I'm Aussie, living in Ireland, and it took me a while to get used to the flashing lights thing - in Aus, flashing your lights generally is taken to mean there is a police radar ahead and to slow down (and if they catch you doing it they'll give you a roasting!). I think the general driving population would not realise what you were indicating if you did flash your lights like you would here! Personally I think it is great and drivers here are generally very polite (unlike Aus) but here in Ireland they do tailgate dreadfully and I sometimes think indicators are optional extras on some cars! Having driven in both countries, I would have to say that Queensland drivers are worse overall!! But not by much!

I don't. It causes accidents hence the reason it is frowned upon. You can be charged with misuse of a vehicle or some such crap.
Just exactly how does it help other than to let speed junkies off the hook?

Wookie

It depends upon which State you're living in (doesn't everything??). The common denominator is that you may well need a Cert IV in Transport and Logistics (Driving Instruction) OR sit a 150 question theory test and a practical instruction assessment. This you would have to re-take every three years. All the details should be on your Department of Planning and Infrastructure website.

If you're WA then let me know and I'll PM you the full details.

Regards

well i just wanted to say thanks for all your discussions re: driving in oz. I will bear them all in mind. suppose i wont know how i will cope wiv it all till i get there, but was all sightful cheers vicky x

Blimey. ease up. I've flashed probably thousands of time in my life and NEVER has it caused an accident. Nor have I ever heard of it causing an accident. I'm sure I can be charged with something but I have never known anyone to be charged with it. Heck, even a police car does it when indicating that you should go though a gap first, so I hardly think it's a matter of life and death.

Like in the US where the 'law' says you should drive in the right hand lane and not 'undertake' - but everyone does and because it is the norm, you'll not get pulled for it, since everyone does it.

I love to flash if I see a camera to warn others as well. Just because there is a camera does not mean I'm driving dangerously. Speeding, yes, but driving dangerously, totally not. Speed cameras in 90% of cases are their to raise cash and nothing else and I'm happy to help people avoid it.

That said, it it were in a village 30mph zone in the UK by a school, I'd not flash as they are actually doing some good. But on a 100kph highway in Aus, they are doing no good at all...

If I have to explain how it helps, you are way beyond that point....

You've found them uncourteous, I haven't.

So what makes my experience a load of tosh then?

You said earlier that it wasn't the 'norm' here..

If you flashed people on continental Europe it wasn't to let them in, it was to advise them you were there and for them not to move. When in Rome, and all that malarky

Its the blokes who are the worst..

HA HA! I bought a nice magna then promptly sold it and bought a big dented 4x4 , the driving standard here is shocking! undertaking ! have nearly wiped a few cars out who were undertaking, mind you they were probably drunk

did you ask yourself why they might be undertaking you?

You do realise that there is nothing illegal or wrong in undertaking in Australia, dont you ?

not really, if your doing 100-110 in the middle lane and a v8 ute or subaru etc undertakes at 130-140 when your trying to move to the left hand lane surely you would think they might come past on the outside?

unless the speed limit is 80kms+

I've lived in UK, Ireland and now Australia, and after getting over the initial nerves of driving around a city again (Melbourne) I can't say I find the drivers all that bad, sure there are some idiots around, but there are plenty of them in the UK and Ireland (I once witnessed an old lady in Ireland stop her car in the middle of a left hand bend to answer her mobile phone, just after they brought in the law making it an offence drive while on the phone, she obviously thought she was not breaking the law by shopping the car, luckly the car that came along behind her managed to avoid her. She then finished her call and carried on! ). The truck drivers are the worst and once you are used to the fact that some of them do drive like lunatics, you get over it. If you want to experience crazy mad driving then head to Paris and anywhere else will seem brillient. I've been a passenger in a taxi in Paris and didn't think I would live to see the end of the journey.

sure if the limit is 80+ then 80 it is,i just dont think undertaking is a good move thats all