Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Driving in AU with US license

Can I drive in NSW, Au with US drivers license?

If not what should I do?

Thank you

Yes, watch out for variable speed limits and speed cameras! Particularly in tunnels. BAC Limit is .05 and RBTs are common.

Can I drive with US license?

Can I drive with US license?

Yes no problems at all. If you are moving here then you have 3 months to get an Australian License.

what's an RBT?

The US license is generally good on its own in any english speaking place, you can get the "international" license that AAA when travelling somewhere where english isn't so prevalent. The key thing is to check the insurance rules for your credit card or home insurance to determine if they'll apply overseas and particulary wherever you're travelling.

what's an RBT? Random Breath Testing - you can be pulled over at any time for breath testing. The blood alcohol limit in NSW for a fully licensed (i.e. non provisional or probationary) driver is 0.05.

Dave

Random Breath Testing - you can be pulled over at any time for breath testing. The blood alcohol limit in NSW for a fully licensed (i.e. non provisional or probationary) driver is 0.05.

Dave
Thank you - I would never have come up with that without assistance.

The other point about hidden speed cameras is worth remembering.
You may not notice the small(ish) signs near tunnel entrances but in most cases you will notice that other traffic will slow down in certain places.

I don't recall if the newer Cross-City tunnel has the camera but I'd guess it has, along with the Harbour Tunnel and some other tunnels south and east of the city. If you have a rental car and GPS, check to see that the GPS is set to beep near these fixed camera areas. ;)

Yesterday a prominent politician had to confess he'd lost his license as a result of racking up speeding fines.
Very embarrassing!


I believe Victoria has the red light/speed camera, which no doubt boosts revenue exponentially for that state.

I'd put the word "speeding" in quotes. My camera speeding ticket (in the toll tunnel under Melbourne) was for going 83km/hr in an 80km/hr zone! Sheesh!

Enjoy the trip! There are only a few things that take any real concentration IMO... (the same that we have to concentrate on when driving in the USA!)

Here, of course, it is the LEFT turn that "hugs the kerb".... and unfortunately we do NOT have the very civilised blanket rule that applies in the US (to right turns).. You can ONLY turn left "on red after stopping" where specifically allowed...:mad: The number of intersections where that IS allowed is slowly increasing (here in the ACT anyway) but the US rule is far, far better!

Take note that ".05" is actually a pretty tough limit... it doesn't take a lot of booze to go over that reading....

To get a fine from a red light/speed camera here you either have to be speeding through the lights (DUH!).. or trying to go through WAY too late. The camera isn't triggered until very late in the process.. so late in fact that the "flash" is a perfect signal for folks turning across those lanes to hit the accelerator.. cos their turn arrow is about to turn green...:D

I don't understand the constant complaint about "revenue raising"... if you don't do the wrong thing you don't contribute!

"I was driving at a safe and prudent 130 kmh in a School Zone.. and I got booked... Why aren't the Police out catching the real criminals???..":D

Sure we've all heard a (perhaps slightly less intense) version of that'un! ;)

I am on the road for up to 8 hours a day, every working day, and I can avoid getting fined (2 speeding fines in 25 years... both well deserved!).. it ain't hard folks.....


Don't get the 83.... Victoria must apply a "no leeway" rule.. which I'd agree is a bit much! :eek:

The other point about hidden speed cameras is worth remembering.
You may not notice the small(ish) signs near tunnel entrances but in most cases you will notice that other traffic will slow down in certain places.

I don't recall if the newer Cross-City tunnel has the camera but I'd guess it has, along with the Harbour Tunnel and some other tunnels south and east of the city. If you have a rental car and GPS, check to see that the GPS is set to beep near these fixed camera areas. ;)

Yesterday a prominent politician had to confess he'd lost his license as a result of racking up speeding fines.
Very embarrassing!


I believe Victoria has the red light/speed camera, which no doubt boosts revenue exponentially for that state.

I believe the Cross City tunnel does have one Westbound after the turnoff for North Sydney and City North.

Eastern Distributor has one iirc only heading Northbound about 1/3 of the way into the main tunnel. The Harbour tunnel has one in both directions almost exactly half way through it. I'm not sure where the one in the M5 east is but its there I doubt it ever gets much work considering the public planning failure that tunnel is anyway.

Speed limits in NSW are a joke, but I also find Australian's to be amongst the worst drivers in the world especially sitting in the right lane "because they are doing the speed limit":rolleyes:

I would suggest you review the road rules online
http://163.189.7.150/rulesregulations/roadrules/australianroadrules.html

especially if you aren't familiar with round-abouts and other road configurations that aren't common in the US.

Other points as some have previously mentioned:

*No turn on red unless there is a specific sign allowing it.
*No U-turn at traffic lights unless specific sign allowing it.
*Speed limits are just that in Australia - there isn't the large leeway you see in the states. Being even 1 Km over the limit can get you fined.
*Keep left.
*Like the rest of the world everything is in KM etc so actually watch your speed indicator until you have a real idea of what speed you are going at.
*Watch for school zones if you are driving in suburban areas.

Otherwise, Australia is as normal to drive in as any first world country.

Oh, and if you are using a rental make sure you have booked an automatic unless you are very comfortably with a manual (stick) transmission.

Think everyone is spot on. As a Yank engaged to an Aussie I just wanted to reiterate some of the things that always strike me as different when I'm in the lucky country.

1. Driving on 'wrong' side of the road is never a problem as long as there's other traffic to give you visual clues. The only time I want to screw up is on an empty highway where after a while I want to drift back onto the 'right' side.

2. Everyone is right about speed limits being precisely enforced -- don't expect to have a 10 Km/h grace speed. Speed limits are also generally low from what I'm used to in California and it's easy to subconsciously accelerate to what feels right - 50 to 60 Km in a residential zone seems like a crawl but then again we don't have possums which jump onto the highway at night.

3. Note that the actual speed limits are the numbers inside a red circle. Unlike here, signs around bends & stuff are a recommended speed not a maximum speed.

4. As the last poster mentioned no left turn on red (geez that sounds dyslexic :) ) unless signed. I'm not sure but I think you can also turn left on red if you're in a 'feeder' lane (a lane that forces you to turn left) even if unsigned. Just an observation of other drivers.

5. Roundabouts (traffic circles) can actually be fun. Just yield to traffic on the right. Unfortunately there isn't a hard & fast standard for multiple lane roundabouts, but a rule of thumb is to stay in the outer lane if you want to get off at the 90 degree exit (left turn). Take the inner lane if you want to go straight thru or take the 270 degree exit. Not all roundabouts are created equal & even the local have to remember how the weird ones work. Always always signal when exiting.

6. Pay at the pump petrol stations are very rare. Normally you drive up, remove the nozzle and the pump will reset to $0. If it doesn't, look for a reset button. Fill the car then go inside to pay. One other thing which is very different from here is that there are a lot of alliances between supermarkets & petrol stations. If you buy $X amount of groceries, at the bottom of the receipt is a coupon for a 4c / liter (or 16c / gallon) discount at one of their affiliates.

7. The one thing that bugs me the most and will immediately brand you as a drongo (idiot) is constantly hitting the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal. I've taken to holding the wheel with a kung-fu grip with my right hand as a reminder when I know a turn will be coming up.

5. Roundabouts (traffic circles) can actually be fun. Just yield to traffic on the right. Unfortunately there isn't a hard & fast standard for multiple lane roundabouts, but a rule of thumb is to stay in the outer lane if you want to get off at the 90 degree exit (left turn). Take the inner lane if you want to go straight thru or take the 270 degree exit. Not all roundabouts are created equal & even the local have to remember how the weird ones work. Always always signal when exiting.


Actually, you can take the outer (left) or inner (right) lane if you want to go straight, the rules to multi lane round-a-bouts are fairly straight-forward. Left lane if turning left, either for straight on, right hand lane if turning right or doing a u-turn.

This may help (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/rulesregulations/downloads/roundabouts_guide.pdf)

Actually, you can take the outer (left) or inner (right) lane if you want to go straight, the rules to multi lane round-a-bouts are fairly straight-forward. Left lane if turning left, either for straight on, right hand lane if turning right or doing a u-turn. UNLESS the lanes on the approach are marked otherwise.

Dave

My favorite Oz traffic sign is the round white one with the black diagonal slash marks (NT)! :D

My favorite Oz traffic sign is the round white one with the black diagonal slash marks (NT)! :D You do realise that they have abandoned the "No Speed Limit" thingy in the NT?

Dave

No...I did not know that. It has been four years since I was there. What a disappointment! :(

You do realise that they have abandoned the "No Speed Limit" thingy in the NT?

Dave

And not a moment too soon either. Driving faster than 130 on those roads is madness, poor quality roads and you never know when a western red is going to jump out infront of you....

Is Oz like NZ where you aren't supposed to be on the cell phone while pumping gas? I recall being told that AFTER my first trip -- oops.

Is Oz like NZ where you aren't supposed to be on the cell phone while pumping gas? I recall being told that AFTER my first trip -- oops.

There are signs up at gas stations but they are here in the states as well so wouldn't worry. But that does remind me it is totally illegal to drive while talking on a hand held cell phone - you can use hands free but can't hold the phone - and pretty obvious, but you are required to wear a seat belt.

I'd put the word "speeding" in quotes. My camera speeding ticket (in the toll tunnel under Melbourne) was for going 83km/hr in an 80km/hr zone! Sheesh!

:confused: 83 is over the limit of 80. How is that not speeding?

:confused: 83 is over the limit of 80. How is that not speeding?

Even the Australian Design Standards have a tolerance of +/- 10% allowed in speedometers so 3km/h means it is more than feasible that the vehicle was been driven at what the driver thought was under the speed limit. Hence pretty much every other state gives a 10% leeway.

Be careful especially if you are tired.

My friend's son (who is Canadian) on a working holiday was coming home from work and was tired. Just mental lapse of a few seconds and he zigged right onto oncoming traffic and was killed instantly.

The police mentioned that he was not driving excessively or drinking.

Just be careful.

Even the Australian Design Standards have a tolerance of +/- 10% allowed in speedometers so 3km/h means it is more than feasible that the vehicle was been driven at what the driver thought was under the speed limit. Hence pretty much every other state gives a 10% leeway.

So 83 could really be 91?

So 83 could really be 91?
In the US, 55 is really 62 ... :)

In the US, 55 is really 62 ... :)

here in the US, i subscribe to "9 you're fine, 10 you're mine"

Getting busted for 83 by a speed camera is good reason to be aware of fixed speed camera locations.

If I was driving here from overseas, I'd be very tempted to have a GPS with the rental car and make sure it warns of the location of any speed traps. The other benefit of a GPS is it ability to give a more accurate average speed reading.

Someone may have better knowledge, but I understand car speedometers are normally designed to overestimate the speed by up to 10% rather than have a tolerance each way. Checking your speed against the average speed from a GPS unit would help you check if that's the case for your car.

So 83 could really be 91?

Sure, but its not very sensible to, on the one hand allow a tolerance of +/-10% and then book people for travelling under 5% above the speed limit, when they could be well below the speed limit according to their own instruments

BiziBB The standard is a tolerance of +/-10% for cars manufactured before 2006 bit about it here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedometer#Australia)

A few other hints for speeding

In NSW and QLD the stationary cameras have warning signs (NSW ones are more obvious but there's ony a couple of cameras in qld). In vic they are not signposted and there are a lot more than any other state

Vic also uses average speed cameras

If travelling through country areas imo cruise control is a must have and a gps giving you an accurate speed to set the cruise makes life a lot easier

From recent budget papers vistoria collects $100 pa in speeding fines for every man woman and child in the state (and $300 in gambling taxes). Moral of the story, it's more important to look at your dashboard than look at the road when you're driving here

Hell, in chicago 55 was really 80

Cross City Tunnel westbound most certainly does have a camera. I know from experience -- a very nasty ticket and 3 pts off the license for going 53k while "Tunnel Wall Cleaning" was taking place and the variable speed sign changed to 40. I swear I never saw the sign change from 80 to 40 -- but the photo does show 40. I also have no clue as to why I would have been going 53 vs 80 in any case -- but I guess I am lucky!

If you are driving outside the cities watch the cruise control. Only time I have gotten a speeding ticket was in the ACT when I had cruise control on a rental car and didn't realize until too late that it picked up 10kph going down hill!

Oh - if you are traveling on a highway and someone coming the opposite direction flashes their high-beams at you its most likely that they are warning you that there is a police officer ahead.

"Give Way" sign = "Yield"

Since you are driving on a US license the biggest worry is getting a fine - you can't loose points but you can have your permission to drive on a US license withdrawn for a bad enough offense (one that would normally loose a lot of points).

Also, be aware of public holiday weekends - usually the penalties are doubled etc so it's possible to loose your license for one (admittedly major) infraction.

Like anywhere else, if you do get pulled over, be nice - the "attitude test" (behaving nicely) is always important.

Finally - remember you are a guest in Australia so drive conservatively even if it means being a little below the speed limit.

Oh - not on driving per se but read the RTA rules on parking etc, follow parking restrictions, and carry lots of coins for parking meters etc.

OP - where are you planning to drive in NSW? Just in Sydney or going somewhere else in the state?

I'd put the word "speeding" in quotes. My camera speeding ticket (in the toll tunnel under Melbourne) was for going 83km/hr in an 80km/hr zone! Sheesh!Even the Australian Design Standards have a tolerance of +/- 10% allowed in speedometers so 3km/h means it is more than feasible that the vehicle was been driven at what the driver thought was under the speed limit. Hence pretty much every other state gives a 10% leeway.Right!

If booked by a speed camera in Victoria for 83Kph in an 80kpk zone, the speed camera actually detected the vehicle traveling at 86Kph or more! No ifs or buts.

Infringement notices have an entry for "recorded speed" and "alleged speed". 3 kph is taken off for legislative requirements. It's the 83 kph "alleged" speed you are being fined upon -not the 86kph you were actually travelling at.

I'll re-iterate - 3kph is taken of the detected vehicle speed before any fine is issued.

Right!

If booked by a speed camera in Victoria for 83Kph in an 80kpk zone, the speed camera actually detected the vehicle traveling at 86Kph or more! No ifs or buts.

Infringement notices have an entry for "recorded speed" and "alleged speed". 3 kph is taken off for legislative requirements. It's the 83 kph "alleged" speed you are being fined upon -not the 86kph you were actually travelling at.

I'll re-iterate - 3kph is taken of the detected vehicle speed before any fine is issued.

86 km/h is still under 10% and IMO unfair.

86 km/h is still under 10% and IMO unfair.That I agree with ...

What I often find is when someone mentions they have been fined for doing "only 3kmh over the speed limit" they were actually at least double that. :rolleyes:

FWIW, when the cameras were first introduced the leniency was 10% of the limit + 3kph (In 100kph zones, this gave 113kph before being 'snapped'.) When 110kph zones were introduced this was changed to a flat 10 kph (lest drivers 'got away' with 124 kph).

Some years ago, as IMHO, a revenue raising measure, in the guise of "enhancing road safety" this was reduced to an "unpublished figure" - I believe it to be slightly more than 5¾ kph.

I can unfortunately attest that the leniency is now only 2 kph which I find absurd as that's about 1mph. Most troopers in the US will not write you up for <10mph and they still have no shortage of violators.

We saw the random roadside BACs driving outside MEL. People would be well advised to be cautious when wine tasting.

Rented cars everywhere in NZ and AU using my California license, never a problem.

FWIW, when the cameras were first introduced the leniency was 10% of the limit + 3kph (In 100kph zones, this gave 113kph before being 'snapped'.) When 110kph zones were introduced this was changed to a flat 10 kph (lest drivers 'got away' with 124 kph).

Some years ago, as IMHO, a revenue raising measure, in the guise of "enhancing road safety" this was reduced to an "unpublished figure" - I believe it to be slightly more than 5¾ kph.

GRRRRRR...

The fact of the matter in Vic is that if they were HONEST, the stupid, patronizing "This is why we take your picture when you speed" signs - accompanied by photos of dead motorists - would instead include photos of HUGE EFFING BAGS OF MONEY for the state. IMHO, it is OBVIOUS that there is no reason for all the cameras other than revenue collection.

I can unfortunately attest that the leniency is now only 2 kph which I find absurd as that's about 1mph. ...If that's the case from recent experience the authorities may have tightened it somewhat.

It is a fact that they must allow 3kmh grace - infringement notices indicate both recorded and alleged speeds, the alleged speed being 3Kph less than that recorded and what any fine is based upon.

In this case I suggest a 5Kmh over the limit recording.

FWIW, can you advise what was the limit in the area? 5kmh in a 40Kph zone is mkore than 10% over where 5kph in a 100Kph zone is 5%.

In Vic they give you the 3kmh and thats it, this is the 3kmh that they take off the speed when you get the ticker. So if you do 64kmh in a 60kmh zone you will get a ticket showing 61kmh. And yes, they did tighten it semi recently.

No police officer will ever write you up at that speed (especially at 2:30am on an empty road which is how I got done late last year) as they'll make a judgement call on how safe you're driving and not bother. Cameras don't care about that so tailgating OK, drink driving OK, erratic driving OK, weave across the road OK, just don't go over the magic speed limit because if you do that millions of babies around the world will spontaneously combust.

Australians have had a pretty good take up for sensible road safety initiatives, we're happy to wear seatbelts because when they were required there was a massive reduction in the roadtoll, we'll put up with the odd blow in the bag because when it was introduced there was a massive reduction in the road toll. The speeding obsession of the last 5 or so years however has made zero impact on the roadtoll and put billions into state government general revenue. Funny how we're cynical about that one.

(bad day at work, needed mini rant)

I don't seem to see any mention of random drug testing. Police in New South Wales and Victoria will set up a area, usually on a main highway, and pull over (say) 10 or 15 vehicles and then have 8 to 10 police carrying out roadside saliva drug tests on drivers. I think the initial test is something they wipe over your tongue, and if that initial test shows 'positive' you are then arrested and taken to a mobile testing van nearby where you undergo a further more detailed saliva test. If that shows positive you are taken back to the Police Station and charged. I think the test they do (cozart system) only tests for canabis, speed and xtc, but not sure. So, if you indulge in illegal substances..be careful.

Being asked to blow the breathalyser is not considered being a given a chance to refuse. Expect to have a chance to show off your flash US licence as well, licence checks are a common part of the experience.

Failure to blow when required means you will be found guilty of a high level alcohol offence. Licence cancellation is mandatory.

The limit is Australia is under 0.05, not equal to 0.05. Equal to 0.05 is an offence and will see you charged.

And not a moment too soon either. Driving faster than 130 on those roads is madness, poor quality roads and you never know when a western red is going to jump out infront of you....

I would have to disagree with this. The road up the middle is one of the best non-dual highways in Australia. The road is very wide, has large sweeping bends and the bush has been cleared along the sides - this is largely because of the road-trains that ply the route. Yes, there are kangaroos and cattle, but during the day this threat is radically reduced - no animal in their right mind does anything during the day there. Dusk/night time is a different story entirely of course.

The road deaths in the NT are around 50 per year (the statistics are not quite clear but does include pedestrians) and of those, around half included alcohol as a contributing factor and around two-thirds were in urban areas. The government quoted no statistics on the number of road deaths on unrestricted roads when they introduced the new limits or what contibuted to deaths on the roads (speed, alcohol, etc).

The roadtoll in NT went ~30% (on an admittedly small base) since the introduction of the speed limit. As crocodile points out a significant proportion of these are alcohol related, either the driver or the pedestrian having a rest on the road. Putting a speed limit on a road in the middle of nowhere where you can very comfortably drive much quicker (in the right conditions) to stop alcohol related deaths in built up areas is just another wonderful example of common sense being forced to make way for senseless rhetoric.

FWIW, in the 8 days I was driving in Vic, I did not see any "booze bus" checkpoints. From what I read here, I had been under the impression that police would be giving breathalyzer tests every few km or so. That said, I did talk with a couple dudes who had had their licenses suspended in the past due to drunk driving.

Often the road blocks for Random Breath Testing will be out on Friday or Saturday nights, or the early hours of the next days in a few regular "choke points" so sometimes that's actually almost more likely if you're out at 2.30 AM on an empty road! They usually have big operations, with many officers, and I guess like to get value for their money!
Otherwise, sometimes patrol cars might pull over a motorist if things are a bit quiet for them.
(At least reflects my recent experiences in Brisbane and Sydney)

Depends really on the area and workload for the police - if their workload is light, they might undertake "stationary RBT" where they setup roadside and pull cars in. This requires the room to stop vehicles without disrupting traffic, and also requires adequate lightint for night time operations (OH&S). Stationary RBT will also not be undertaken in adverse weather (again, OH&S, not because the cops don't want to get wet, more to do with stepping out in front of moving vehicles in reduced visibility can be hazardous to one's health).

There is also "mobile RBT", where the cops drive around and happen to pull over for a breath test anyone they happen to find themselves behind.

HTH.

Dave