or it could cost you $150 and 3 points (this is WA - not sure about other states). One very expensive lunch with a mate today

yes i know Have it straight from the horses mouth so to speak. 'THEY' sit and watch the wheel nuts on the car to make sure the do not rotate at the junction to constitute a STOP!!!

Yep! They're mad-keen on getting you for that here, ay?!! Also, something we didn't think about until we were told about it but you can't park on the road in the 'wrong' direction here - you have to be facing the flow of the traffic. We quite often see people getting tickets for that and usually joke that it's probably a Brit that's done it

In Queensland, you cannot do a U-turn at an intersection with traffic lights, unless it says you can! I, of course didn't know that and it cost me 80$ and 3 demerit points. They don't believ ein warnings here I guess either. I mean I just got my licence 2 days before it happened and been here less than 1 week!

Havent you all read the rule book?

It could also cost you your life. The stop signs at mine sites really mean stop. I am told that the drivers of a fully laden 500 tonne truck cant even feel it when they go over a car.

Why wouldnt you stop at them usually stuck on places with low visibility of Mac Truck coming 120 klm an hour toward you. Stopping is good

You should try reading it with your eyes open..

where is this rule book? I didn't see it? Noone gave it to me when they gave me my license either! I do know I have to stop at stop signs.. But I do believe I got screwed over on the U-turn.. In the rest of the world (that I know of ) you can do a U-turn unless it says you can't! Like I said lesson learned I do wish someone would've given me some rule book when issuing my license!

Be serious. That costs money.

Funny thing is some of these are also the rules in the UK but it's obviously wrong for Aus to have the same rules. How dare they enforce the same rules?

It's your responsibility to read up on the rules. Or would you rather go back to the system that forced you to do the written test before getting your licence?

I guess it is. But noone even tried to sell me a rule book. I think if they have different rules, they should advise you when you are swapping a license over. Like I said, it's not the end of the world, lesson learned. But it would've been nice for the cops to let me off with a warning. It's what they do in most countries when they realize you didn't do it on purpose. I mean seriously, I had been here less than 1 week, I was driving a rental car and my license was less than 2 days old.. Come on! I really didn't do it on purpose! I didn't know about the rule.

Maybe that's a symptom of the modern blame culture but I've always tried to check up on local rules before going to another country. I know the rules vary from country to country in Europe (drink drive levels being one worth checking) and I know from a brief time working in the US that the rules vary from state to state. Personally I've always checked which way the cars are parked when I go to a new country but I guess this is not common.

I wonder how many Brits still wonder at the meaning of the the yellow diamond signs they see whilst driving around Europe?

When I arrived we still had to do the written test and when they got rid of it I thought there might be a problem with people not boning up on the rules. Maybe they should ask people if they've read the rules before they give them a licence but then we'd have to put up with even more moaning about Aus being a Nanny State.

Yep, i got a ticket for that. Used to live in a terraced house in England and parked where i could find a space down my street, whatever way i was facing. To my cost, had not read the rule book as well as i should have before driving in Oz.
Most of the Aussies i told about it were as shocked as i was, but a rule is a rule and i won't do that again. Yes, i have since read the rule book from cover to cover!