If someone is a visitor and holds a valid driver’s licence in English from his/her own country, he/she is allowed to drive throughout all of Australia. But if it is an international driver’s licence, it does not by itself give that person the right to drive in Australia.
There are a few terms one may need, or want, to know. First , in Australia a wind shield, is called a windscreen. Secondly the trunk is the boot. Thirdly a person needs to drive on the left-hand side of the street. Fourthly if someone needs to turn left or right, he or she should switch on the windscreen wipers instead of the turn signal lights. Next, while entering and crossing an intersection, drivers customarily defer to the motorist on the right unless he or she is stopped by a STOP or YIELD sign. Finally at a T intersection, the motorist driving straight through has the right of way. A person should not beep the horn — unless in a situation where you need to warn another driver, for instance, when he’s about to hit.
Speed limit in a built-up residential area has for a long time been 60 kilometres per hour (35mph), but this has been reduced in many places to 50 kilometres per hour. On country roads and highways the usual speed limit has been 100km/hr (62mph) or 110km/hr (68mph) and also if a person has been driving, driving is illegal until and unless the blood alcohol level is less than .05.
Some basic rules are as follows:
# NO STANDING:-. A person is not allowed to stop in the area indicated except to let a passenger get in or off a vehicle, and certainly no parking there.
# NO STOPPING. Except in the event of medical emergencies, stopping is prohibited .
# NO PARKING. :- loading and unloading passengers is allowed but someone shouldn’t leave the vehicle parked unattended anywhere he or she wants to.
# LOADING AND UNLOADING ZONE.:- If someone is driving a truck, van or wagon, then he or she is allowed to park here, if that person is delivering or picking up some sort of cargo. But if its a driving a passenger car, he or she may have to explain what you’re loading or unloading.
# cars can be parked at car parks or parking stations, usually at an hourly rate.
# parking is allowed where there are parking meters so long as the persons feeds in the right money.
#Traffic should be in a roundabout flows in a clockwise direction.
When these rules are not followed, the person who commits the mistakes is penalised by issuing him with an expiation notice and he needs to pay fine. Expiation fees are set out in Road Traffic Regulations. In case of an overdue fine one’s license to drive may be declined or he may be refused vehicle registration. In case of a driver who commits a serious drink driving offence, must have an alcohol interlock attached to their vehicle, for a certain period of time succeeding their licence disqualification period.