The tricky things with aussie driving are the unique situations such as:
- Round-abouts - They are everywhere! The yield to the right in a round-about rule is very good once you get used to it.
- Hook Turns - These are unique to Melbourne I believe. When making a right turn you have to go into the far left lane, wait until the light is yellow, and then make your turn- thus crossing every possible lane of traffic. Hook turns are mandatory in parts of the city where there is not room to wait in the far right lane to turn, as that would get in everyones way.
- Speed Cameras- They abound on the highways. Whenever you see a car that is parked on the side of the road, and looks new, and copish (you know the look), you have to slow down. Otherwise you risk having your picture taken at a speed over the limit (100 km/h). This picture will be sent to you in the mail along with a ticket for an amount varying according to your speed indescretion. So far I know of this only through word of mouth, and hopefully it will stay that way!
- Trams - Another Melbourne thing. All the trams run on tracks through the middle of major roads. When a tram stops at a stop lights on the side of the tram flash to indicate to cars on the road that they must stop to let passengers safely travel the streets. Occassionally an idiot doesn't observe this rule and passengers can get hurt. I have always been particularly careful arounds trams, as passengers are only thinking of getting on or off, and are not necessarily looking at the cars around them.
- L and P Plates- L&P plates are little yellow cards that must be placed in your window when driving. L Plates signify that you are a "Learner", learning how to drive, and don't have a license yet. P plates are red and signify that you have been driving for less than three years. I remember my first three hectic years of driving. That's why I'm not surprised when nearly all of the stupid drivers I've seen, close calls on my bicycle due to cars, and generally dangerous situations I've been in on the road, have been due to P platers.
The Pros and Cons of Driving on the Left Side of the Road
Driving on the left side of the road, in a car that has the driver on the right side is almost exactly the same as driving the opposite. However there are some effects on the driver's perception of driving that take some getting used to.
The visual feel of the road is always different when I switch to driving on the other side. It causes me to hug the lines on the right side in Australia. In both the US and OZ I now tend to drive in the middle of small roads that have few drivers. But before that I sometimes started hugging the wrong side of the road until someone reminded me which country I was in.
But mostly what is different is not what side of the road I am on but which traffic rules I am obeying. Aussies rules say you are not allowed to turn left on a red light. There are many large intersections which have side lanes for turning left, but the basic rule on a normal road is that you must wait until the light changes green. I like this as it makes me feel more comfortable as a pedestrian and a bicycle rider. However if traffic in LA had to obey that rule, by not being able to turn right on a red, I think I'd be on the road a lot longer every day.
A note for international drivers. Your licensce is valid for three months in Australia. After that you're required to get a license to drive legally.
Some Victorian Driving Links...
And for the low down on which side of the road to drive on, check out:
