Everything you need to know about driving in Australia
The driving direction in Australia
The driving direction in Australia is on the left like in England or Japan for example. The steering wheel is on the right and the controls are reversed. In Australia, the priority remains on the right as in France. The roundabouts are taken clockwise.Our advice: leave as much passenger time as possible to get used to the direction of traffic before getting behind the wheel
Speed rules?
In Australia, the driving rules adapt, the speed is limited to 50km/h in cities and 110 km/h maximum on the highways. However, there are some 130km/h roads in the Northern Territory.If you are used to driving fast, you will be a little surprised because in Australia the police stay behind you without making a sign and without turning on their flashing lights.
Animals and driving in Australia
Animals are a real danger on the roads in Australia and especially at night. Indeed, kangaroos are nocturnal animals and are attracted to car lights. So be very vigilant during sunsets and at night outside cities.
Signs and pedestrians
You probably suspect it but Australia is not in Europe, so the parking and traffic signs are not the same. For newcomers this can be difficult to understand. For example in the same area there can be several panels displaying different rules according to the time and the day of the week.Pedestrians in Australia are prohibited from “forcing” to cross. Cars must not leave pedestrians when there are no pedestrian crossings.
Drinking and driving
A piece of advice for your driving in Australia, avoid drinking alcohol because Australian law is strict. For 18-21-year-olds it’s 0 tolerance, so don’t even think about coming home from the evening with your car! Then for those over 21 the limit is set at 0.5g/l.
Are there tolls in Australia?
In general, you will not have to go through the tolls because there are very few. There are a total of 15 tolls for a country that is twice the size of the European Union.
Gas stations
Australia is huge and has a lot of uninhabited or desert land, so fill up your car regularly as gas stations are rare. If you are going on a Road Trip, also think about taking plenty of water and something to eat! Roadside shops are just as rare, unlike Europe where you can stop at stations every 30 km on average.
Australian roads and driving
Driving in Australia out of town can quickly become very boring. The longest straight road is 140km, so don’t fall asleep. You will also have to pay attention to overtaking because in Australia the roads often have only one lane, it is very dangerous and motorists will prefer to stick to you than to spend you…The Australian bush doesn’t usually have a lot of traffic and Australian cars are designed with big engines to handle it. There are also road-trains which are trucks with up to 5 trailers which can measure 52m, in these cases, if you come across one do not have fun overtaking it.Otherwise driving in Australia is cool. 😉 If you liked our article and you plan to do a WHV soon, don’t hesitate to download our special brochure for WHM!
