Australians drive on the wrong side of the road. Sorry! I should say they drive on the left hand side which can cause panic among North American drivers. Everything is reversed except for the accelerator and brake pedals. If you know your left from right, that is, when giving directions you don’t have to point to indicate a left from a right turn, then you have a chance. Otherwise you have to remember that the driver is always seated closest to the middle of the road.
I had no problem understanding road signs. In Victoria every few kilometres on the highways you will see signs warning drivers of fatigue and the need to rest. Jean-Philippe counted nine different ones, some of which make you sit up straighter in your seat. A micro-sleep can kill in seconds! A fifteen minute powernap could save your life! Droopy Eyes? Powernap Now! And to ensure you do stop there are frequent roadside rest stops with well appointed facilities.
Australia just like Canada is trying to kick-start the economy by contributing to public infrastructure projects. This in turn is supposed to create jobs. There are numerous construction sites throughout the road system. Good for the economy, bad for tourists trying to get from one place to the next. However I must admit a four lane Hume Highway joining Sydney to Melbourne is a godsend (once they finish it).
Drunk driving was and could still be a problem in Australia. The Government decided to stem the tide of fatal road accidents caused by drivers who drink by instigating two programs, strict policing of speed limits and a reduction in the alcohol content of beer from 5% to 3%.
In Victoria particularly and to lesser extents in New South Wales and Queensland the 100 kilometre speed limit is enforced by cameras and radars. You can get away with 105 to 107 but not much more. On four lane highways the speed limit is often 110 kilometres. This does cause problems. Basically there are no fast lanes so cars, trucks and buses all share the same lanes which is a hazard for Canadian car drivers trying to read overhead road signs hidden by massive trucks driving in the middle and inside lanes.
Australia has followed the European lead and engineered roundabouts everywhere to relieve traffic congestion and in many cases navigate around large city centres. This was not a problem for me even though I was driving through them clockwise. In fact I like them because if you miss a turn off you can always do another loop and exit at the correct place the next time round.
I had no problem understanding road signs. In Victoria every few kilometres on the highways you will see signs warning drivers of fatigue and the need to rest. Jean-Philippe counted nine different ones, some of which make you sit up straighter in your seat. A micro-sleep can kill in seconds! A fifteen minute powernap could save your life! Droopy Eyes? Powernap Now! And to ensure you do stop there are frequent roadside rest stops with well appointed facilities.
Australia just like Canada is trying to kick-start the economy by contributing to public infrastructure projects. This in turn is supposed to create jobs. There are numerous construction sites throughout the road system. Good for the economy, bad for tourists trying to get from one place to the next. However I must admit a four lane Hume Highway joining Sydney to Melbourne is a godsend (once they finish it).
Drunk driving was and could still be a problem in Australia. The Government decided to stem the tide of fatal road accidents caused by drivers who drink by instigating two programs, strict policing of speed limits and a reduction in the alcohol content of beer from 5% to 3%.
In Victoria particularly and to lesser extents in New South Wales and Queensland the 100 kilometre speed limit is enforced by cameras and radars. You can get away with 105 to 107 but not much more. On four lane highways the speed limit is often 110 kilometres. This does cause problems. Basically there are no fast lanes so cars, trucks and buses all share the same lanes which is a hazard for Canadian car drivers trying to read overhead road signs hidden by massive trucks driving in the middle and inside lanes.
Australia has followed the European lead and engineered roundabouts everywhere to relieve traffic congestion and in many cases navigate around large city centres. This was not a problem for me even though I was driving through them clockwise. In fact I like them because if you miss a turn off you can always do another loop and exit at the correct place the next time round.
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