The law in Australia states you must wear a seatbelt when you are driving a car. Any passengers inside the vehicle must wear a seatbelt too and small children under the age of 7 must be clipped into a suitable restraint system that\u2019s appropriate for their size and weight. \u00a0Adhere to this law just as you would in the UK. Fail to put your seatbelt on and don\u2019t be too surprised if you see a police Holden flashing its lights at you from behind.<\/p>\n
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Speed limits<\/strong><\/p>\n Keep your eye on the speedometer when you take to Australian roads. The limits are 50 kilometres in built up areas and 100 kph on freeways and major highways. Speed limits are clearly marked so look out for signs just like you would back in the UK. Speed cameras are common, both static and mobile, and red light cameras are also in operation so get ready to slow down as you are approaching a green light.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Journey times<\/strong><\/p>\n One thing you quickly realise when you drive in Australia is how much distance there is between cities.\u00a0 This is a vast, remote landscape. Go from Sydney to Perth for example and you\u2019ll cover 4159 kilometres along the National Highway taking 40 hours to complete the journey! So you need to be prepared for journey times and plan routes well in advance. Keep the car topped up with fuel and take plenty of water along for the ride. It\u2019ll get hot during the day and can be extremely cold during the night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Road trains<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the common sights you\u2019ll discover as you journey across Australian highways are huge road trains which are basically trucks towing unfeasibly large loads. Modern multi-trailer rigs can be over 150ft in length. Overtake them and it\u2019s going to take a while so make sure you have enough space and time to commit to overtaking manoeuvres to avoid a head-on collision. Watch out for buffering as you pass the road train too. The sudden rush of wind can take you by surprise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Travelling through the outback<\/strong><\/p>\n If your journey takes you through remote areas of the outback make sure you tell somebody about your plans and give them an approximate time of how long the trip will take.\u00a0 You could leave a route plan with local police and this way if your car breaks down or you experience difficulties and don\u2019t arrive at your destination at a set time search parties will know where to find you. If you do manage to break down stay with the vehicle, people will find you more quickly if you do.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Watch out for wildlife<\/strong><\/p>\n Kangaroos are a common sight on remote Australian roads so be extra careful when you are driving on highways through the outback. Hit a kangaroo at speed and it\u2019ll cause serious damage to your car. This problem gets worse at night. Animals are attracted to car headlights after sundown so drive with extra caution during the hours of darkness, plough into a kangaroo and you\u2019ll certainly know about it. Look for warning signs at the side of the road which tell you this is a kangaroo zone.<\/p>\n Driving in Australia is pretty much essential due to the sheer size of the continent.\u00a0 Ship your vehicle overseas<\/a> and these driving tips should help you navigate your way safely along Aussie roads.![\"Driving](\"https:\/\/www.shipcars.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/desert-86775__180.jpg\")
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