Originally Posted by brissybound

Hi

My friends in Brisbane say that rush hour folk drive way too fast as well. Has anyone got any reassurring tales of driving in Oz?

Thanks again

Jamie

Originally Posted by markallwood

Only things to keep an eye out for:

a) people rarely let you out at junctions.
b) "tailgating" is common, so make sure that you leave a good gap between yourself and the car in front of you to stay safe.
c) traffic grinds to a halt in the rain.
d) cyclists are allowed to go 2 abreast and occupy an entire lane. Crazy.
e) when turning right or left at traffic lights in suburban areas, you must give way to pedestrians who may be crossing. Incredibly, the green lights for cars and pedestrians go off at the same time.

To sum it all up - you've got nothing to worry about ! its a breeze.

Originally Posted by Centurion

The main difference you will find is that drivers do not let you out of junctions at all, its an alien concept and you will confuse anyone by trying to do it. But thats usually down to the volume of traffic being so much lower, especially outside city centers.

Originally Posted by imanaussie

Driving in South East Qld can be daunting for anyone including those Australians from other Aussie states. We have lived in Tasmania, NSW, Vic and have driven in Melbourne & Sydney heaps but coming to Qld was a real eye opener, they are crazy up here!!

I have no idea why the drivers dont let you merge but Qld'ers seem to have a real issue with it!!..............they are the worst Aussie drivers we have come across and we are born and bred Australians. My DH and I constantly shake our heads when we witness yet another act of driver stupidity you just wouldnt see anywhere else in Aus.......You need to have your wits about you all the time when driving in SE Qld and that includes the Gold Coast and Brisbane and surrounds. Maybe it gets better the further North you travel but I wouldnt know as I havent been up further than Maroochydore yet.

Good Luck!

Originally Posted by bcworld

Sorry can't really reassure you. I find the driving here generally more aggressive, inconsiderate and irresponsible. However faster is one thing I would say it isn't. Others will disagree of course, but I fully agree with your friend. Don't expect people to give way or let you in. Stick your indicator on and 9 times out of 10 people will do their best to ensure you can't get to where you want to go.

I have Aussie friends who have driven in the UK and commented that they found the drivers to be far more courteous than in Qld - and they were talking about driving in London!

In general I find people here more polite & courteous, but something seems to happen to them when they get in their cars!

Originally Posted by bcworld

The approach generally applied by the locals is to accelerate to twice the speed of the traffic already on the motorway then swerve onto the motorway as soon as practical to do so and ignoring any solid lines. It is then imperative that you proceed immediately to the far right hand lane of any road, regardless of any actual reason to do so. Once this is done, check your mirror to ensure it is safe to do so. Stay in the far right hand lane for the entirety of your journey, regardless of the speed you are travelling at, only leave the right hand lane 100m before veering into your intended exit.

Originally Posted by spartacus

Wouldn't worry about that. Rush hour and driving too fast don't belong in the same sentence.



Agree with all of that. Good point about the pedestrians also; I've been on the giving and the recieving end of that surprise.



Totally agreed. I wouldn't recommend under any circumstances trying to be chivalrous and allow people to merge at junctions. Its a totally foreign concept; they just sit and stare, bewildered. Don't flash your headlights either, again total bemusement. You're more likely to have someone run into the back of you.



Its like they're all driving around with a pair of blinkers on. They have no peripheral vision, no awareness of other road users around them. Their awareness starts and ends with their front and back bumpers.Cyclists / motorcyclists they don't see; roundabout they can't navigate; traffic lights they can't get anymore than three cars through at a time because they can't KEEP UP WITH THE CAR IN FRONT! (which has become my new catchphrase).

Originally Posted by DunRoaminTheUK

I ride a motorbike to work and I was taught to always ride slightly in front of peripheral cars in multi-lane traffic, so that they are made aware of my presence. This tactic, more often than not, is perceived by the other driver as an aggressive challenge to compete with me in a game of "I'm In Front Of You Now You Bastard!". It gets very boring after a while.

Also, leaving a safe distance between you and the car in front of seems like a pointless exercise too as it's normally taken as an invitation to see just how many cars can squeeze into your gap.

Originally Posted by markallwood

I passed my test 15yrs ago in the UK, but never had a car...

It was only when I moved to brisbane with my wife that I "learnt" how to drive again.

The speed limit in suburban areas is 50kmph (31mph) and 60kmph on general roads. Motorway speed limits are 100 and 110kmph (68mph). The majority of drivers do not exceed this limit.

Driving over here is extremely easy. The roads around brisbane are very wide and have good surfaces. Generally, people are not in a rush to go from A to B, so you never feel too pressured by other road users.

Only things to keep an eye out for:

a) people rarely let you out at junctions.
b) "tailgating" is common, so make sure that you leave a good gap between yourself and the car in front of you to stay safe.
c) traffic grinds to a halt in the rain.
d) cyclists are allowed to go 2 abreast and occupy an entire lane. Crazy.
e) when turning right or left at traffic lights in suburban areas, you must give way to pedestrians who may be crossing. Incredibly, the green lights for cars and pedestrians go off at the same time.

To sum it all up - you've got nothing to worry about ! its a breeze.

Originally Posted by DunRoaminTheUK

I ride a motorbike to work and I was taught to always ride slightly in front of peripheral cars in multi-lane traffic, so that they are made aware of my presence. This tactic, more often than not, is perceived by the other driver as an aggressive challenge to compete with me in a game of "I'm In Front Of You Now You Bastard!". It gets very boring after a while.

Also, leaving a safe distance between you and the car in front of seems like a pointless exercise too as it's normally taken as an invitation to see just how many cars can squeeze into your gap.

Originally Posted by Centurion

You are indeed brave. I rode everywhere in London. I wouldn't ride here if you paid me. My bike has stood for 3 years now without being started and I need to sell it really.

The mere thought of riding in Brisbane with the combination of the shittiest potholed driving surface outside of Africa, cambers which can only be described as bizzare, and the inability for drivers to see my large 4WD nevermind a sodding bike would have me killed within weeks I reckon.

Originally Posted by imanaussie

Perhaps the SE corner has grown so fast that it has been hard for locals to keep pace with the traffic and additional roads therefore they continue to drive as if they still lived in the bush??????

Hmm.....

Originally Posted by brissybound

Ive went from absolute confidence to shitting me pants now!!!

Hows the public transport??

Originally Posted by brissybound

Hows the public transport??

Originally Posted by brissybound

Ive went from absolute confidence to shitting me pants now!!!

Hows the public transport??