Ruffy

In South Australia you can drive on your UK licence for three months before you need to get an Australian licence. Today my wife and I went for the practical part of the test and both failed !!!
Me for driving too slow 50kph in a 60 zone. My wife for failing to indicate when doing a three point turn in a deserted road. One of our neighbours told us afterwards that they fail everyone first time so we are now going to become official whinging poms and complain to the Driver Standards Group. Apparently we dont drive Australian,which seems to mean pulling away from trafic lights etc as fast as possible,driving at the highest speed permitted on a road regardless of everything else,

WBB

i did not know you had to do a practical test if you hold a full UK license?

or is that just sa ?

jwatsonoz

I'm sorry that you failed your tests. It doesn't sound as though you did anything unsafe.....so I think it is stupid that you were failed.

When I moved to Queensland all I had to do was pass a simple multiple choice question sheet - no practical. I wonder if I would have passed a practical.

However - I feel as though I could use some extra lessons. I was wondering if anybody new if there is any kind of advanced test that you can do in Queensland/Aus.

Jay

Jirrupin

Sorry to hear about your news, we only had to take the theory test (WA) which we did today and passed. Although when we were practising the rules at times seemed different to what we expected.

I do want to thank Renth for his post on taking the test, which we used as a checklist for what paperwork we needed to take with us. We used the East perth Office which was quick, efficient, and the experience cost $290.

I do need to add that I only got 27/30 where as my intelligent hubby got 29/30. If I didn't put this he would be posting it later on.

Ruffy

Things differ from state to state. We came over on permanemt residents visas and in SA needed to do both a theory (we passed) and then the practical test within three months of arrival.
Once you pass the theory you are given a permit and have a month to pass the practical test. If you dont pass within the month you have to display L plates and have a qualifed driver with you until you pass.

podgypossum

hmmm... not looking forward to this!!...we arrive in Adelaide next weekend.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get your licence in a different state so that you dont need to to a practical test in SA?

HiddenPaw

Hi PP
You would ultimately need to get a licence for the state you live in. So altho you could just sit a written test in Vic and get a Vic licence, once you reside in SA you need to do the SA licence. (And that means paying more money...!)

You may find your car insurance premium is lower if you have the local licence so it's a good idea to get your licence asap when you get there.

HiddenPaw

...oh, I see what you may mean now: Once you have an Oz licence from any state, and you move to SA, does the same rule apply to exisiting Oz licence holders that does to Johnny Foreigner? - i.e. do Oz licence holders have to do a practical test or can they just do a written.

Er, I don't know!!!

Sorry for rambling!

NoodleSYD

Ruffy, I think you've been very unlucky.
When the rules changed in 2002 to "recognise" overseas licences they were supposed to change for all states. (see below) I can only surmise that SA haven't chosen to adopt the new exemptions yet. This from the NSW rta site:

"Recognition of licences from certain countries

The recognition of licences from certain countries has been agreed nationally and commenced in NSW on and from 20 May 2002. Customers that have not failed a driving or riding test, as at 20 May 2002, will be exempted from the test if they hold an acceptable licence from one of the recognised countries. The exemption only applies to applicants for Class C (car)_licences.

The RTA reserves the right to require customers to undertake a driving_test, and may not issue a licence until it is satisfied that the overseas licence is valid._


Recognised countries
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark_________
Finland, France,_ Germany, Greece
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain__
Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA


The licensing authority in Victoria (VicRoads) is responsible for maintaining the national list of recognised countries."

As far as HiddenPaw's question about Johnny Foreigner vs. locals moving interstate goes:
A driving licence from any Australian state is interchangeable to the licence of any other state. You'll have to pay (of course) to re-licence but you won't have to sit any other tests.
If you move states you've got 3 months to re-licence.

Foreigners coming in (to NSW) from an approved country only have to sit the multiple choice test on the computer and not the driving test since 2002 to get their licence. If you come in from anywhere else (or came before 2002, like me) you had to sit a computer theory test then a practical driving test - but you then got a full licence straight away (not p plates like first time drivers do).

If anyone reads this and worries about the theory test, don't it is very easy. Thery even publish the whole question bank on the web (NSW)
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/...questions.html

Lastly, if you're thinking of sitting your test in another state to avoid SA's practical test component, don't bother. The proof-of-residence requirements are onerous and not easy to circumvent and you'll be wasting money.

podgypossum

i guess i'll just have to sit the practical test then...

i owned a taxi company in London for 14yrs so i have had plenty of driving experience, but if they fail everyone first time anyway, i suppose it will make no difference!!!

downunderpom

Have you held your FULL UK licences for less than three years? If so, that may have something to do with it. I can't think of any other reason why SA out of all the states would be awkward.

mashiraz

OK, so now I'm scared....

We have the practicals booked for this Saturday, not bothered having a lesson as we thought we'd have no problem. I've got the yellow learners book to check the 5 main manovures but can't believe you failed on that!!
We did theory with no problems once we'd cracked the give way to the right rule!!

We're having them in Modbury, where did you do yours?

Any other advice
:scared:

Mash...

NoodleSYD

Get a lesson in before Saturday...!
L plates... not a good look are they?

I couldn't believe SA would be so awkward either, but i checked on the transport SA website. There it is in black and white, no exemption.

BookBear

Don't worry too much. I passed my practical in SA first time. I wrote off my car in England 4 years earlier, I hadn't driven since then until I passed my theory and then had 2 refresher lessons.

I recommend the refresher lessons, and I'm not meant to tell you this, but my instructor took me on the exact route that the inspector took. He showed me where I would do my u-turn, 3-point turn etc. So now I will only tell you where I did the test if you PM me

Aqua2778

It must be an S.A thing, when i came here with my mum in 1992, we live in VIC all she did was drive around the block and that was it, new Aussie licence(and i mean she literally drove around the block). She'd had her UK licence for 20 or so years prior so i guess that counts for something aswell, and when i went for my licence i failed my learners the first time and then i passed my driving test first time. Seems that your instructor or the S.A Laws are very old fashioned or strict.