One of the hardest things of living/working/vacationing in Australia is the fact that you need to drive. And by driving I mean you are driving on the opposite side of the road. Yes this is written from the perspective of a North American, where we drive on the right, which is the right side in my opinion.
Of course, I have nothing to support my statement above. Hahaha. But it’s my blog, my post so I get to win every time, every argument.
I have driven in Australia a couple of times now, so I do have some tips I can share with you that will you on the right side of the road in Australia. And by right side I really mean on the left. See how confusing this gets…sigh.
Anyways, one tip that has helped me is remembering which side the passenger seat is in the front. If the passenger is on the left, then you should stay on the left side. What is the reasoning behind this? Well, it’s really simple. You want to be able to drop the passenger on a sidewalk, rather than the middle of the road right? hence why you should drive on the left, because the sidewalks will be on the left.
Turning left and right is a fustrating to do if you are like me and can’t think quickly. Remember, turning right in Australia, is like turning left in North America. YOU HAVE TO STOP AND WAIT FOR THE LIGHT AND INCOMING CARS!! Just take your time with it..
Also remember, you can not right left (which is the right on the NA side) on a red light. In Canada (with the exception of Montreal), you can turn at a red light as long as there is no incoming car (ok i know only this applies to Ontario as I’ve only have driven in Ontario, if other provinces don’t then forgive me).
I got used to it after a couple of tries, but it’s still weird knowing your indicator lights are also on the opposite side.
Drive safe people!
EAT SOME CHOI 