If you’re standing on a street corner in Sydney or Melbourne, the first thing you’ll notice isn't the coffee or the accent. It’s the direction of the traffic flow. Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road. It’s a fact that catches plenty of American and European tourists off guard every year, sometimes with scary results at busy intersections.
Why?
History, mostly. Australia was a British colony, and the British have a long-standing tradition of keeping to the left. It supposedly dates back to the Middle Ages when most people were right-handed. If you were riding a horse and met a stranger, you wanted your sword hand free to defend yourself. Keeping to the left meant your right hand was closest to the person passing you. Fast forward a few centuries, and that equestrian habit turned into a legal requirement for cars.
What side of the road do Australians drive on and why it feels backwards
For anyone coming from the United States, Canada, or most of Europe, it’s a total flip. You’re sitting in the right-hand seat of the car. You’re shifting gears with your left hand. The rearview mirror is to your left. Even the turn signal and windshield wiper stalks are often swapped, meaning you’ll probably turn on the wipers when you just wanted to signal a right turn.
It’s frustrating.
You’ll find yourself constantly drifting toward the curb because your brain hasn't adjusted to the width of the car being on your left instead of your right. Honestly, the hardest part isn't the driving itself; it's the muscle memory. When you pull out of a gas station onto an empty rural road, your instinct screams at you to go to the right lane. That is exactly how head-on collisions happen in the Outback.
The Great Left vs. Right Divide
About 35% of the world drives on the left. Most of these are former British colonies like India, South Africa, New Zealand, and, of course, Australia. The rest of the world—roughly 65%—sticks to the right.
There was a time when things were more chaotic. In the early 1900s, some parts of Canada drove on the left while others drove on the right. Eventually, the world realized that having a standardized side was probably a good idea for international trade and safety. Australia stuck to its guns. They never saw a reason to switch, unlike Sweden, which famously flipped from left to right overnight in 1967 (an event known as Dagen H).
Navigating Roundabouts Without Panicking
If you’re worried about what side of the road Australians drive on, you need to be even more worried about roundabouts. Australia loves them. They are everywhere.
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In a left-hand drive country like Australia, you enter a roundabout moving clockwise.
You give way to the traffic already in the circle, which will be coming from your right. This is the golden rule: give way to the right. If you enter a multi-lane roundabout in a city like Canberra (which is basically just a series of interconnected circles), you have to be in the correct lane before you even enter. If you’re turning right, you need the right lane. If you’re going straight or left, stay in the left.
It sounds simple. Until you're doing it at 60km/h with a massive "B-double" truck breathing down your neck.
The Infamous Melbourne Hook Turn
Then there’s Melbourne. Melbourne has trams. Because the trams run down the middle of the street, there isn't always room for a car to sit in the middle of the intersection waiting to turn right.
The solution? The Hook Turn.
To turn right, you actually pull into the far left lane. You wait in the "hook" area at the front of the intersection until the light for the street you are entering turns green. Then, you go. It feels illegal. It feels like you’re cutting everyone off. But if you don't do it, you'll block the tram, and you’ll get a chorus of horns from every driver behind you.
Road Rules That Will Catch You Out
Australia is strict. Really strict.
The police don’t give "warnings" for speeding like they might in some parts of the US. If you are 3km/h over the limit, you can expect a fine in the mail. They use hidden speed cameras, point-to-point cameras that calculate your average speed over a long distance, and mobile units that look like regular SUVs parked on the side of the road.
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- Seatbelts: Everyone in the car must wear one. No exceptions.
- Alcohol: The legal limit is 0.05% BAC. That’s roughly one standard drink for an average-sized man in the first hour. It’s much lower than the 0.08% limit in many other countries.
- Mobile Phones: Don't even touch it. If a camera catches you with a phone in your hand—even if you're stopped at a red light—it’s a massive fine and points off your license. In some states, it's over $1,000.
Wildlife Hazards in the Outback
Driving in the city is one thing. Driving in the bush is another animal entirely. Literally.
Kangaroos are most active at dawn and dusk. They aren't particularly smart when it comes to cars. If you see one on the side of the road, assume three more are about to jump out. This is why many Australian vehicles, especially in rural areas, are fitted with "bull bars" or "roo bars."
Expert tip: If a kangaroo jumps in front of you, do not swerve. Swerving at high speeds on a gravel shoulder is how cars flip. Most road safety experts, including those from the Australian Road Safety Foundation, suggest braking firmly but staying in your lane. It’s better to hit the animal than to wrap your car around a eucalyptus tree.
The Reality of Distance and "The Wave"
Australia is huge. Like, mind-bogglingly huge.
People look at a map and think they can drive from Sydney to Perth in a couple of days. That’s a 4,000-kilometer trip across some of the most desolate terrain on Earth. It takes about 40 hours of actual driving time.
When you're out on those long, red-dirt roads, you’ll notice something called the "Outback Wave." When a car passes you going the other direction—which might only happen once every hour—the driver will lift a finger or two off the steering wheel. It’s a silent acknowledgement. A "hey, you're alive, I'm alive, good luck out there" gesture.
If you don't wave back, you're basically the rudest person in the hemisphere.
Understanding the "Give Way" Culture
Australians generally follow the rules, but there is a nuance to the "Give Way" (yield) culture. On narrow bridges in the countryside, there’s often a sign indicating which direction has priority. If you don't have priority, you pull over and wait.
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In suburban areas, if someone lets you merge, a quick "thank you" wave is mandatory. It’s not just polite; it’s part of the social contract of the road.
Practical Tips for Your First Week
If you're just arriving, don't pick up your rental car at the airport and immediately try to navigate the center of a major city. You're jet-lagged, your brain is functioning at 50%, and you’re trying to drive on the "wrong" side of the road. That’s a recipe for a fender bender.
- Rent an automatic. Even if you know how to drive a manual (stick shift), do you really want to learn how to shift with your left hand while trying to remember which way to look at a roundabout? Probably not.
- Follow the leader. In traffic, just do what the person in front of you does. They know where they're going.
- The "Look Right" Mantra. As a pedestrian, you've spent your whole life looking left first. In Australia, the cars are coming from the right. Look right, then left, then right again.
- Download offline maps. Once you leave the major coastal cities, cell service disappears fast. Google Maps won't help you if you don't have a signal in the middle of the Nullarbor Plain.
Licensing and Logistics
Can you even drive there?
Generally, yes. If you have a valid driver’s license from your home country written in English, you can drive in Australia for up to three months (this varies slightly by state). If your license isn't in English, you'll need an International Driving Permit.
Keep your license on you at all times. If you get pulled over and don't have it, the police aren't going to be happy. They are professional, but they aren't lenient.
Actionable Steps for Navigating Australia
If you’re planning a trip and feeling nervous about the left-side driving, here is exactly what you should do to prepare.
- Visualise the Turns: Before you leave home, sit in your chair and imagine making a right-hand turn. You have to cross the oncoming lane. It’s the "big" turn. Left turns are the "short" turns.
- Identify the Center Line: Always keep yourself (the driver) toward the center of the road. If you are sitting near the curb, you are on the wrong side.
- Check Your Mirrors: Adjust them as soon as you get in. You’ll be looking in different directions than you’re used to, and having them set perfectly will reduce the cognitive load.
- Plan for Rest: Fatigue is a massive killer on Australian roads. The "Stop. Revive. Survive." signs aren't just suggestions. Every two hours, get out of the car.
Driving in Australia is one of the best ways to see the country. You can't see the Great Ocean Road or the Red Centre from a train. Once you get past the initial "everything is backwards" feeling, it becomes second nature. Just remember: keep left, watch for roos, and don't touch your phone.
Now, go book that campervan. The coast is waiting.