Driving Tips in Australia

Car Hire Depots
Driving Distances
Driving Licence
Driving Age
Driving Rules
Child Safety Seats

Speed Limits
Drink Driving
Tolls
Road Signs
Parking

Car Hire Depot information in Australia

DriveAway Holidays offers the best rates and choices with reputable suppliers, such as Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Thrifty & Red Spot. Our Suppliers are located throughout major and remote areas of Australia. Airport collections offer convenience with depots located in the airport terminal or shuttle services are available.

Car Hire Driving Distances in Australia

Sydney to Melbourne – 880 km’s (10 hrs/ 15 mins)
Melbourne to Adelaide: 730 km’s (9 hrs/ 30 mins)
Perth to Geraldton: 430 km’s (5 hrs/ 30 mins)
Sydney to Wollongong: 85 km’s (1 hr/ 30 mins)
Coffs Harbour to Brisbane: 395 km’s ( 5 hrs/ 30 mins)
Townsville to Cairns: 385 km’s (5 hrs)

Driving Licence

A full valid driver’s licence is required for a minimum of 1 year. An international drivers licence is required for all foreign licence holders that are not in English.

Age Restrictions

Generally the minimum age is 21 years, but can vary between the car hire company and location. Maximum age limits apply in some locations, a young/senior driver surcharge may apply. Please check Terms and Conditions when making an enquiry or booking.

Rules, Laws and Regulations

General driving rules, laws and regulations in Australia;

Vehicles are right hand drive and motorists must drive on the left hand side of the road
Seat belts must be worn by all passengers and driver
You must carry your licence with you at all times
Mobile Phones are not permitted while driving
Obey road signs and traffic signals
Giveway to traffic on the right at roundabouts
'U' turns are not permitted at traffic lights, or where displayed
Motorists must give way to pedestristians at pedestrians crossings.
Always use indicator lights when turning

Child Safety Seats

Children under the age of 7 must be seated in the back seats of the vehicle in either a booster seat or child restraint seat.

Speed Limits

Speeding is taken seriously in Australia, if caught heavy fines apply, loss of licence/vehicle and possible imprisonment. Speed Cameras are used throughout Australia to catch speeding motorists.

City Roads: 40-60km/h
Residential Areas: 40-60km/h
Highways: 90-110km/h
Freeways: 90-110km/h

Drink Driving

Australia has strict laws about drinking alcohol and driving. Police in Australia have the authority to stop any vehicle and conduct a breath test with the driver. Full licence holders in Australia have a legal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.05 g/100ml. Provisional and Learner licences have a zero BAC level. The best advise when driving is to have a zero BAC level. Police will also perform regular roadside Random Breath Testing (RBT) of drivers in metropolitan and rural areas.

The use and possesion of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited; heavy fines apply and possible imprisonment.

Tolls

Tolls are found along the eastern states of Australia; New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Tolls are mainly collected electronically by an electronic tag (E-Tag) fitted to the front window screen, which debits the fee from the toll holders account when passing the toll collection point. Some tollways may still accept payment by cash.
Fee's may vary in price depending on either the time of the day, distance travelled or size of vehicle.

Road Signs

Australian Road Signs are in english and are quite easy to understand. Motorists must obey road signs. Regulatory Signs (eg. Speed Limits) instruct motorists what they must and should not do. These signs will vary in shapes, sizes and colour.Warning Signs (eg. Changes in road conditions) warn motorists any potential hazard, obstacale or condition up ahead. These signs are generally yellow in colour with a black symbol in the middle. Information Signs (eg. Directions) provides motorists with direction information, street/road name/number, places of interest...etc. Signs with a green background provide information to roads/streets, suburbs and cities, while brown signs are tourist attractions. Construction Signs will have an orange background with information in the middle.

Parking

There are many various forms of parking in Australia, both paid and free parking exist. Parking within the cities are mostly timed and attract a fee, while in the suburbs and rural areas parking is free but may be timed. Be sure to check signage before leaving your vehicle.