unavailable

Austroads (1995), Design vehicles and turning path templates, AP-34-95, Austroads, Sydney, NSW.
Austroads (2006), Austroads design vehicles and turning path templates, AP-G34-06, Austroads, Sydney,
NSW.
National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (1985), Design vehicles and turning templates,
NAASRA, Sydney, NSW.

Austroads 2023 | page 18

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

List of Turning Templates Available

The following turning templates can be obtained from the Austroads website
(https://austroads.com.au/publications/road-design/ap-g34). The templates generated for this update of the
Design Vehicles and Turning Path Template Guide cover the same vehicles as those as listed in the 2006
guide with some amendments.

Passenger vehicle (5.2 m)

• 6.3 m radius

Passenger vehicle towing trailer (17.6 m)

• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h
• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

Service vehicle (8.8 m)

• 9 m radius, 5 km/h
• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

Single unit truck/bus (12.5 m)

• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h
• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

Long rigid bus (14.5 m)

• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h
• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

Articulated bus (19 m)

• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h
• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

Austroads 2023 | page 19

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m)

• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h
• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

Passenger vehicle (5.2 m) and a prime mover and semi-trailer (19 m)

• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

Prime mover and long semi-trailer (25 m)

• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h
• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

B-double (25 m)
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h

• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

B-double (26 m)
• 12.5 m radius, 5 km/h
• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

B-triple (35.4 m)
• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

A-double (Type I road train) (36.2 m)

• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h

Austroads 2023 | page 20

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

A-triple (Type II road train) (53.4 m)

• 15 m radius, 5 to 15 km/h
• 20 m radius, 15 to 20 km/h
• 30 m radius, 20 to 30 km/h.
Notes:
1 The maximum length permitted for an A-double is 36.5 m, however the overall length of the vehicle combination is
36.2 m which reflects typical dimensions.
2 The maximum length permitted for an A-triple is 53.5 m, however the overall length of the vehicle combination is
53.4 m which reflects typical dimensions.
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Austroads 2023 | page 21

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Dual Turn Lanes Assessment to Determine

Design Vehicle Composition

Where two adjacent turning lanes are necessary for a turning movement, Main Roads Western Australia has
developed a graphical method that considers the turning vehicle volume in order to assess the vehicle
combination requirement.

To use this method, the following information is required:

• turning vehicle volume (veh/h)
• heavy vehicle % of turning traffic
• heavy vehicle lane use ratio = number of heavy vehicles in left lane/number of heavy vehicles in right lane
(determined by observation/knowledge).

Plot on Figure B 1 the intersection point from the turning vehicle volume and the heavy vehicle per cent of
turning traffic. Determine which lane use ratio should be used for the intersection. If the plotted point falls on
or to the right of the identified lane use ratio, then the design should cater for the design heavy vehicle in the
left lane and a single unit truck on the right lane. Otherwise, if the plotted point falls to the left of the identified
lane use ratio, a design heavy vehicle in the left lane and a car on the right lane should be used.
© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Austroads 2023 | page 22

 Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide

Figure B 1: Assessment for dual turn lanes

© Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Source: Main Roads Western Australia (2020)

Austroads 2023 | page 23

 © Austroads Ltd 2023 | This material is not to be used for commercial training purposes, unless approved by Austroads.

Austroads 2023 | page 24

Design Vehicles and Turning Path Templates Guide